Does anyone have a really tasty recipe for beef olives? Having people for dinner and I want to serve lovely comfort food as I have found recently that people yearn for simple yet delicious meals. Got so many “yums” from recent guests when I served slow roasted lamb leg with mashed potato, carrots and peas.

Oh I can do fancy if I choose, but I am over trying to impress people, I want them to enjoy my meals and relax knowing I haven't spent the day in the kitchen and the week's budget on one meal.

I have used Richard Till's recipe but just looking for options,

Thanks



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/07/2018 10:14AM by Ali W.

Sorry I don't have a tried and true recipe Ali but am looking forward to seeing what comes in. I haven't eaten beef olives for years but do remember them being delicious. Incidentally I wonder why the name olives as there are no olives in them.
Interesting.

Here's my own recipe for Felafel Beef Olives:

Even though schnitzels come thinly sliced, it is always a good idea to flatten them a little. This way you get two beef olives from
each schnitzel and the meat is not so thick when rolling. Also, snip the skin around the outside of the schnitzel to stop it curling up when heated. Use toothpicks to hold the olives closed.

6 slices beef schnitzel
30 grams Olive Grove Falafel, any flavour
1 x 400 gr can of tomatoes, any flavour, crushed
50 mls red wine

Spread each schnitzel with a little falafel, right to the edges.

Roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish.

Pour over the tomatoes and wine.

Bake at 180C for 45-50 minutes.

I used to make them so many years ago. I will try and hunt out my recipe. It was so long ago I used to make them in my pressure cooker.

That's an interesting idea, Lorna - must try it.

I always make extra stuffing when I am doing a roast chicken and freeze for use later in beef olives. I make a traditional stuffing with mixed herbs etc but usually add finely sliced celery and chopped bacon. I simply pan fry them and make a regular gravy. I always buy the schnitzel when it is half price so it makes for a really economical meal. Agree with Lorna re rolling out to make the meat thinner.

Helen, according to Mr Google, beef olives date back to medieval times. The word 'olives' was intended as a description of little meat parcels, being of a similar shape.

You're right Ali, gone are the days of productions that took all day to make and as you say used the week's budget for one meal. Simple food done well wins hands down in my book too.

Regards,

Barbara Anne



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2018 02:20AM by Barbara Anne.

About 30 years ago I used to make them with thin skirt beef, using traditional breadcrumb and onion stuffing with fresh thyme and parsley. I tied them with string and pot roasted them for several hours. I loved beef olives decades ago but I think I would find them too solid and heavy these days.

As far as I know the name is based on the shape, not the contents.

Ali W Wrote:
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> Oh I can do fancy if I choose, but I am over
> trying to impress people, I want them to enjoy my
> meals and relax knowing I haven't spent the day in
> the kitchen and the week's budget on one meal.
>
I read an interesting comment the other day re the UK. Apparently over there whilst the TV cooking reality programs are growing in popularity, the actual numbers of people cooking is on the decline. They put it down to a mix of dining out/fast food options and also people are worried about being judged and that their meals are not up to reality TV standards!

Oh Lorna, I do like your idea, falafel is more appealing to me than regular stuffing.

I know there is a lot of truth in that, Irene. At home we don't have all the appliances and staff that restaurants have. I gave up years ago trying to be perfect and expecting perfection from someone who is tired after a lot of work. I would rather have a simple meal with good friends and good conversation. That doesn't mean that I don't set out to do something special for my guests.
One evening we had dinner here with friends we met while travelling in Ireland. I made an Irish stew and some soda bread. We had a lovely evening.
TPANDAV'S beef olive recipe sounds like the way I used to make them, apart from me using the pressure cooker. Since then I have read recipes that have other ingredients, such as diced prunes added, that would raise them a notch or two, without going too far from the old way.
Lorna's recipe sounds pretty good, too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2018 04:39AM by Marnie.

I have never cooked beef olives but I enjoyed them very much when my mother made them. She put lots of sautéed onions on the schnitzel type meat as well as a little pork mince and a small gherkin. They were browned in a cast iron casserole and then simmered in a beef stock till done. The gravy was delicious from memory. Memories



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2018 11:24AM by Chris.

Chris, just waiting for my post to be moderated your mothers recipe sounds very much like mine, lovely. I've been cooking these for many years.

Hi, I have made these for years, it was originally a microwave recipe but I have always made it in a frypan.

300g very thinly sliced rump steak
1 rasher bacon
1 small onion chopped
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon parsley chopped
1 teaspoon lemon rind grated
1 small carrot grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
black pepper
seasoned flour
30 g butter
150ml brown stock
150ml red wine

Pound steak....place bacon and onion in pan and cook for 3 minutes add breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon rind, carrot, pepper and salt and egg...Blend together...Spread filling over meat pieces, roll up and tie with string. Coat meat with seasoned flour and brown in pan.Add stock and wine and cook with lid on for 12 minutes...remove to serving dish, keep warm while you make the sauce. Thicken juices with 3 teaspoons of arrowroot blended with 1 tablespoon water, cook 2 - 3 minutes, poor over the Olives.

Gosh I havent posted on here for years, but we were on a bus trip about a month ago and ended up at Denheaths and talked to Lisa who always used to post on here, do you remember.....she always wished us warm fuzzies....was lovely to meet her in person...

Thanks everyone - I've got lots of options now, will try out a couple of versions on my hubby and have a vote!

Hi Ali, i just make up a stuffing mix, fresh breadcrumbs herbs minced onion and mushrooms, seasoning and a tbs spoon or two milk to moisten. I then pan fry when rolled up and remove cook off another onion that has been finely chopped add stock season then add olives back to pan with sauce and cook for about 1.5hr covered at about 140oc oven.

Spread meat with whole grain or djorn mustard
Cover that with silver beet leaves
Grate apple over all that
Roll up & cook as usual
Sounds unusual but
This really is yummy

Actually you can pretty much use any stuffing you want, from a bread based one(save a bit of stuffing from the chook) to mustard and pickles, ala sauerbraten, then brown the rolls, throw in some sliced onions and brown too. Then add some good stock, and braise till tender. Remove rolls, lightly thicken sauce and serve on a mound of light, fluffy, buttery mashed potato.......yum.