When you’re feeling down, sometimes all you need is a good steak and an even better sauce.
I make this recipe a lot, for friends, family or even as a share-style dish that I pop in the middle of the table as a starter. It just makes you feel good, and I think food should always nourish your soul as much as your body. I have an ex who hated steak (honestly, what kind of meat-eater hates steak?), so I spent a good six months not really eating it. As soon as we broke up this was the first thing I made. I always choose steak on the bone because there is just so much more flavour. The zingy sauce is the perfect way to finish the steak; the green herbs and chillies look like they dance in the oil as you spoon it over the meat. Delish!
Serves 2 (or more as part of a shared meal)
Steak and Chimi recipe
Ingredients
- 800 g T-bone or bone-in porterhouse (look for a steak that’s about 3 cm thick)
- sea salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and lightly crushed with the back of a knife
- 3 thyme sprigs
Chimichurri
- 1 red shallot, chopped
- 1 long red chilli, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 80 ml (1⁄3 cup) red wine vinegar
- 1⁄2 cup chopped coriander leaves 1⁄3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves
- generous pinch of sea salt
- 185 ml (3⁄4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Remove your steak from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 30–45 minutes (this helps with even cooking). Season the steak with a generous pinch of salt on each side.
Melt the butter with the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Add the steak and cook for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for a further 2 minutes on each side.
Add the garlic and thyme and use a spoon to baste the steak with the juices in the pan for 1 minute. Remove the steak from the pan and pop aside to rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
To make the chimi, pop all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor. Blitz until the mixture forms a rough paste. Add the oil and give it another quick blitz just to incorporate.
Slice up your steak and transfer to a serving board. Spoon over half the chimi and place the rest in a serving dish. A pinch of salt goes over the top and bang! You’re in heaven.
The recipe was extracted from Khanh Ong’s recipe book, ‘A Gay Guy’s Guide to Life Love Food’.
This story was originally published on The Carousel.
