Chris Hill

The issue, as I understand it, is that when you mince meat, you are grinding a huge surface area of the meat against mincing apparatus that in addition to being difficult to clean, will quite easily pass any harmful bacteria on to other parts of the meat subsequently passed through it. With steak, you can just cook the outside as that's where the bacteria will be. With minced beef, you have to cook it through to kill of the bacteria. Steak tartare is probably fine if chopped rather than minced, the potential for cross contamination is lower, but on the basis of these articles I'd probably see that as an endangered species in London too. Personally, I think it should be up to chefs as to whether they want to risk poisoning their customers (it's a genuine risk) and if they do, it's then up to the customers as to whether they want to risk being poisoned.

Very interesting point Edward J, I hadn't really thought about it like that, and does perhaps suggest there's more to the "flavours mingle" thing that I was giving credit for.

Something you often see in recipes for stewing dishes is that you should leave it overnight for a better flavour (for example, it's mentioned in this chilli recipe I just used: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/may/12/cook-perfect-chilli-con-carne). In my household it's taken as a matter of fact, and instinctively feels true. But is really? Has anyone actually put this statement to some scientific rigour? I've had a dig around this site, Googled around a bit, flicked through McGee's book, had a butcher's at Modernist Cuisine, yet can't find any concrete information. I'm constantly reading statements like "it allows the flavours to mingle" which is just meaningless, and makes me think this is just one of those cooking fallacies like "sealing meat". For example, in "Meat" Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says (in addition to repeating the seemingly meaningless "mingling" statement) that the cooling "settles the texture of the meat giving it a chance to re-absorb the liquid", but I understand resting meat to be more about letting the juices gel a little and to help prevent further moisture loss on carving, and that "re-absorbing moisture" is not something that is physically possible. Personally I suspect it might simply be down to the re-heating process causing further reduction, thus concentrating the flavour a little more, and nothing more to it than that. But I would love to know firstly whether there's been any testing done in this area to prove whether this is fact or fallacy, and if fact what the scientific reason for this phenomena is. Any ideas?

As Ashley Palmer Watts pointed out though, technical ability is not really the aim, every element on the plate still has to taste nice. Clearly that wasn't the case with the dish, everyone that tried it really didn't like it at all. They want boundary pushing food that will be eaten in a celebratory dinner. Serving something that very few people (if any) will like is *massively* missing the brief. That said, we've only seen what the producers wanted us to see. I'm sure it's all been edited to suit a particular narrative.

I'll be interested to hear your views Andrew. I love the Old Vicarage, it's a place that holds a few great memories for me. It was my first fine dining experience, it's where my (then future) wife and I would go for a treat, where we celebrated getting engaged, and where we got married. Every course of every meal there has been delightful. Tessa Bramley does it seem have a habit of rubbing a number of people up the wrong way (though she was charming to me and my wife) but she runs a very tight ship and our wedding day there was perfect, and that's in no small part to her, so I'm in her debt for that. On the subject of Sheffield... Milestone - I love it these day, they've really got their act together. My wife and I went a number of times when it first opened and we really wanted it to succeed, but decided to stop going as every single meal there had been marred by poor service. What was noticeable though was they always dealt with their mistakes professionally, and over time learnt from them. We were eventually tempted back, and have had some lovely meals since. The Ramsay exposure increased the numbers which is well deserved and improved the atmosphere too. They've taken over the Wig & Pen in town, hopefully they're not stretching themselves too thin. I've had a good meal at Silversmiths (as named by Ramsay on Kitchen Nightmares!) but know a few people that have suffered really poor service there (and in fact before I met her, my wife had had such a shabby experience in the pre-Kitchen Nightmares days she'd vowed never to return). I think it's a case of a good chef, but a front of house chap that struggles a bit. Artisan up in Crosspool is worth a try too. I've had some really nice meals there (though to he honest some mediocre ones too). It can be very good value.