spork me

Rib Eye Steak with Anchovy Butter, Pea Fritters and Salsa

I think I’ve finally perfected this steak, and managed to find a steak butter recipe that I really like. I went a bit heavier on the herbs, but I made the butter according to this recipe and still have some in my freezer for next time.

The bone-in rib eye steak was 600g, and I seasoned it with salt and pepper then seared in a hot pan with 2 tablespoons of butter for 3 minutes on each side, until there was a dark crust on the outside. When the pan starts to smoke, add a touch of olive oil.

Pop that into the oven at 175C/325F for 15 minutes until the internal temperature comes up to 48C. Take it out of the oven and let rest on a plate until the temperature is 52C (medium rare).

I served this with a recipe from Jamie Oliver’s app. I’ve made pea fritters before but usually not with this sort of batter. It was much nicer actually, but I kicked his up with a bit of hot sauce and lemon zest in the batter.

Wagyu Steak Sandwich with Haloumi, Avocado and Chutney

Steak was seasoned with salt and pepper, sliced and grilled, and the haloumi grilled, before assembling and popping on the sandwich press. Yum.

Beef Rib Eye Roast with Ricotta, Fennel and Pomegranate Barley Salad, and Roasted Mushrooms

This salad is great leftover and pretty easy to make in big batches. I made a bunch of barley, and sadly didn’t photograph the lunch version I made, which had salmon, ricotta and dried fruit.

Ingredients (beef and mushrooms):

1kg (or a bit bigger) beef rib eye roast
2 rosemary sprigs
5-6 thyme sprigs
4 tbsp butter
2 cups of mushrooms
Salt, pepper and olive oil

Marinate the steak in olive oil, salt, pepper, and the herbs for as long as you can. Overnight if possible.

In a really, really hot oven proof pan, removing the herbs (but keeping them), sear the steak for about 3-4 minutes until browned. Flip the steak and add the mushrooms to the pan, mixing with the herbs and pan juices. Put 2 tbsp of butter on the steak, over a couple of herbs, and bake for 10 minutes at 200C / 375F. Flip and repeat with the remaining butter, and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove the steak from the pan and let rest on a plate for 10 minutes. Slice to serve. Mine I cooked for a bit longer and overcooked, so if you’re unsure, use a meat thermometer.

Ingredients (barley, serves 4):

3 cups cooked barley
3/4 cup pomegranate seeds
3/4 cup ricotta
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
Salt, pepper
1.5 cups chopped leftover caramelized fennel… or make some below

If you don’t have leftover fennel (why would you?), saute the chopped fennel with 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon of sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper, until golden. Mix with the rest of the ingredients and season to taste.

Steak and Green Beans

Thanks to bad daytime television, I figured out a superior way to cook a steak. I only had about 30 minutes to marinate this, and I just rubbed a bit of salt and pepper on it, and grilled for 2 minutes on each side on a cast iron indoor grill pan on the highest heat possible (a flat pan will work too). Add a few tablespoons of butter to the pan and flip the steaks onto it, for 1 more minute on each side to finish. Let rest for 5 minutes on a plate and serve with sauteed green beans with garlic. It was actually one of the best steaks I’ve had and it took zero prep. Go, butter!

Steak with Crispy Brussel Sprouts and Zucchini Salad

Ingredients:

2 steaks
3 or 4 sprigs of rosemary
5 or 6 cloves of garlic
Salt pepper and olive oil
8 or so brussel sprouts, sliced in half
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp nutmeg
Sliced almonds to garnish
2 small zucchini, shaved in slices
Juice of half a lemon
Punnet of cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Mash up the garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Rub into the steak with the rosemary sprigs and let marinate at least overnight.

To cook, remove from marinade and sear on the grill or in a grill pan for 3 minutes on each side. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

For the salad, mix zucchini, lemon and tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper.

In a hot pan seasoned with oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper, add the brussel sprouts face down. Cook for 3-4 minutes before adding the balsamic vinegar, and cooking for a few minutes more. Flip over and finish in the oven for 15 minutes until almost burned. Top with almonds.

Red Wine and Rosemary Braised Beef Ribs

Oh yum, this was nice! And massive, if you can’t tell. The butcher didn’t have short ribs, so I ended up with one of these, really nice flavor and this method of cooking was tops.

Ingredients:

2 massive beef ribs
A few sprigs of rosemary
3 cloves of garlic, mashed up in a mortar and pestle
2 cups of red wine
Salt, pepper, and olive oil

Rub the meat with salt, pepper, and garlic. Chop about half the rosemary and rub into the meat as well. Get a pan hot and brown the meat on all sides before adding the red wine, some rosemary sprigs, and covering tightly to simmer on low for an hour.

Get a grill or grill pan as hot as you can. Remove the meat from the braise and reduce the red wine to a sauce. Grill the meat for about 2 minutes on each side to finish, and serve with the red wine sauce and a bit more rosemary.

Shredded Beef Arepas with Black Beans and Cilantro Sauce

This doesn’t look good, but I can promise you it’s one of the best things I’ve made. Takes about an hour and a half all-up, if you soak the beans overnight they don’t take long to cook (or just replace with a can of beans), and the beef is dead simple.

You’ll need this recipe for black beans, as well as a half dozen arepas. Serves 4.

Ingredients (beef):

1lb flank steak, or some other fatty cut, sliced in 1 inch strips
1 orange, quartered
1 small onion, diced finely
3 cloves of garlic
1-2 chilis
1 tsp cinnamon
500ml beef stock
Olive oil and salt

Sear the steak in an oven proof dish with a bit of olive oil. Mash the chili and garlic with a healthy amount of salt in a mortar and pestle. Once the steak is brown and caramelized, add the onion, cinnamon, orange, and garlic/chili combo. Cook, stirring up any brown bits stuck to the pan, for 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer before covering tightly and baking at 225C / 400F for an hour.

Remove lid, shred beef with a fork, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 10 more minutes to get some crispy bits.

Ingredients (cilantro sauce):

1/2 bunch of cilantro (coriander)
1 small clove of garlic
1 chili
Juice of 1 lime
1/8 cup of mayo

Purée and serve on top with fresh tomato and feta cheese.

Scotch Fillet and Green Beans

I still haven’t mastered the art of steak butter. Granted, I haven’t looked at a recipe, and I didn’t add enough wine since I wanted to drink it, but I digress. I bought a bangin’ steak from Vic’s Meat Market Day (along with 10 kilos of other stuff… seriously, I can’t be stopped), and marinated it for the afternoon before grilling it. Delish.

Ingredients:

2 fat scotch fillet steaks
1/4 cup fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh rosemary
a few sage leaves
5 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 onion
1/4 cup chopped salami
Green beans

In a food processor, combine the onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, olive oil, salt and pepper. Massage into the steak and let sit for a few hours or overnight.

Remove steak from marinade and set aside. On a hot grill, sear for 3 minutes on each side for medium rare.

In another pan, toss the green beans, salami, and a heaping tablespoon of the steak marinade. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sirloin Steak with Sage Roasted Carrots and Mushrooms and Sage Burnt Butter Sauce

When it’s dark, a lot of times the pictures I take don’t really do the food justice. This is one of those circumstances - this was amazing, but the picture is fairly lackluster. I’ve thought about lighting it, but as we’re headed into summer and it’s light out later, I’m hoping this will resolve itself, at least temporarily, without heavy equipment.

Ingredients:

2 sirloin steaks, seasoned in salt pepper and olive oil
4 carrots, cut in half lengthwise
2 portabello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup diced sage + 2-3 tbsp butter (for the carrots)
10 whole sage leaves + 2 tbsp butter (for the burnt butter)
Salt and pepper
Some greens… I had some leftover kale, or you could steam spinach

Melt the butter (for the carrots) on the stove in an ovenproof pan, toss in the carrots, mushrooms, and chopped sage and coat the mushrooms well. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 20-30 minutes at 200C / 375F, stirring once.

Grill the steak on a hot, hot barbeque for 3 minutes on each side. Pull off and let rest, covered with foil, for 5 minutes while you make the sauce.

In a hot pan, melt butter and add sage leaves, on medium high, for 5 minutes. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and stir frequently until the leaves are pretty charred. Spoon on top of the steak and serve with veggies.

T-Bone Steak with Chimichurri Sauce, Saffron Carrots, and Garlic Green Beans and Radishes

I finally managed to grow something that didn’t die. After months of failed attempts, I had 4 kind of puny radishes that I had with dinner. The garden is kind of ok now that it’s warm enough for things to live, but that didn’t stop me from killing about 4 rounds of herbs and plants this winter.

Ingredients (carrots):

4 carrots, cut in quarters
1/4 tsp saffron
2 tbsp butter
Greens chopped from the top of 4 radishes
Salt and pepper

Saute for 10 minutes.

Ingredients (green beans):

One big handful of green beans
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Saute for 10 minutes.

Ingredients (chimichurri sauce):

1 bunch of cilantro (mostly leaves)
1 bunch of parsley (mostly leaves)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 small onion
Juice of 1-2 limes
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp paprika

Puree.

Ingredients (steak):

2 fat T-bones
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp paprika

Marinade the steak in the ingredients for 2 or more hours, remove the marinade and grill for 3 minutes on each side. Serve with chimichurri sauce, carrots, green beans, and salted radishes.