Filthy Cow, Manchester

I love burgers. They are one of the things that bring little pieces of joy to my life. Granted, I'm generally rubbish at finishing a full one and I usually end up wearing them. Little disappoints me more than a terrible burger. Luckily for me, Manchester is still in the swing of a full on burger takeover. Whilst some have been critical of the ever expanding scene, I am quite happy to celebrate it in all its beefy glory.

Burger feet

I'm not into the silly ones (I'm looking at you doughnut burger), and I can take or leave the witty names; but I do love a meaty, pink burger that oozes juice down my fingers. I even have burger trainers. Loser.

I love getting our friends' perspectives on new restaurants. I dread to think how many burgers I have eaten in different cities around the world... I home in on them like some sort of sniffer dog. I sometimes worry that my love for burgers makes me a little biased when sampling new ones, so it's always good to get fresh tastebuds in on the game. So to the newest calf on the block, Filthy Cow.

We were greeted by a delightful blonde lady who suggested that we may want to make ourselves at home in the nice booth upstairs (complete with neon pink S&M cow) and quickly ran through the ordering process. The rest of the decor can only be described as bovine themed cheekiness, and we did wonder how long it's going to take for someone to get stuck in those handcuffs... I'm just glad it wasn't one of my lot... My money's on two weeks, max.

It's kind of a fast food vibe similar to Five Guys. You place your order downstairs at the counter, but are given a little buzzer which informs you when your food is ready. It was fairly quiet when we went so they brought ours up for us. They serve half decent booze too. Although the choice is limited, what they do have is not bad at all. The boys had the Pale Ale from Runaway Brewery, and us ladies had a few Pinot Grigios. The only odd thing? They came served in a tumbler - we weren't sure how we felt about this, but drank them all the same!

Although the food arrives wrapped in waxed paper on a tray, the service is attentive and they do provide decent disposable cutlery for folk who fear picking up a burger like my homie Lee...

We ordered a Filthy Cheese, which is a standard burger rammed with beef, salad, 'filthy' sauce and cheese, two Filthy Beasts (one plain for my salad hating husband) which is basically the same as the cheese burger but with bacon, and one of the specials, which was a pork and chorizo version of the Beast. We also sampled the fries, onion rings and coleslaw.

The burgers needed that reassuring squeeze to flatten them into an edible state, but were not so tall that this became mission impossible. At £7.50 the Beast is an absolute bargain. Remember when Burger King's Bacon Double Cheeseburgers were actually good (or you were at least too young to know better)? It took me back to my days of pink hair and piercings when these were my staple diet because my boyfriend worked there. Either way, these burgers are a little piece of happiness in my humble opinion.

The sides are no afterthought either. The chips were crispy and deliciously salty, the onion rings were firm on the outside and soft on the inside (armadillo) and the coleslaw was crunchy without so much onion that you would knock your friends over with the potency. For the first time in ages I ate everything in front of me. Gone. I was pretty proud and disgusted with myself, all in one go.

Desserts are simple yet effective. Our options were a brownie or a choice of Ginger's Comfort Emporium ice creams (go and check her out in Affleck's Palace). I'm a big fan of that Ginger one, so opted for the ice cream. Poor Phil was dying to try the salted caramel and peanut butter milkshake, but they didn't have enough of the ice cream left - bad times. Who ate all the ice cream dammit?

I tried all three that we ordered - research. I think my own was my favourite though; the simple golden syrup. There's no milk powder, fillers or muck in these pots of delight.

I'd had a little Twitter chat with these guys prior to our visit, so had already warmed to them. However, I didn't expect to love it quite so much. They might be a bit cheeky, but in reality the staff were very sweet, and the food was cracking. Less than a tenner for a proper burger and fries in the city centre is not half bad. We weren't mad keen on having to order downstairs at first, and there were lots of suggestions around tweeting orders to the kitchen etc, but you know what? It just works for them. Plus, we sent the boys down to order so it didn't affect us...

Yes it's another burger gaff. Owner Jordan's done her homework and is keeping it simple. If you want some fancy shmancy, mile high, cleverly concocted recipe, stick with the likes of Almost Famous and Solita as they have their own place in the Manchester burger scene. Fancy a quick bite without breaking the bank? Head to Filthy Cow.


Like burgers as much as I do? Check out my other burger posts...

 

Duck Egg Bundt Cake

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Cake Mart to see if I would like to review an item of their baking range. Those of you who read my blog and Twitter feed regularly will know that I'm a one brand girl - I'm all about the Nordic Ware. This is purely because it is so good, not because they pay me to be nice/have my arm twisted up my back. 

I was just about to turn down the offer when I realised that they sell Nordic Ware. I decided to review the Rose Bundt tin, as it was rather fitting for Easter. They dispatched it from their German warehouse and I received it a day later - well speedy!

Earlier in the week I saw a gorgeous picture of some white hen's eggs from America, which made me think of the beautiful pale blue duck eggs we get here. I've never baked with duck eggs before, so I thought I'd give it a shot. 

This recipe is a very simple one, and makes a beautifully fluffy cake. The duck eggs just seemed to trap more air when mixing for some reason. The yokes were vibrant orange too. What I did find was that the edges of the cake weren't quite as smooth as usual, however I think this was due to the amount of air trapped in the cake. The cake still released perfectly from the tin, as I would fully expect from Nordic Ware. 

I dressed mine up like a very camp Easter bonnet for my mum - she's all about the kitch! 

Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 450g golden caster sugar
• 4 duck eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 350g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 250ml lemon yoghurt 
• Zest and juice of one large unwaxed lemon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray and dust with flour.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the extracts.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices.
7. Pour the yoghurt into a jug and add the zest and juice.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt. Repeat this until everything is combined. 
9. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
10. Pour the mix into your prepared tin. 
11. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
12. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
13. It's up to you whether you decorate this one. I only made it so pink because it was Easter! Horrendously naff rabbits with bow ties are wholly optional. 

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.

This was a review for www.meincupcake.de. I was not paid for the post, but did receive a tin to play with. I have since gifted said tin to a Nordic Ware deficient pal. 

Hawksmoor, Manchester

Oh Hawksmoor. Although I am utterly thrilled you have opened in Manchester, this poses me with two problems - my waistline and my bank balance. I love you so. 

My first experience with Hawksmoor was their London Air Street restaurant for my birthday a couple of years ago. We ordered a massive porterhouse which reminded me of the magnificent rib-eye we had at Bourbon Steak in San Francisco. Then last summer I went to Guildhall for breakfast with the girls, pre-Harry Potter. They got us drunk on absinthe at 9.30am. It was great, and as promised - our corpses were truly revived. Then came the news of the Manchester site. 

After a couple of false starts, we finally made it to Hawksmoor Manchester on my birthday. I'm dying to do their Sunday roast (it would complete the collection, and scratch an itch), but I really want to save that and go with our friends. A burger was the the other missing puzzle piece - so I did that. 

I clapped eyes on the iconic logo, and the excited belly-ache began. It somehow reminds me of a bygone era of city-slicker opulence, as does the amazing bar and dining room inside. Booths are clad in teal leather, the lights are 1950s antiques shipped from across the pond, and the sun blasts through the massive skylight over the dining room.

The other diners appeared to be having business meetings whilst I was sinking an absinthe cocktail just after 12pm (it was a damn site later than last time). I've decided that I need a job where meetings are held at Hawksmoor. Yes, this is now part of my five year plan.

I am unapologetic about the size of some of these pictures. If I'm feeling the pain of not having this food in front of me now, then you shall too. Sorry.

Drinks: 'Wild Boar' beer by Buxton, 'Ginger and Juice' and the rather splendid 'Concealed Weapon', which was absinthe shaken with Chambord, lemon and raspberries.

This time we resisted the urge to order every starter and side in the world. We kept it sensible, yet I still felt like I needed a snooze immediately after.

Hawksmoor hamburger with cheese, bacon and shortrib: Behold. Look at it. It's a thing of utter magnificence. It oozed juice, tasted like the beef had double the potency of a regular burger, and made me very very happy indeed. I had worn my burger shoes* in readiness for this moment. I felt epic.

Yes, I did have to make the picture this big

Fillet steak: At £34 this has to be one of the more expensive steaks in Manchester, but I can't think of one that rivals it in terms of taste. Whether it's the meat itself (sourced from the legendary Yorkshire meat men, Ginger Pig) or the way it is cooked, I can't say I really care. I just know that a Hawksmoor steak is always perfection. It's those little charred bits on the outside... Hell.

Sides - triple cooked chips, peppercorn sauce and macaroni cheese: At the risk of sounding a bit dramatic, these are the best effing sides I have ever had. They even top trump the Air Street ones. This macaroni cheese is the kind of thing that I would love to have a massive bowl of watching Step Brothers in my PJs. Like a massive edible cuddle. The chips too were just perfect.

Sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream: Look at its glossy handsomeness. This is exactly how puddings should be. Soft and saturated with plenty of sauce. God it was wondrous.

Custard tart with Yorkshire rhubarb: I may have blushed a bit when this arrived! This was a soft set custard tart, more like a creme brûlée really after the top had been crisped up with a blow torch. This is more Paddy's thing than mine to be honest, so I pulled the 'birthday card' and swapped desserts with him! 

It's worth also mentioning that the service we received was exemplary. Our glasses were never empty and even a slight bacon shaped misdemeanour was rectified with speed.

I cannot actually wait to return to sample the Sunday roast and complete my Hawksmoor bingo. I know our friends will adore it here, and have nothing to fear that the food would be anything other than perfect.

'It won't work' they said. 'People won't pay for it' they barked. 'We already have steak houses in Manchester' they bleated. Well, it looks like every man and his dog have been so far, and utterly loved it. Wind your necks in doubters. Welcome to Manchester Hawksmoor.


* A genuine article - shoes with burgers on them. No, I do not live on a ward.