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The Indigenous TikTocker turning bully beef into book deals

Callan Boys
Callan Boys

The Hamper corned beef recipe has likely improved since bully was a ration in the trenches.
The Hamper corned beef recipe has likely improved since bully was a ration in the trenches.Janie Barrett

Stand down, baked feta pasta and West African fufu, the award for Most Surprising TikTok Food of 2021 goes to bully beef. Yes, that bully beef – the canned corned meat loathed by Anzac soldiers in First World War trenches.

Wiradjuri man Nathan Lyons gave new life to bully beef late last year after posting a tinned meat stew recipe on social media platform TikTok.

Two unidentified soldiers standing on the beach at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915, flanked by boxes of bully beef.
Two unidentified soldiers standing on the beach at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915, flanked by boxes of bully beef.Australian War Memorial
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Lyons' bully beef video – self shot while chopping carrots, onion and cabbage – has since chalked up 400,000 views and helped the 35-year-old reach more than 125,000 followers on his Kooking With a Koori TikTok channel.

"Bully beef was the first video I put up, just for a bit of a laugh," says the Penrith local and father of six. "I also wanted to give my kids a taste of what I ate growing up, which was a lot of bully beef. It's a staple of many Koori households.

"The video just went nuts, I think because it found an Indigenous audience, plus people looking for budget recipe ideas."

"Keen's curry is ubiquitous in Koori cooking," says Lyons.
"Keen's curry is ubiquitous in Koori cooking," says Lyons.Janie Barrett

The process for canning meat was invented in France in the 1790s as a means to supply food to far-flung soldiers and naval forces. Food historians believe the bully beef name comes from the French word "bouilli" (boiled).

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Australia's first meat cannery opened in 1846 in Sydney, primarily canning beef and mutton, and later rabbit when the feral animals became a problem for farmers. Soldiers landing in Gallipoli on April 25, 1915, carried rations amounting to about a kilogram of bully beef and a kilogram of hard-as-nails, long-life biscuits.

According to official WWI correspondent Charles Bean, the canned meat was not well loved. Writing in his diary, Bean described the trench food as "over-salted bully, which in the heat of midday or afternoon slipped in its own fat across the platter or mess tin, swamping stray flies as it went."

More than 100 years later, it's likely the quality has improved. Lyons' preferred brand of bully beef is Hamper, made by Heinz with Australian ingredients (beef, water, beef hearts, salt and various stabilisers) and retailing for about $6.50 for 350 grams. Coles and Woolworths corned beef homebrands are cheaper, but imported from Brazil.

Like its cured pork cousin Spam, Hamper corned beef is packaged in a square tin and comes with a snap-off key attached for opening. "It's the key to any Blackfella's heart," says Lyons.

The TikTok celebrity, who works full-time in the transport industry, has posted more than 100 recipes to his social media channel since launching in September.

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Devon is a common ingredient in Lyons' recipes for pizza, spring rolls, fried rice and jaffles, while bully beef has made further appearances in toasted sandwiches and a Keen's curry stew.

"Keen's curry is ubiquitous in Koori cooking," says Lyons with a laugh. "If I come round to your house and you don't have that orange tin, I might have to pull your Black card."

Bully beef will also feature in Lyons' Kooking With a Koori cookbook, set to be published by Simon and Schuster in July. "The book will be full of basic stuff to encourage families to get back into the kitchen instead of running down to the local takeaway," he says.

"It has after-school snacks, desserts, cheap meal ideas, and some not-so-cheap ideas. But I'm no Gordon Ramsay, so you won't need fennel and saffron and all that sort of jazz."

Lyons has no professional kitchen training. He says he learnt the basics of cooking from his mum, nan, aunts and uncles while growing up in Glebe. "I've always enjoyed watching [celebrity cook] Adam Liaw on his social media and YouTube channels too."

The author is now set to appear on Liaw's new SBS Food program The Cook Up during NAIDOC Week in July. And what is Lyons cooking with for his episode? "Bully beef, of course."

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Callan BoysCallan Boys is editor of SMH Good Food Guide, restaurant critic for Good Weekend and Good Food writer.

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