Brad Kilgore

True Aussie Chef

Chef’s Roll has  been working with True Aussie Beef & Lamb since 2015 – and we have seen and tasted, firsthand, the incredible product Australia produces — from grassfed beef to pasture-raised lamb.  We’ve worked with hundreds of chefs who have also praised the product and added it to their menus. Today we’re featuring one of those chefs.
Brad Kilgore, a Kansas City native, cut his teeth working in the best restaurants in the country. A several year stint in Chicago saw him putting out award-winning food at L20, Alinea, and Boka. Eventually he set his sights on Miami, working in acclaimed restaurants like Azul and J&G Grill. It was then that the doors began opening to allow him to open his first concept, Alter. Many awards and a couple of James Beard nominations later, Kilgore still helms Alter and a new restaurant, BRAVA, as well.
Kilgore has been an ambassador for Australian Beef and Lamb products since 2014 – utilizing both proteins heavily on his menu. As a part of our ongoing run of features with chefs who use Aussie products, we wanted to ask him about that relationship and why he loves the stuff so much.


Chef’s Roll: How did you first come to start working with Aussie Beef and Lamb?
Brad Kilgore: At one point I had a lamb dish I was working on for a menu, so as part of the sourcing process, I was testing lamb racks from everywhere. It was immediately apparent that the Australian Lamb was the perfect size, texture, and flavor for my purposes. They’ve maintained those standards consistently, and I have been a fan ever since, eventually adding Australian beef to my menu as well for all of the same reasons.

What were some of the key considerations for you in putting it on your menu?
As I said, it presented itself as the perfect choice. On top of that initial impression, the positive factors keep adding up: Australian livestock is famous for how it is responsibly raised, and the product itself is constantly of the highest quality. It’s always highly praised from the guests. They can tell they’re eating something special.

Would you recommend that other chefs consider using Aussie beef and lamb? Why?
I would and I have. The product is so easy to work with. Guests love it. And our distributors are top-class. Chefs should absolutely work with Australian Lamb and Beef. It’s a great product.

Any tips on preparation?
Cook them with love.


Australian Lamb Loin, by Brad Kilgore

Koji salt | Hijiki buttered cabbage | Grilled bone jus


LAMB CURE

  • 400 g wet koji (Japanese)
  • 5 g koji powder (local)
  • 30 g wet koji (local)
  • 65 g white miso
  • 215 g h2o
  1. Blend all together
  2. Rub the mixture on the lamb loins and let air dry (age) for 48hrs

BLACK TRUMPET PUREE

  • 1000 g black trumpet mushrooms (cleaned)
  • 60 g shallots fine julienne
  • 60 g grapeseed oil
  • 2 ea sprigs of thyme
  1. Sweat the shallots and the trumpet mushrooms in the oil, remove the thyme once cooked

FINISH

  • 6-700 g h2o
  • 1 g xantham gum
  • 30 g ultra tex 3
  • 60 g squid ink
  • 160 g forbidden rice miso
  1. Blend all together until very smooth, pass through a chinois and cool

SPRUCE VINEGAR

  • 650 g spruce tip infused vinegar
  • 100 g h2o
  • 250 g mirin
  • 50 g sugar
  • 5 g salt
  • 10 g agar agar
  1. Place everything in a pot and bring to a boil whisking the entire time.
  2. Once boiling pour through a chinois and cool until fully gelled
  3. Once the gel is set blend until smooth then pass again through a chinois into a pan to release the bubbles in the cryovac machine.

HORSERADISH BEURRE MONTE

  • 100 g horseradish juice
  • .3 g xantham gum
  • 2.5 # butter
  • 3 g salt
  • horseradish juice to taste
  1. Bring the juice and xantham gum up to a boil, mount in the butter until fully emulsified
  2. Season with salt and extra horseradish juice as needed

FERMENTED CABBAGE

  • 5500 g napa cabbage
  • 11 qt h2o
  • 54 g serrano chili with seeds
  • 330 g salt
  • 15 g garlic
  1. Blend 1 qt of the water with the garlic and serrano chilies and pour into a large cambro
  2. Dissolve the salt in 2qt of the water and pour into the cambro
  3. Add the rest of the water and then the cabbage
  4. Place a weight on top of the cabbage to keep it submerged for 1 week

GRILLED BONE STOCK

  • 4000 g grilled Aussie lamb bones (binchotan)
  • 4000 g grilled Aussie lamb cap meat
  • 500 g grilled spring onions
  • 325 g grilled oyster mushrooms
  • 325 g grilled mustard green stems
  • 6 ea wild bay leaves
  • 8 ea thyme sprigs
  • 8 qt chicken stock
  1. Simmer for 1 hr 15 min. Strain and cool

SAUCE FINISH

  • 180 g spring onion whites
  • 17 g garlic sliced thin
  • 33 g grapeseed oil
  1. Sweat all together until translucent
  • 600 g warm grilled bone stock
  • 30 g spring onion tops blanched
  • 40 g parsley blanched
  • 1 g xantham gum
  • 11 g ultra tex 3
  • 300 g butter
  1. Place the grilled bone stock in the blender and blend in the sweated spring onions
  2. Add all the ingredients except the butter
  3. Once smooth slowly add the butter until emulsified. Pass through a chinois and cool

SPRING ONION PUREE

  • 150 g spring onion greens
  • 75 g chives
  • 25 g parsley
  1. Blanch and shock the above.
  • 160 g filtered water
  • 11 g ultra tex 3
  • .5 g xantham gum
  • 1 g salt
  1. Blend all together until very smooth, pass through a chinois and cool.

 

To learn more about True Aussie Lamb and Beef and to add their products to your menu, visit them on the web: www.trueaussiebeefandlamb.com