It was over nine years ago when Lewis Machado, chef and owner of Culinary Escape Catering, began training to be a chef. Cooking was always something he enjoyed. “I’m very passionate about it,” he says. “With me, everything has to be perfect. I’m a perfectionist.” Culinary Escape is a “personal chef service.” Machado goes into clients’ homes and cooks three-course meals for them. “I like interacting with the folks in the home,” says the Burnaby resident. “It’s better than working in the back of a restaurant, not interacting with anyone. I’m an extrovert.” He is also able to work at a slower pace. “There’s less pressure and it’s a lot of fun,” he says. Machado also does small-event catering—less than 100 people—as well as catering for business and wedding receptions. His specialties are Portugese tarts and Italian Roast Beef and he shares the recipe for the latter—one of his most popular dishes.
Catering to you
Published: July 16, 2008 4:00 PMUpdated: July 18, 2008 2:38 PM
Italian Roast Beef
Ingredients
1-5 lbs beef roast
2 cups red wine
3 celery stalks
1 onion, cut in half
1 carrot, cut in half
butter
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. With a paring knife, cut slits into the roast and put garlic cloves into the slits, then add salt and pepper and rub in. Take the butter and massage it into the roast. Place roast in a greased pan, and put in over to brown about 15 minutes, then remove. Add carrots, onions, celery and red wine. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and let cook, checking to make sure there’s still wine. Add more if needed. When the centre of the roast’s temperature hits 135 to 145 degrees, take out of the oven and put on a cutting board to cool 20-30 minutes. In a blender or food processor, add the contents of the roasting pan and blend together. In a pot, make a rue of one part flour and one part butter and cook until the flour and butter combine. Add the blended contents to the rue and whisk together. Add more wine if needed. Let boil and when thick, turn off the stove. Cut roast and add gravy.
