Featured Article

FAIR DINKUM AUSSIE TUCKER

by Monette Atilano

It’s no mystery why the demand for the most premium quality Australian meat and seafood has sky-rocketed in different corners of the world. From Black Angus Rib-Eye grazed on Australia’s greenest pastures, to the freshest catch of King George Whiting, more and more people are discovering the unique flavors and unrivaled characteristics of this country’s surf and turf treasures. And with the Australia’s position as one of the most technologically competitive food exporters – with consistent innovations in handling and transport – you can expect to see quite a few more local restaurants put Australian Tajima Wagyu and Grilled Barramundi on ‘today’s special.’  

Just ask Chef Marco Legasto, Executive Chef of Purple Feet in Reposo and he’ll prove that quality Aussie meat and seafood are not that hard to find in Manila. His one-of-a-kind restaurant menu extols the virtues of mostly Australian grown steak, fish and oysters. “You just have to know where to look for the best quality products sold at reasonable prices,” the chef says.

Wine Depot’s gourmet brand Gourmet Depot, for example, carries the widest range of imported top-grade meat and fish selections in the city. With these items vacuum-sealed, individually packed and stored in stringent temperature conditions, it complies with the highest safety and specifications of the Australian government. It enjoys a reputation among its clientele as a benchmark in variety, quality and price value.

Here, you’ll find Australian grassfed beef to be leaner and lower in fat. They adopt a slight yellow pigment from the grass but have an enhanced meaty and herby flavor. Grainfed beef has more consistent characteristics because of the uniformity of the feed. It can be characterized by deposits of monounsaturated fat, known more as “marbling,” which contributes to its tenderness, juiciness and taste.

Among its selection of grainfed cattle is the Australian Tajima Wagyū striploin – the closest strain to the Japanese Wagyu. They do not cross breed with different varieties and have a higher degree of marbling. Chilled, not frozen, it is kept at the peak of freshness but is not meant to be kept in storage for as long as the frozen variety.

Australian cube-roll or rib-eye is also famous for its superior succulence and tenderness as compared to other prime grades in the market. The tenderloin, whether grass or grain fed, is the most tender part of the cow and is graded by the Australian government by age, not marbling.

Lamb-racks are of the highest quality in the Philippines. These don’t have very strong odors or pungent taste but a subtle, creamy lamb flavor. For the dinner-table favorite, the Tomahawk chop’s intense flavor is only matched by its impressively massive size that plates very well.

At the Mariott Hotel Manila, another Chef, true blue Aussie Harry Callinan, is also including many homegrown-inspired ingredients in his culinary repertoire. From delicate flavors of South Australia’s King George Whiting, Northern Australia’s great-for-fish-and-chips Barramundi, to Tasmania’s very own versions of garfish, we can expect more of these tasty ocean fare in his masterful recipes.