LOCAL HEROES
Martin Bosley discovers so much more than just delicious dairy in the Waikato.
Martin Bosley explores the variety and abundance of the Waikato’s artisan food scene
The Waikato and dairy famously go hand in hand, but travel across the region and you’ll find there is so much more to it than just Hamilton. Raglan, Matamata, Cambridge, Putararu, Te Awamutu and Te Kauwhata are home to farmers, winemakers, brewers, cheesemakers, orchardists, beekeepers and growers, giving this region a foodie reputation beyond just great dairy. There is a passion here for healthy, fresh, seasonal food. This is a region taking the concept of paddock to plate to another level. The self-evident results of a sustainable and organic approach to food is reason enough to visit the region.
Wholly Cow is an independent artisan butchery that is more than just meat. Carrie and Tom Andrews have created a circular, sustainable and independent farming system that incorporates regenerative farming practices – my order of prime rib came with a pot of fragrant tallow skin balm. The meat itself had thin lines of creamy fat running through the aged, maroon flesh. Packed in its box with hand-picked herbs, it just looked sexy even before I cooked it over the coals. whollycow.co.nz
Sue Arthur’s retirement project, Over the Moon, makes cheeses from locally sourced cow, goat, sheep and buffalo milk. The first reaction to eating one of her cheeses is often, “Oh, this is really good,” followed a few moments later by, “Wow, this is beautiful.” The sort of cheeses you want to eat and then eat some more. In keeping with my barbecue mantra, I cook the washed rind in the cooling embers of the wood fire, the smoke lingering on the softened, creamy interior. To go with it, some strawberries, ember-roasted alongside the cheese. overthemoondairy.co.nz
Meyer Cheese is one of New Zealand’s most awarded cheesemakers complete with its own dairy farm. The milk is pumped right from the milking shed into the cheese factory. The vintage Gouda has a crumbly parmesan-like texture and a full-bodied flavour with a sharp bite. A little goes a long way, so I either grate it onto my pasta, serve a sliver with a ripe pear or make a salad with Granny Smith apples and peppery rocket leaves. meyer-cheese.co.nz
They call me the King of Fat, such is my enthusiasm for using butter in my cooking and that was long before I had heard of the Bellefield Butter Company. Since 2017, Cambridge’s Steve and Jan Dolan have been making excellent, award-winning cultured butters, using traditional methods of slow ripening and hand working. As Kelli Brett famously said, “It’s life-changing.” Thickly spread the sea salt variety on some fire-grilled sourdough, or use the seriously good, thoughtfully flavoured butters to enhance the taste of anything they accompany. bellefield.co.nz
THE BARBECUE
True barbecue, using wood and not gas, is all about the simple application of raw heat and smoke to proteins and vegetables. There is little that cannot be improved with good-quality charcoal.
Beef comes down to breed, feed and environment; everything depends on the animal itself so find yourself a really good butcher or supplier as cheap meat will give you a cheap result. Also, nothing adds succulence to a piece of beef like a bone – it’s the magic ingredient that can't be beaten when it comes to flavour.
Conventional wisdom is to place the meat over the coals of a hot barbecue grill, giving it a baptism of fire, then lower the heat to let it carry on cooking at a more sedate pace. However, I prefer to start over a low heat and finish in a furnace, a method known as ‘reverse sear’.
WHOLLY COW ROAST RIB OF BEEF WITH CHIMICHURRI SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 5 MINUTES PLUS OVERNIGHT RESTING / COOKING 1 HOUR 35 MINUTES
2.5kg two-rib piece of beef olive oil or dripping herbs, such as thyme and bay leaves Salsa Brava chimichurri sauce, to serve
The night before you want to cook, salt the joint of meat on all sides. Leave it uncovered in the fridge; it will look like this has dried out the roast, but it will actually increase the moisture in the finished prime rib. When ready to cook, prepare the embers and have the barbecue sitting at around 150˚C. Rub the beef all over with olive oil or dripping. Put into a heavy roasting tin, fat side up, tucking in any herbs such as thyme and bay leaves. Roast the meat in the barbecue with the lid down for 10 minutes per 500g for rare to medium-rare meat; a 2.5kg piece will take around 50 minutes initially. Increase the heat to about 260˚C and give it a final 30 minutes to ensure a crisp crust of fat. Remove the meat from the barbecue and leave to rest, covered with foil, for at least 15 minutes. Put the beef onto a carving board. Pour any juices and debris from the roasting tray into a warm jug, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with chimichurri sauce.
SWEETCORN WITH BELLEFIELD CHILLI & LIME & MISO BUTTERS SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 20 MINUTES / COOKING 15-20 MINUTES
Grilled corn on the cob is pretty basic – fresh corn and a hot grill, and you’re away. This isn’t so much a recipe as a technique. Bellefield’s flavoured butters have a rich, persistent flavour and a sublime velvety mouthfeel.
4 corn on the cob, still in the husk 1 tablespoon salt
30g Bellefield Chilli & Lime
cultured butter
30g Bellefield Miso cultured butter lime wedges (optional)
Keep the barbecue at a medium heat. Pull the outer husks down (but don’t pull them right off ) and remove the silk from each ear of corn. Gather the husks together and tie with string to form a handle, then place the cobs into a bowl of cold water with the salt for about 15 minutes. Remove from the water and place the cobs on the grill, the husks hanging over the edge away from the fire. Cook for 15-20 minutes, rotating the corn frequently, until lightly charred and tender. Remove from the heat and spread with the butters. Serve with lime, if desired.
EMBER-BAKED CHEESE WITH STRAWBERRIES & HONEY SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 5 MINUTES / COOKING 10 MINUTES
As the fire dies down and the embers are cooling, it’s time for the perfect dessert. Great cheese is all about the richness of the pasture (I once saw my father, a lifestyle-block farmer, roll with envy in someone else’s paddock, such was the lush quality of their grass). Over the Moon’s washed rind encases a sweet, runny cheese, perfect for baking in the dying embers of a fire. If you don’t want to bake the cheese, just do the strawberries and serve with Bellefield’s clotted cream.
1 Over the Moon washed-rind cheese 5 rosemary sprigs, tips only
Have the embers slowly smouldering and remove all wrapping from the cheese. With the point of a knife, make five small cuts into the top of the cheese and insert a rosemary sprig (use only the very tips of the sprigs). Place the cheese into a solid roasting pan and sit the pan carefully on top of the embers. Bake for about 8-10 minutes until the cheese is warm and runny.
1 punnet strawberries, washed and hulled (we used berries from Ruakura Berry Farm) 3 tablespoons honey
Place the strawberries in a heatproof dish and set on the grill grate over the embers. Turn them gently as they cook (about 6-8 minutes), so they absorb the smoke from the fire, slowly soften and give up their juices. Remove from the heat, put in a bowl, pour the pan juices over the top and spoon over the honey. Serve with the baked cheese.