A top chef has revealed the most “underrated” substitute for a luxury ingredient. As co-founder of beef and burger specialist, The Beefy Boys, Anthony Murphy knows his stuff when it comes to roasting and cooking meat.
But he believes you don’t have to break the bank on the most expensive cuts of beef to get the most delicious results, as he thinks his alternative is just as “showstopping”. Nicknamed the “poor man’s sirloin”, Chef Murphy hailed the topside of beef as a great alternative to pricier beef ribs, which are just as delicious when cooked right. He told Sky: “My favourite cheap substitute is topside… It’s a really underrated cut of beef. If you cook it right, it’s as much of a showstopper as a rib of beef.”
To cook it well, Murphy explained you have to sear the outside and cook it as gently and slowly as possible until it reaches your desired taste, whether that’s pink or more well-done.
Even though this thrifty cut is slighter tougher than ribs or fillets, this joint can be roasted slowly to create a rich flavour.
He shared his other budget-friendly dish is chilli garlic noodles, which is his go-to when he wants something quick after work.
Murphy makes it by frying four cloves of minced garlic and one diced red chilli with some noodles and a tablespoon of soy sauce, a tablespoon of oyster sauce, a teaspoon of maple syrup, and a splash of sesame oil.
Any type of protein can be added in, such as chicken, fish, tofu or eggs – but spring onion helps to garnish the dish.
Another chef, Heartwood Collection’s Manoj Prasad, also revealed his go-to cheaper cuts of meat, including lamb shoulder, pork collar, beef shin.
He said that the cuts are full of flavour, and can be just as satisfying as a prime cut when cooked the correct way and treated with respect.