Take It Slow with MuMu Grill

Taking it slow...MuMu Grill's Craig Macindoe

In this fast paced lifestyle, it’s essential that we stop, take a breather and take it slow once in a while. Craig Macindoe? He likes to take it slow too. So slow, in fact that he is one of a few restaurateurs in Sydney pioneering the Slow Food Movement and the importance of sustainable produce. Tonight I am invited along with a host of other food bloggers to MuMu Grill’s Take It Slow dinner. Having missed out on a previous Take It Slow dinner, I’m excited to be given another invite thanks to Lorraine.

Lamb goodness and a fiery wood fire oven

Of course taking it slow isn’t all about cooking food for hours and enjoying a leisurely meal. Nor is it entirely about combatting the fast food lifestyle that we’ve all been accustomed too. The Slow Food Movement's philosophy is ‘good’, ‘clean’ and ‘fair’ eating.

The wonder that is duck fat potatoes

After all, we all have the right to enjoy healthy and delicious foods that are produced in ways that are beneficial to our environment and it’s important that these food producers are also fairly compensated for (are you listening evil supermarket corporations?).

Meat-fest...come to mama!

While we are getting educated we feast on gold that is a 18 month Jamon Serrano. In fact fast fingers were essential, as the jamon just didn’t last long on the plate. The hungry, carnivorous eyes of the food bloggers proved testament to the power of jamon, which was paired tonight with a verdelho.

Our wine host tonight is Matt Polin from Polin and Polin Wines, who has brought along different vintages of their 'Limb of Addy' Shiraz. It's my rotten luck really that I’ve been hit hard with a cold so apologies if the wine goes largely unnoticed tonight. Remember it’s all about responsibility. I don't think travelling home high on shiraz and Codral counts as responsible!

Matt Polin: who had to personally open every single wine bottle on the night. With a humble waiter's friend, it's not an easy thing to do on fragile hands!


Tonight our lamb (courtesy of Arcadia Saltbush) is done two ways: a shoulder that has been roasted for 13 hours plus a grilled cutlet with a pea and mint puree 
served with kumato chutney and the appropriately named 'lambs tongue lettuce' or mache.

Slow Roast Arcadia Saltbush Lamb Two-ways

Admittedly my cutlet didn’t look like it was cooked at all but luckily I like it rare so dig in I did. The meat was incredibly soft and easily melted in my mouth. The unmistakable taste of lamb is divine with the mint puree and the lamb shoulder was paired nicely with the sweet bed of cauliflower.

My super blue lamb cutlet...luckily I love my lamb!

Our main is a 4 hour slow roasted grass-fed beef from Taralga Springs. I’m all for the grass-fed livestock: better for the animals and environment, less animal cruelty and healthier for us as it’s free of chemicals, antibiotics and growth hormones.

The beef, though chewy in some parts with the tendons was, all in all, gloriously tender and a joy with the flavourful bone marrow sauce. The star in this dish, however are the potatoes that are roasted in duck fat (is it just me or should everything be roasted in duck fat?!). My only complaint was that the serving wasn't big enough for piggy ol' me.

Aged Taralga Springs Rib Eye Roast: 100% Grass-fed slow roasted for 4 hours with duck fat potatoes, green beans and bone marrow sauce

The dessert was a chocolate and raspberry square served with vanilla ice cream and a Belgium chocolate tile - a fudgey failsafe combination that will please even the most flippant of diners.

A big thanks to Craig Macindoe as well as the regional producers on show tonight for an eye-opening and informative evening. Education is key so if you wish to learn more about the Slow Food Movement or sustainable produce, head over to these websites for more information:

• Slow Food Sydney
  
• Slow Food Australia
  
• Arcadia Saltbush Lamb
  
• MuMu Land
  

The bar area

MuMu Grill

70 Alexander Street,
Crows Nest
NSW
(02) 9460 6877