The Irish Beef Book Review
A weighty tome for a weighty subject, The Irish Beef Book by Pat Whelan and Katy McGuinness evokes memories of much loved linen bound cookery books found in my Grandmother’s kitchen.
This is a book that’s made to be a reference over time, to return to again and again. Pat Whelan’s first book, An Irish Butcher Shop, is one of the few that I can find by touch on my bookshelves. So when he mentioned to me last May that he was in the process of writing a second, I may have done an inner dance. There’s a reason why I love this fifth generation butcher’s books. Put simply, the recipes work. In fact not only do they work but they do so consistently.
The introductory chapter, written by Pat, is packed with his experience, passion and respect for his craft and for the animals he rears for the table. Then there is debunking of theory on fat in meat based on scientific evidence, amazing sides to serve with beef and finally, tried and tested recipes. Be it steak, roast, offal, pies or “dude food”, if it contains beef, Pat & Katy have done their best to do it justice.
There is much to love about this book and I’ll be cooking from it for years to come.
The Irish Beef Book is published by Gill & Macmillan and can be purchased here for the discounted price of €18.39, and in all good bookshops nationwide for the recommended retail price of €24.99.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purposes of this review. My opinions are my own and I am not paid to give them.
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