Father’s Day Recipes
Here are three hearty, warming Father’s Day recipes perfect for a winter celebration: one elegant and restaurant-worthy, the other pure comfort food with a pub-style twist, and the last one gluten free. All are comforting, flavour-packed and ideal for sharing around the table with family and can be prepared ahead, leaving more time to spend with Dad. Thanks so much to a subscriber in New Zealand for sharing them, they were fabulous.
Slow-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Red Wine & Rosemary
Serves: 6. Prep: 30 minutes. Cooking: 3½ hours
Ingredients
2.5kg beef short ribs
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, diced
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp tomato paste
500ml robust red wine
500ml beef stock
2 rosemary sprigs
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 160°C. Season ribs generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large casserole dish. Brown ribs on all sides and remove. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in red wine and simmer for 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add stock, rosemary and bay leaves. Return ribs to the pot. The liquid should almost cover the meat.
Cover and cook in the oven for 3–3½ hours until the meat is falling off the bone.
Skim excess fat from the sauce and serve over mashed potato with a side of buttered green beans.
Father’s Day Tip: Pair with a bold Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon or a dark winter stout.
Guinness & Steak Pot Pie with Cheddar Crust
Serves: 6–8. Prep: 40 minutes. Cooking: 2½ hours
Ingredients
For the filling
1.2kg beef chuck steak, cubed
2 tbsp flour
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, sliced
2 carrots, diced
250g mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
440ml Guinness stout
300ml beef stock
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp thyme leaves
For the Cheddar Pastry
2 sheets ready-made puff pastry
1 cup grated mature cheddar
1 egg, beaten
Method
Heat oven to 200°C. Toss beef in flour, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy pot and brown beef in batches. Add onions, carrots and mushrooms and cook until softened. Stir in garlic and thyme. Add Guinness, stock and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer gently for 2 hours until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened. Transfer filling to a large pie dish and cool slightly. Sprinkle cheddar over the filling. Cover with puff pastry, trim edges and brush with egg wash. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden and crisp. Serve with roasted root vegetables and a rich onion gravy
Father’s Day Tip: Serve with a pint of stout or a full-bodied Pinot Noir.
Red Wine, Beef & Mushroom Pot Pie with Parmesan Almond Crust (Gluten-Free)
A hearty winter pie that delivers all the comfort of a traditional steak pie, but without the gluten. Rich South African red wine, tender slow-cooked beef and earthy mushrooms combine beneath a crisp Parmesan-almond crust for a Father’s Day meal that feels both indulgent and special.
Serves: 6 to 8. Prep: 40 minutes. Cooking: 2½–3 hours
Ingredients
For the Filling:
1.2kg beef chuck steak, cut into 3cm cubes
2 tbsp gluten-free flour blend
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
3 carrots, diced
300g brown mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
250ml full-bodied red wine (Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon)
500ml gluten-free beef stock
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
For the Parmesan Almond Crust:
2 cups almond flour
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
80g butter, melted
To Finish:
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
Fresh thyme sprigs
Method
Toss the beef with the gluten-free flour, salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches until well coloured. Remove and set aside. Add the onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the red wine and allow it to bubble for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up any flavour from the base of the pot. Return the beef to the pot and add the stock, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 2–2½ hours until the beef is meltingly tender and the sauce is rich and glossy. Remove the bay leaves and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 190°C. In a large bowl combine the almond flour, Parmesan, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs and melted butter and mix until a soft dough forms. Place the dough between two sheets of baking paper and roll into a circle slightly larger than your pie dish.
To assemble: Transfer the beef filling to a 30cm pie dish or cast-iron skillet. Carefully place the crust over the filling and crimp the edges. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with extra Parmesan. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with roasted baby carrots with honey and thyme, buttered green beans, sweet potato mash
Chef’s Tip: For extra richness, stir 100g of crumbled blue cheese or mature Cheddar into the filling just before baking.
Best wine match: Shiraz/Syrah. The peppery spice, dark berry fruit and savoury notes work beautifully with the beef and mushroom filling. Suggestions: Mullineux Syrah, Saronsberg Shiraz, Spier 21 Gables Shiraz
Excellent Alternative: Cabernet Sauvignon. The structure and blackcurrant flavours stand up well to the richness of the pie. Suggestions: Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon or Warwick Blue Lady Cabernet Sauvignon