Curry Recipes Online
British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Starters & Side Dishes => Starters & Side Dishes => Tandoori and Tikka => Topic started by: 976bar on May 10, 2012, 12:20 PM
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Hi All,
Yesterday I bought a leg of lamb and at 6 this morning couldn't sleep, so was up de-boning the meat and cubing it. I've put some in the slow cooker to give me some pre-cooked lamb where it will sit for around 3 hours, and the rest I have made into Lamb Tikka using my version of Blades recipe.
I'm going to marinate this until Saturday (2 days) then I am in a ponder as to what to do with it? I'm not sure whether to stick it on the BBQ on skewers to get that smokey taste and leave it to cook on there, or stick it on the BBQ again to get that smokey flavour then finish it off in the oven, or stick it in the oven then onto the BBQ for the flavour...
Anyone got any ideas how to create the best results for tender lamb but with that smokey flavour from the BBQ? :-\
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I've just bought some rajah BBQ seasoning from spices of india, it smells great, i intend to add this to my tikka marinade.
worth a try maybe
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Hi 976bar
Have previous marinated a half leg of lamb for a couple of days, gently cooked it in the oven for an hour or so then finished off on the BBQ - that worked really well.
I realise the lamb cubes are more likely to dry out. How about gently cooking through the lamb tikka cubes in the oven on 160 for around 15 to 20 minutes then finishing off over the BBQ? - I guess you could try a couple of pieces out before doing the whole lot and see how it turns out?
Cheers
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Hi 976bar
Have previous marinated a half leg of lamb for a couple of days, gently cooked it in the oven for an hour or so then finished off on the BBQ - that worked really well.
I realise the lamb cubes are more likely to dry out. How about gently cooking through the lamb tikka cubes in the oven on 160 for around 15 to 20 minutes then finishing off over the BBQ? - I guess you could try a couple of pieces out before doing the whole lot and see how it turns out?
Cheers
Thanks for the advice Solarspace.
Have you ever discected a leg of lamb? The bottom half contains quite a lot of sinew within the muscle thread, which is a pain to remove and this causes the chewy bit in lamb which I hate, but I do take a painstakingly amount of time to remove, which I know wouldn't happen in a BIR.
However, at the top of the leg there is some really tender succulent meat, which I keep for the likes of Tikka and generally use the rest for slow cooking for curries.
I'm now thinking along the lines of your method but maybe wrapping the lamb cubes in foil whilst in the oven to keep the moisture in then as you say, finish off over a BBQ for that smokey aroma... I don't want the meat to sweat too much as this will spoil the Tikka marinade around the meat and make it runny... so maybe a few holes in the foil to let the steam out
I'll let everyone know how this turns out at the weekend with some pics :)
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976bar,
have much interest in this.
i normally avoid lamb with curry full stop (unless it's cooked using the english version or read stew with curry powder but that's not what we aim for).
i've not tasted what i would call good tandoori lamb in any BIR. it's just too tough and that lamb taste is not there (or mutton).
i think the bbq "tandoori" taste is a must. i think it would just have to be marinated for longer - say 1 week.
i think pare boiling along the lines of ifindforu chicken would also work as long as it was slow cooked say 2 hrs. obviously finished on the bbq.
fingers crossed for you.
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=7611.msg65858;topicseen#msg65858 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=7611.msg65858;topicseen#msg65858)
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I think we'd all be made up if we can crack this one. I can now have melt in the mouth pre-cooked lamb in my curries using the slow cooker method but i would like to be able to make tasty lamb tikka just like my chicken tikka. But it just has "tough" written all over it before i even start >:(. Good luck with this one Bob
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When I grill Lamb Tikka I try and make sure the pieces are not too thick. I think there would be a danger of the meat going off if marinaded for a week though.
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I read a tip on the other site about using mashed kiwi fruit as a tenderiser for mutton.
Certainly a lot easier to source than papaya ;)
Maybe start with half a kiwi fruit in the tikka marinade to see how it affects the flavour and texture.
For me personally, i like some bite to my lamb tikka rather than melt in the mouth.
Frank. :)
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976bar,
have much interest in this.
i normally avoid lamb with curry full stop (unless it's cooked using the english version or read stew with curry powder but that's not what we aim for).
i've not tasted what i would call good tandoori lamb in any BIR. it's just too tough and that lamb taste is not there (or mutton).
i think the bbq "tandoori" taste is a must. i think it would just have to be marinated for longer - say 1 week.
i think pare boiling along the lines of ifindforu chicken would also work as long as it was slow cooked say 2 hrs. obviously finished on the bbq.
fingers crossed for you.
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=7611.msg65858;topicseen#msg65858 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=7611.msg65858;topicseen#msg65858)
Hi Jerry,
I always slow cook my lamb for curries which works well, but slow cooking or even par boiling lamb tikka which I have tried before, removes all the marinade and taste from the meat, so whilst I would have a very light flavoured lamb tikka, it would not taste anything like the lamb tikka we get from BIR's.
I think I will stick with the low oven method and wrap it in foil then finish off on the BBQ. I'll let you all know later how it comes out with some pictures :)
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I think we'd all be made up if we can crack this one. I can now have melt in the mouth pre-cooked lamb in my curries using the slow cooker method but i would like to be able to make tasty lamb tikka just like my chicken tikka. But it just has "tough" written all over it before i even start >:(. Good luck with this one Bob
Thanks CH :)
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I read a tip on the other site about using mashed kiwi fruit as a tenderiser for mutton.
Certainly a lot easier to source than papaya ;)
Maybe start with half a kiwi fruit in the tikka marinade to see how it affects the flavour and texture.
For me personally, i like some bite to my lamb tikka rather than melt in the mouth.
Frank. :)
Hi Frank,
I too like a little bite in my Lamb Tikka, it's when you have to chew like a camel that puts me off!!
I've made the Lamb Tikka exactly as I would the Chickem Tikka and I put the lamb in lemon juice in a bag and left it for a good 20 minutes before adding the marinade itself. I had noticed prior to putting in the marinade how much the lemon juice had already got to work on the lamb as it was really opaque, so I am hoping this has tenderised the lamb enough to still be soft with a bite but not too chewy :)
I'll post later once made :)
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When I grill Lamb Tikka I try and make sure the pieces are not too thick. I think there would be a danger of the meat going off if marinaded for a week though.
Thanks for the tip Stephen.
I've bought all the ingredients to try your mint sauce recipe with the Lamb Tikka later :)
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Ok Lamb Tikka now done.
I heated the oven to 140 degrees centigrade, placed some foil in the bottom of a roasting pan, placed the tikka on top then covered with foil. Made a few holes in the foil and popped into the oven for 20 minutes.
Removed from the oven and placed on skewers where I finished off on the BBQ for between 5-8 minutes with the lid closed.
The result? Lean lamb that is firm but not chewy and that smokey taste. I'm really impressed with this result :)
Here's the recipe I use and a couple of pictures.
Lamb Tikka
Ingredients
1 kg leg of lamb cut into 2 inch chunks
1 heaped tablespoon Pataks tikka curry paste
1 heaped tablespoon Pataks tandoori paste
1 heaped tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice (Jiff is ok)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 desert spoon spice mixture (10ml) see below.
1/4 tsp Red food colouring
1 level tsp methi (Fenugreek leaves)
1 level tsp salt
1 tablespoon veg oil
3 tablespoon water
Bunch fresh coriander (cilantro) chopped
Spice Mixture
8 parts ground coriander
7 parts turmeric
5 parts ground cumin
4 parts curry powder
4 parts paprika (optional)
Method
Mix in 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the cubed lamb, leave for 15-20 mins
Meanwhile mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl
Add the runny spice mixture to the chicken, cover and leave in fridge for a minimum of 4 hours. I leave it for 48 hours.
Heat an oven to 140 degrees centigrade, place some foil in the bottom of a roasting tin and place the tikka on top. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile fire up the charcoal bbq
Remove the tikka from the oven and place on skewers
Finish the tikka off for between 5-8 minutes on the bbq for that smokey taste
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/ba097cd4739965cb6cf4fc4bfd04b4ff.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#ba097cd4739965cb6cf4fc4bfd04b4ff.jpg)
Lamb Tikka prior to roasting
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/7ffbe7a42c0399d7afe8a617e30c4021.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#7ffbe7a42c0399d7afe8a617e30c4021.jpg)
Lamb Tikka straight off the BBQ
You could add more food colouring or even a spoonful of tandoori masala to the mix for a deeper red colour, but for me as long as the flavour is there, then that's all that matters :)
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Nice one Bob. That looks very tasty. Will give this one a try.
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Nice one Bob. That looks very tasty. Will give this one a try.
Thanks CH, I know not quite a "BIR" techniqe, but lamb is so expensive, so you can't afford to get it wrong really.
I was thinking today that maybe marinading for 4 days instead of 2 might make it tender enough to just cook on the BBQ?
I don't think cutting the cubes any less than 2 inches would work really as the lamb does shrink considerably when cooking and I think smaller cubes would dry out and not give moist tender lamb..
So whilst I am happy with this, I will not give up on trying other techniques :)
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When it comes to lamb tikka i'm not quite sure what the answer is to getting it tender. I've never had it in a restaurant in case it is chewy. I only now have it in a curry because i do it in the slow cooker. And it is so expensive, you certainly don't want any waste, bearing in mind it reduces in size before your very eyes when cooking>:(
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When it comes to lamb tikka i'm not quite sure what the answer is to getting it tender. I've never had it in a restaurant in case it is chewy. I only now have it in a curry because i do it in the slow cooker. And it is so expensive, you certainly don't want any waste, bearing in mind it reduces in size before your very eyes when cooking>:(
Hi CH,
Let me alay your fears. Tonight I made Lamb Tikka as a main course, with salad and mint sauce. The Lamb Tikka was so tender and moist. I've never seen my daughter eat so fast in all my life!! :)
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/0a00e18e8a8cd2053fc42e90349a6419.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#0a00e18e8a8cd2053fc42e90349a6419.jpg)
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976 that's exactly the size I cut my lamb too - your pic looks amazing.
Steve
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976 that's exactly the size I cut my lamb too - your pic looks amazing.
Steve
I made your mint sauce to go with that lamb tikka which was really lovely. The only thing I did wrong was put all the greek yogurt in the mini blender to smooth out the mango chutney and it ended up too runny, but the flavour was there. I only added 1 tsp sugar as I thought the mango chutney gave it a more natural sweetnes.
Next time I will only add a bit of yogurt to the blender and when the chutney is smooth I'll just spoon in the rest for a thicker consistency.
Nice recipe Stephen :)
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976bar,
efforts much appreciated - am in no doubt all would like to crack this.
the oven method i can see working - for bbq chicken legs i've found you have to pre cook in the oven to make sure they cook through before finishing on the bbq. no one can tell they have not been cooked solely on the bbq.
i've added a "long" marinade on my to do list.
ps that main course pic is very interesting. can you give more detail. i intend to buy a "sizzler" plate. it was recommended to me as a way of improving karahi dishes ie pre sizzle the meat before adding into the karahi curry dish.
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976bar,
efforts much appreciated - am in no doubt all would like to crack this.
the oven method i can see working - for bbq chicken legs i've found you have to pre cook in the oven to make sure they cook through before finishing on the bbq. no one can tell they have not been cooked solely on the bbq.
i've added a "long" marinade on my to do list.
ps that main course pic is very interesting. can you give more detail. i intend to buy a "sizzler" plate. it was recommended to me as a way of improving karahi dishes ie pre sizzle the meat before adding into the karahi curry dish.
Morning Jerry,
I just put the sizzler plate on a low heat for about 10 minutes, then turned the heat up added a drizzle of oil then put the onion slices and sliced red pepper on. The immediate infusion of the onion and pepper cooking is addictive. I left these to cook for about 3 minutes, turning them otherwise they will burn, then I added the lamb tikka and tossed the lot around the sizzler for about five minutes until the onions and peppers were cooked and the lamb was warmed through but not too much so as to dry it out.
Result? Heaven :)
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976 that's exactly the size I cut my lamb too - your pic looks amazing.
Steve
I made your mint sauce to go with that lamb tikka which was really lovely. The only thing I did wrong was put all the greek yogurt in the mini blender to smooth out the mango chutney and it ended up too runny, but the flavour was there. I only added 1 tsp sugar as I thought the mango chutney gave it a more natural sweetnes.
Next time I will only add a bit of yogurt to the blender and when the chutney is smooth I'll just spoon in the rest for a thicker consistency.
Nice recipe Stephen :)
976 I've done that as well with the blender. I've made it with the cheapest smart price yoghurt and nice Greek yoghurt - both work well and I agree the chutney gives most of the sweetness it needs.
Steve
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instead of mango chutney try mango pulp!( you can buy it in tescos) Rupon the part owner of Mouchak gave me this tip when making chicken tikka masala add some at the end of cooking!
regards
gary
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instead of mango chutney try mango pulp!( you can buy it in tescos) Rupon the part owner of Mouchak gave me this tip when making chicken tikka masala add some at the end of cooking!
regards
gary
Hi Parker,
Do you think the mango pulp would give the sweetness that mango chutney does?
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976bar,
the mango "pulp" would give a nice sweetness. probably not as much as the chutney but less sickly sweetness.
i've not used mango pulp in curry except i think one of your recipes. the main place i use mango is in salsa and aim to use fresh - works a treat (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2593.msg22837#msg22837 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2593.msg22837#msg22837))
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Very interesting and I think an ideal excuse to buy my next piece of kitchen gadgetry for the great lamb tikka experiment!
So it got me thinking... if we marinated the lamb in a vac pack bag (e-bay ?40) for x time then slowly simmered the said package for x time hey presto slow cooked lamb with all the marinade remaining, we could then finish off on BBQ or under grill to impair some smokey notes or maybe try adding some liquid smoke to the marinade ;)
Any thoughts on this method or am i just taking it too far ;D
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Very interesting and I think an ideal excuse to buy my next piece of kitchen gadgetry for the great lamb tikka experiment!
So it got me thinking... if we marinated the lamb in a vac pack bag (e-bay ?40) for x time then slowly simmered the said package for x time hey presto slow cooked lamb with all the marinade remaining, we could then finish off on BBQ or under grill to impair some smokey notes or maybe try adding some liquid smoke to the marinade ;)
Any thoughts on this method or am i just taking it too far ;D
Hi daddyL,
No, I don't think your taking it too far at all. Definitely not BIR, but I have always been of the opinion that if you can make a dish that is outstanding, then certainly step outside the circle by using whatever means you need to do so.....
I think a lot of people are afraid to do this and curse others for doing so..... but if it works and produces great results then try it :)
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Well said 976bar
We all strive for that BIR taste and one of the key elements in BIR tikka is the tandoor oven which most of us dont have so we will have to try and be a little inventive.
I am currently waiting to cook the zaal tikka as it uses no paste (nut allergens) I will split the batch after cooking and want to try a persian technique on half the batch, after fully cooking and whilst the tikka is still warm i will place it in a metal steamer and put the lid on, in the bottom i will put some spiced oil in a foil tray and heat a piece of charcoal until it glows then drop it in the oil and place the basket of tikka on top to absorb the smoke produced.
This technique is also used to flavor persian biryani so i thought it may work on the tikka :)
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Well said 976bar
We all strive for that BIR taste and one of the key elements in BIR tikka is the tandoor oven which most of us dont have so we will have to try and be a little inventive.
I am currently waiting to cook the zaal tikka as it uses no paste (nut allergens) I will split the batch after cooking and want to try a persian technique on half the batch, after fully cooking and whilst the tikka is still warm i will place it in a metal steamer and put the lid on, in the bottom i will put some spiced oil in a foil tray and heat a piece of charcoal until it glows then drop it in the oil and place the basket of tikka on top to absorb the smoke produced.
This technique is also used to flavor persian biryani so i thought it may work on the tikka :)
I'm intrigued...
Please take some pictures and post your results :)
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If we marinated the lamb in a vac pack bag (e-bay ?40) for x time then slowly simmered the said package for x time hey presto slow cooked lamb with all the marinade remaining, we could then finish off on BBQ or under grill to impair some smokey notes or maybe try adding some liquid smoke to the marinade ;) Any thoughts on this method or am i just taking it too far ;D
My gut feeling is the result won't be lamb tikka as we know it, the reason being that you will have essentially boiled (or at best, braised) the lamb and thereby changed the texture from what your mouth and brain will expect. Even though you finish it off on a barbecue or under the grill, you will be barbecueing/grilling already boiled/braised meat, and I do not think that thereby will lay success.
** Phil.
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Hi daddyL, I'd use a very small piece of charcoal or very quickly in & out with it. I tried something similar a while back on chicken & it ended up tasting of charcoal
Regards
ELW
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My gut feeling is the result won't be lamb tikka as we know it, the reason being that you will have essentially boiled (or at best, braised) the lamb and thereby changed the texture from what your mouth and brain will expect. Even though you finish it off on a barbecue or under the grill, you will be barbecueing/grilling already boiled/braised meat, and I do not think that thereby will lay success.
** Phil.
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Its Tikka Phil but not as we know it!
And that maybe a good thing as ive had some poor stuff to the point as i dont order it anymore.
I like to experiment but sadly the other half said NO to the vac pack machine so its back to basics which is probably the best way :)
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Sadly the other half said NO to the vac pack machine so its back to basics which is probably the best way :)
Could you not achieve almost the same effect using a pressure cooker with a very low heat source ? (Assuming that you already have a pressure cooker, that is !).
** Phil.
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Phil, I have a pressure cooker and you may be onto something!
I think my first step... talking to my Butcher about different cuts of Lamb to use as let's say the leg may not be ideal to producing the best tikka using a traditional grill or BBQ cooking method.
Thanks for your input its valued and appreciated
Leon
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Very interesting and I think an ideal excuse to buy my next piece of kitchen gadgetry for the great lamb tikka experiment!
So it got me thinking... if we marinated the lamb in a vac pack bag (e-bay ?40) for x time then slowly simmered the said package for x time hey presto slow cooked lamb with all the marinade remaining, we could then finish off on BBQ or under grill to impair some smokey notes or maybe try adding some liquid smoke to the marinade ;)
Any thoughts on this method or am i just taking it too far ;D
Hi daddyL,
I've got one of these sealers:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andrew-James-Quality-Vacuum-Machine/dp/B001HBE5Y8/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1337112279&sr=1-1 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andrew-James-Quality-Vacuum-Machine/dp/B001HBE5Y8/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1337112279&sr=1-1)
And I've just bought one of these precise temperature controllers:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sous-Vide-Magic-Controller-FREE-WORLDWIDE-SHIPPING-/150613228801?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item23113f7d01 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sous-Vide-Magic-Controller-FREE-WORLDWIDE-SHIPPING-/150613228801?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item23113f7d01)
And finally a cheap rice cooker to use as my sous vide water bath.
I'm going to try what you suggested i.e. vacuum bag the lamb with a tikka marinade, then cook it at about 57 degrees for a few hours, then take out of the bag, onto skewers and under a hot grill to finish off.
So far I've tried chicken breasts without a marinade but cooked at 60 degrees for 2 hours before finishing off in a hot pan to brown the meat. The result was some of the best chicken breast I've ever cooked. Very juicy, tender and meaty.
Next time I'll try the marinade for chicken tikka but don't know what to expect as all the sous vide experts claim that raw garlic can taste really strong after a slow low temp cooking.
Cheers,
Paul
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Hi Paul,
Looking forward to your trials and hope for the best as I still want one of those vac pack machines!
Please try out the persian smoking technique too as i feel this will go some way to adding the missing tandoor element in the tikka, but as ELW as stated go easy!! as my first attempts using this for biriyani were a disaster!
Leon
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And I've just bought one of these precise temperature controllers:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sous-Vide-Magic-Controller-FREE-WORLDWIDE-SHIPPING-/150613228801?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item23113f7d01 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sous-Vide-Magic-Controller-FREE-WORLDWIDE-SHIPPING-/150613228801?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item23113f7d01)
Paul, just in case you are not aware (I'm sure you are), don't forget that HMRC will charge you duty on an import of this value, and Parcelforce (MTRIH) will levy their non-negotiable
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Hi Phil, I was expecting that to be honest and it took 3 weeks to arrive. They didn't get me for any duty but it was labelled as worth only 59 dollars when in fact it cost me more like 160 dollars.
So far chicken breasts and belly of pork turned out great but the pork chops and steaks I need to work at.
Cheers,
Paul