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Heston: "By flipping the meat every 15–20 seconds, the steak will develop a crisp flavoursome exterior without being overcooked in the centre. After cooking, it is important to remove the old oil from the pan and then, after a couple of minutes, to add the new oil while the pan is still warm. A good heat is required to get the flavour of the garlic, lemon and rosemary but if it’s too hot it will lose the freshness."
Serves 4
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 2 sirloin steaks, weighing approx. 400–500g each
- Salt and black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and bashed with the flat part of a knife or by hand
- 4–6 sprigs of rosemary
- 2 strips of lemon zest (use a vegetable peeler)
- 50g lemon juice (approx. 1 lemon)
- 60g rocket leaves
- 40g parmesan cheese shavings (use a vegetable peeler)
- Sea salt
Method
1. Place a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a high heat, then add a thin layer of olive oil. Heat until the oil is smoking hot.
2. Season the steaks with a little salt and place them away from you in the hot pan for 15–20 seconds. Then turn the steaks over and fry for a further 15–20 seconds. Repeat this, turning the steaks, for 2–3 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to rest on a wire rack, for 5 minutes, set over a plate to catch the juices.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and discard most of the oil (but don’t clean the pan). Allow the pan to cool for a few minutes, then pour in 120g olive oil. Add the garlic and sprigs of rosemary to the oil. Rub the strips of lemon zest between your finger and thumb to release the oils, and add them to the pan too. Allow to infuse for 5 minutes while the meat is resting, then squeeze in the lemon juice.
4. Strain this dressing through a sieve and add any juices from the steak.
5. Slice the steaks thinly (5mm wide) with a sharp knife. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and place on a serving dish. Spoon over half the dressing.
6. Mix the rocket leaves with the remaining dressing and place on top of the beef. Finish with the parmesan shavings and a sprinkling of sea salt.
Heston's ageing trick: Once you've bought your steak take it out of the packet and place it on a wire rack set over a tray. Refrigerate for 2 days to let the air circulate around the meat and start to dry it out. This will concentrate the flavour and start to tenderise the meat. When you're ready to cook the steak, take it out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for 2 hours.
Recipe from Heston Blumenthal at Home, Published by Bloomsbury
Site: Channel4
