Masterchef's John Torode gets rude about Australia

And begs the nation to make beef rendang

Carol Muskoron finds John Torode is no less masterful on the phone than he is on Masterchef.


Q: You're a big figure in the food world and you seem to like things ‘big' - cows - latest book is John Torode's Beef), your restaurant Smiths is a huge space on four floors, and you have a recipe for John's Big Pastrami Sandwich in the new book - are you really into fine dining? Or would you really rather forget the nit-picking of Masterchef and sit around a camp fire with a cauldron?
A: I'm a large package but every detail is important. Smiths is big and doesn't look like it will deliver a perfect balance of flavours, but it does. Food that has soul, that's what I want. Masterchef is not about technicality. The best pianist is the one that softens the odd note. It's the same with food. Little things make such a difference. The devil is in the detail.

Q:You're from Australia, do you miss it?
A: No. I've got a new mindset now. I've been here for 17 years. I've got four kids here. Going back there would bore the shit out of me. There's only four people and a dog out there.

Q: Are Aussies into good food?
A: They're far, far more advanced in food, and dining and restaurants. Aussies eat out far more. They're 15 years ahead of this country where food is concerned. There are tons more Australian magazines dedicated to food out there and being a chef out there is like being a god. Here it's like being a dunce. People do look down on chefs here. As a parent it's not a desirable profession. If your kid says shall I be a vet or a chef English parents will say, ‘Be a vet for me, darling'. It's getting better, but chefs are not as revered here as they could be.

Q: What's your favourite Australian dish?
A: Australia is very influenced by Asia. It's beef rendang - very simple. There's a recipe for it in John Torode's Beef; it's wonderful made with shin - the meat ends up so tender.

Q: You love your wild cuts of meat (there are so many recipes for weird cuts in the new book) but aren't we just a roast and mince nation in the UK?
A: Everybody got scared of the butcher here - there were some bad experiences. Roasts are safe; spag bog is safe, but shin for me is the most wonderful cut of meat in the world. And that beef randang is the best curry in the world!

Q: Do you see Gregg Wallace outside Masterchef?
A: No thanks. I spend more time with him than I do with my wife.

Q: But do you get on alright?
A: Yeah. Really well.

Q: You're going to be President of the Royal Agricultural Society of England come October - another big job. What are your plans for the job?
A: I want to get the urban community to understand the rural community and vice versa. I want people to know where food comes from.

Q: So you want to champion local produce?
A: Forget local produce. Think UK - if you're in Birmingham, eat clams from Dorset. That's local enough.

Q: Got a tip for allaboutyou.com users? One thing that could really help them make their cooking special?
A: Buy big hunks of beef, cook them slow and long and enjoy your day!

The new series of Masterchef starts in January 2009

Read more of our celebrity chef interviews here, including Five Minutes in a Layby with Antony Worrall Thompson and a chat with Raymond Blanc and many more.