by Thomasina Miers from Home Cook (Faber)
Photography: Tara Fisher
Cheat’s Sunday Lunch: I rarely cook a joint of beef, either it is the cost or the time commitment that puts me off. Here, I have created a quick fudge by taking a delicious cheap cut and serving it with all the classic trimmings, including some absurdly garlicky, crispy, golden potatoes that take half the time of proper roast spuds. It’s important not to cut these new potatoes in half after par-boiling, but to crush them (with an old wine bottle or a can or whatever) once the skins are broken, as all the cracks soak up the garlic and thyme scented oil; therein lies their secret.
Although packed with flavour, both bavette and onglet steaks can turn tough and rubbery if over- or under cooked; they need to be medium rare. Season them generously with salt and pepper an hour before you cook them and let them come to room temperature. If you forget, then just give them as long as you can. Cook for 3 minutes a side but not much longer, this allows the tight proteins in these cuts time to relax. If in doubt, undercook first; you can always cut it open to check the doneness and pop back in the pan if it needs more time. Slice against the grain and serve with the potatoes and one or two of the sauces below.
Feeds 4-6
Ingredients
700g bavette steak, butterflied out to an even width (your butcher can do this for you)
500g baby new potatoes
4-6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 whole sprigs of rosemary
4 fat garlic cloves
Method
Season the steak with salt and pepper and set aside for at least 1 hour to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 210C/200C Fan/gas 7.
Put the potatoes into a large pan of cold water, bring to the boil and par-boil for 7-10 minutes. Drain, then tip them into a roasting tin and crush lightly with another roasting tin, a masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss with the rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves. Season generously with salt and roast for 25-30 minutes until golden and crisp.
Halfway through roasting the potatoes, rub the steak with olive oil. Heat a griddle or frying pan over a high heat, and when smoking hot, fry the steak for 3 minutes on each side, or until well browned on the outside and medium rare in the middle. Move to a board and leave to rest for 5 minutes before slicing thickly.
Serve with any of the sauces below. The steak is also excellent the next day in a sandwich with Little Gem lettuce and any of the leftover sauces.
Cheat’s Béarnaise
Roughly chop a handful of tarragon leaves. Gently heat 150g full-fat crème fraiche, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 egg yolk and 1 tsp Dijon mustard and any resting juices from the steak in a pan. Whisk in 2 tbsp mayonnaise and the tarragon leaves and season well with salt. Also excellent with poached eggs or steamed asparagus.
Chimichurri
Blitz 3 garlic cloves, 1 shallot, 1 red chilli, a large bunch of parsley, 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, 3 tbsp red wine vinegar and 1 tsp salt in a food processor. Stir in 100ml extra-virgin olive oil and season with ½-1 tsp hot smoked paprika. Best made on the day. This Argentinian condiment is also great with roast chicken or slow-roasted lamb shoulder.
Horseradish Cream
Finely grate 3 tbsp horseradish into 200g crème fraiche. Season with salt and pepper, the finely grated zest of ½ lemon, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Also delicious with hot-smoked trout, roast beetroot and watercress salad or on bruschetta.
Mojo de Ajo
This translates as ‘dunked in garlic’ or ‘garlic gravy’. Peel and finely chop the cloves from 2 heads of garlic (if in a food processor, use the pulse button to avoid getting a paste). Add the garlic to a pan with 100ml rapeseed oil, 100ml extra virgin olive oil, 1-2 tsp finely chopped chipotles en adobo or ½ tsp each sweet and hot smoked paprika, a few sprigs of stripped thyme leaves and lots of salt and pepper. Simmer very gently for 30 minutes so that the bubbles are barely breaking the surface. If you cook over too high a heat the garlic will burn. You will have a sweet, slightly caramelised, garlic bath, delicious with roast chicken or chargrilled chicken thighs and lime wedges.
The drinks tasted on air:
Nigel with Something or Nothing Yuzu Soda Matt with Esporão Monte Velho Red Alentejo 2022 & Simon with the Yuzu Soda
Nigel, Matt & Simon in the GHR studio with the drinks tasted alongside the dish.