Watch Ear to the Ground on 24th November.
We were delighted to be involved in the filming of Ear to the Ground both at the shop and at one of our prime beef suppliers farms – Glensouth Farm, the farm of Frank Murphy.
At Glensouth Farm the welfare of the cattle takes an absolute priority and the use of innovative new technology has given them the edge. You can find out more about Glensouth farm when the show is broadcast on 24th November.
McCarthy’s were proud to win three awards at the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland competition this year.
Cork may not have brought home Sam or the Liam McCarthy cup this year but all has not been lost as Jack & Tim McCarthy, McCarthy’s of Kanturk ran away with cups at this year’s Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland (ACBI) National Sausage and Pudding Competition and Speciality Foods Competition, winning Best Black and White Pudding and the Supreme Speciality Food Champion title for their Smoked Air Dried Beef at this year’s awards held at retail and hospitality expo, Food and Hospitality Ireland in Citywest . Cork did the double in 1990 and the McCarthy’s did the treble this year.
John Hickey CEO, ACBI presented Jack McCarthy owner and of McCarthy’s Butchers in Kanturk with the prestigious accolades.
The competition has been running for over 11 years now says ACBI, who were delighted to say that this year was an extremely successful year for entries, with over 40 finalists in the National Sausage and Pudding Final and over 100 entries flooding in for the Speciality Foods Competition. The competition was judged by the highly knowledgeable Leslie Williams, food writer for the Evening Herald and Irish Examiner and member of the Irish Guild of Food Writers and the very experienced Marilyn Bright also a member of the Irish Guild of Food Writers.
Overall the judges were impressed with the quality and innovation of the products, Leslie Williams Food Writer for the Evening Herald and Irish Examiner was very impressed by the quality of the products saying, “Craft Butchers know about Irish food and using the very best of Irish ingredients. Getting the balance of flavours right while still tasting the quality of the meat is key to cooking with Craft Butchers meat. Craft Butchers are expert craftsmen and are central to our Irish food heritage. You cannot go wrong if you start off with good quality meat from your local Craft Butcher.”
Leslie Williams described McCarthy’s Black Pudding as being “full of flavour and well-seasoned” and their White Pudding as “nicely balanced with good texture and perfectly seasoned.“ Their Supreme Champion title winning Smoked Air Dried Beef was described as being “expertly crafted slices of beautiful beef, bursting with flavour.”
Julie Cahill Marketing Manager ACBI said “McCarthy’s Butchers produce so many innovative products using traditional techniques; from Black Pudding fit for a queen to Beer Cured Black Bacon to Smoked Air Dried Beef, they continue to keep meat interesting. McCarthy’s have the perfect balance; they practice traditional butchering techniques but yet are contemporary in their product offering which is key to meeting consumer demand and changing lifestyle trends, they are at the top of their game when it comes to quality Irish meat.”
The McCarthy’s were delighted with the win on the day, thanking all their staff and loyal customers, “I am delighted with the win, we take quality meat and turn it into creative award winning products, we put a lot of time, energy and passion into what we do, it is a marvelous achievement, it’s good for business and it’s good for Kanturk.”
Jack and his son, Tim McCarthy, are fifth generation butchers in the family run shop in Kanturk. McCarthy’s are well known for their value-added beef and pork products. McCarthy’s bacon and rashers have won international awards and the Blackpudding has received acclaim from the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Blackpudding and was even served to the queen at the banquet on her visit to Ireland in 2011.
With quality at the foremost of their minds, and the clean air and lush pastureland providing healthy livestock, you can rest assured that Jack and Tim will source the finest meat for your plate.
It has been a pleasure to work with Donal Skehan this year. In July our wonderful award winning Apple Sausages played a big part in Kitchen Hero:Donal’s Irish Feast on RTE. Donal made McCarthy’s Bramley Apple Bangers with Parsnip and Leek Mash, Sage and Cider Gravy with Black Pudding Crumble. If you want to cook the recipe
Donal also published the recipe in his column in the Independent newspaper. We thank Donal for his support of McCarthys and all the other Irish Food producers that he has featured in the series.
McCarthy’s Bramley Apple Bangers with Parsnip and Leek Mash, Sage and Cider Gravy with Black Pudding Crumble
Jack McCarthy’s black pudding is championed by some of the best Irish chefs – it was served to the Queen on her state visit in 2011 and his Bramley apple sausages are made from free range pork. Fortunately they are now becoming more widely available in specialist stores and online.
Ingredients:
2 tblsp Rapeseed oil
1 Large onion, very finely sliced
2 tsp Plain flour
1 tblsp Chopped fresh sage
330 ml Bottle artisan dry cider
12 teaspoons crab apple jelly
8 Bramley apple pork sausages (preferably jack mccarthy’s) 1 Slice black pudding (preferably jack mccarthy’s)
For the parsnip mash:
675 g Small parsnips, peeled and cut into 2.5cm pieces 25 g Butter
2 Small leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Splash of cream
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. For the parsnip mash, steam the parsnip for 1520 minutes until tender.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the leeks in the butter in a frying pan until softened but not coloured.
3. Mash the parsnips and season with salt and pepper, then beat in the sautéed leeks with the mustard and cream.
4. For the sage & cider gravy, heat half the rapeseed oil in a large pan and sauté the onion for 1015 minutes until lightly golden.
5. Stir in the flour and cook for another minute, then gradually add the cider and allow to reduce down by half.
6. Add the sage and then whisk in enough of the apple jelly to taste. 7. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
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8. Heat the remaining rapeseed oil in a large nonstick frying pan and sauté the sausages until lightly golden all over, turning regularly with a tongs.
9. Transfer to a baking tin and place in the oven for another 10 minutes or until cooked through and tender.
10.Break up the black pudding into small pieces.
11. Return the frying pan to the heat and quickly sauté the black pudding for a couple of minutes until sizzling.
12. Arrange the parsnip and leek mash on warmed serving plates with the Bramley apple bangers and spoon over the sage & cider gravy. Scatter over the black pudding crumble to serve.
