Beef & Beer Masterclass at Mumu Grill – Crows Nest, Sydney
There are just some partnerships that are undeniably perfect for each other. For me, beef and beer are just one of those partnerships (to all the wine drinkers I say beer > wine 
) and so when Craig of Mumu Grill teamed up with Dan the beer snob of Beer Snobs I knew something magical was going to happen. Two people, one with a deep passion for cooking organic and sustainable meats to perfection and other with a deep passion for drinking only perfection come together to teach us average Joes how to enjoy what we put in our mouths on a different level.
The difference between a cut of wagyu sirloin and normal sirloin, not only is the marbling quite noticeably different but so are the price tags…
We started off with the cooking part of the class where Craig began with the basics of the meat. It is important to know where and how these meat came around as important as what we feed ourselves it is also vital to know what these cows were fed. Grass-fed beef is a more time consuming and less efficient way of raising the cows for beef but there are many health advantages with a higher Omega 3 content over the grain-fed and of course the natural flavours of the grass-fed beef is more intense and of greater quality.
He then educates us that the cut of meat and which part of the cow it comes from also determines its flavour. I was surprised to find out that only 20% of the cow is used for primary cuts which includes the rump, rib eye fillet, sirloin and tenderloin. Such a low percentage of the cow consists of primal cuts that these should be treated with respect and cooked to maximize their flavours otherwise the cow would have died in vain!
After obtaining the meat, the next step is to age it. This is the process of allowing the natural enzymes in the meat to act on and break down the muscle fibres to result in a softer and more tender meat. There are two processes of aging and that is the wet aging and the dry aging. Aging (especially dry aging) requires very specific conditions so that the meat does not go bad and does result in some weight-loss, therefore it is a costly and timely process and props to Craig for doing it properly. The meat is usually at its prime at 4-6 weeks of aging.
Next came the important steps of oiling up the meat (not the pan) and giving it a good coat of seasoning. Different chefs have their own special blend to apply to their steaks but basically it is oil, sea salt to bring the intrinsic flavours of the meat out and pepper to add that extra spice into the steak. You can also make a dry rub for the meat as we did for the cut of prime rib. Now comes the cooking of the meat which means Here Comes the Food.
The students of the class then took turns in helping with the cooking!
A T-bone steak and wagyu sirloin was grilled to a beautiful rare state and then allowed to cooked through to a medium-rare in the open fire oven. I am a bit disappointed I did not get any photos of the final product as I was helping out in the kitchen but the taste of the T-bone Tagliatta and the wagyu sirloin were just divine. They were both so tender and juicy and even though the marbling of the wagyu caused it to be melt-in-your-mouth goodness, the T-bone was also equally delicious with an aromatic garlic and rosemary sauce.
Once all the dishes were completed we moved to the outdoor seating to enjoy the sunshine and the beer section of the class
Of course, we had to do our thang!
The eye fillet wrapped in proscuitto and sage (check out my pro wrapping skills on one of them…) worked together to create a harmony of flavours with each bite. The saltiness of the proscuitto worked very well with the sage and the tender cut of meat.
BBQ Ribs; BBQ Szechwan and coffee crusted Prime rib with BBQ pear salad and horseradish
These BBQ ribs were probably my favourite dish of the day, followed closely by the T-bone. The meat simply fell off the bone and each bite resulted in a luscious tender chunk of meat. The BBQ sauce also matched the quality of the meat with its sweet and sticky goodness. If I could have had it my way, I would have taken both plates of ribs and cleaned them. The prime rib with the szechwan and coffee crust also worked out to be a treat. The subtle pepper matched the subtlety of the coffee to not only give the meat a beautiful flavour but aroma as well. Once again the meat was cooked to a juicy medium-rare, as it should be, matched with the salad off BBQ vegetables and pear.
Dan the Beer Snob and his brilliant shirt
Dan starts off by explaining how he wants to make the world a better place by getting boutique beers into every possible place and I totally applaud his passion for beer, for I too love the boutique beers ^^! He then educates us that a good beer should be allowed to breathe by pouring into a glass (I prefer a chilled glass) then examine the beer with the three Cs; Colour, Clarity and Carbonation. The colour of the beer would of course be determined by the type of beer it is and can vary from a dark chocolate to a light wheat yellow. The clarity of the beer can vary from a cloudy mist due to suspended yeast to a clear filtered beer. Lastly the carbonation of the beer as it give it a good swirl. Then you give the beer three big whiffs to get all the scents of all the different flavours.
The beers we tried at the class were;
Wicked Elf Witbier – My favourite beer of the day as it was incredibly smooth and reminded me a lot of Hoegarden (my favourite beer of all time heh). Wheat beer does have a more intense flavour and it really is like drinking liquid bread, which is probably why I love them so much. It gives off a tropically aroma which also adds to the slight fruitiness of the beer.
Murrays Pilsner – This beer gives a sweet aroma of honey which reminds me of Beez Neez but ends with a bitterness which is a bit of an acquired taste. It does have a crisp and clean flavour that I can see many people appreciating.
Pigs Fly Pale Ale – Another crisp and fresh beer with a golden colour also with a slight fruity tinge to it.Not as bitter as the Murrays but does have a slight lingering bitterness but overall very easy to drink.
Moo Brew Dark Ale – This beer was mind-blasting in the way that it would be considered a dessert beer. There were obvious tones and hints of chocolate and cheeries and as soon as Dan said ‘blackforest cake’ everybody was nodding their head in agreement. I also found that there was a linger of coffee in the aftertaste. Definitely an interesting beer and I would like to try some with some blackforest cake heh.
A very education and interesting class with delicious food, fascinating drinks and awesome teachers! It was great fun being in the kitchen and testing out our skills with Craig and then learning and discussing all things beer with Dan. After all this I think it is time for a beer and a steak 
Here Comes the Food attended this class courtesy of Mumu Grill
Mumu Grill
70 Alexander St
Crows Nest
Ph: (02) 94606877
Head Chef: Craig MacIndoe
FFichiban
March 1st, 2010 at 9:01 am
yum yum
March 1st, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Interesting label on the Moo Brew beer. Salivating over the meat atm.
March 1st, 2010 at 7:15 pm
*sings*
Beef and beer… Yummy yummy.. Definately need to take the boy here one day.
March 1st, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Looks like you had a great time! The moo brew sounds really interesting… chocolate beer! I love that photo of the wagyu and normal sirloins, especially the marbling on that wagyu cut yummmmm
March 11th, 2010 at 9:15 am
Love the review and pics mate, cheers!!! Glad you had a great time