Springbok or beef fillet with red wine jus recipe by Carl Schultz. Paired with The Stork Shiraz, Gravel Hill Shiraz, or Hartenberg Estate Shiraz.
Ingredients
1 springbok or beef fillet
olive oil for rubbing
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vine stumps for braaiing ('they make good, quick coals; I prefer not to use indigenous wood')
Marinade
750 ml red wine ('Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz or Estate Shiraz')
1 large onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
10 ml black peppercorns
2-3 bay leaves
6 juniper berries
30 ml redcurrant jelly
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
5 ml ground cumin
2.5 ml mustard seeds
Red Wine Jus
olive oil for frying
250 g leeks, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, lightly crushed
a sprig of fresh rosemary
60 ml balsamic vinegar
400 ml red wine ('Hartenberg Cabernet Shiraz or Estate Shiraz')
10 ml brown sugar
10 ml Bisto gravy powder, mixed into a paste with a dash of water
a knob of butter
Recipe
Serves 4-8, depending on the size of fillet: springbok is small, beef is large.
For the marinade, place all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook for about 10 minutes. Allow cooling completely. Place the fillet in a deep, non-metallic bowl, pour the marinade over it and cover. Marinate in the fridge for about 12 hours.
Remove the fillet from the fridge at least 3 hours before braaing to bring the meat to room temperature. Remove from marinade, pat dry and rub with some olive oil, and season with salt and black pepper. Braai over hot coals. ('I like mine medium-rare')
Rest the meat for 20 minutes before slicing.
While the fillet is being braaied and rested, prepare the red wine jus. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and fry the leeks until lightly browned (about 3 minutes), stirring often. Season with black pepper and add the garlic and rosemary sprig. Continue cooking for a further 3 minutes, stirring often to prevent the leeks from burning.
Add the vinegar and cook until reduced to a syrup. Then add the wine and sugar and cook until reduced by two-thirds (you need around 250 ml). Remove the garlic and rosemary. If necessary, add the gravy powder paste to thicken the jus. Whisk in the butter.
Wine Pairing
The Stork Shiraz, Gravel Hill Shiraz, or Hartenberg Estate Shiraz
Cook’s Tip
'My daughter Michelle - she makes this jus - adds 10 ml Bisto gravy powder, mixed to a paste with a dash of water, and cooks that up a bit at the end of the jus needs thickening before adding the butter.'