Chargrilled beef with roast onions and roma tomatoes This is a lovely dish using a few key ingredients to their best advantage. If you prefer more complex flavours, try using infused oils, Tuscan spices or roasted garlic mayo. To create a French-style Nicoise, add olives, anchovies, poached egg, asparagus or green beans, potatoes or shaved parmesan. Add grilled eggplant, oregano, Tzatziki and a squeeze of lemon juice for a Greek-style dish.
ingredients
- 6x 150 -180g sirloin steaks, fully trimmed
- 6 medium onions, quartered, skin on
- 6 medium Roma tomatoes, halved
- 200g fresh spinach, picked and washed
- 240g marinated, diced feta cheese
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
- 60ml balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt and freshly milled pepper to taste
- Fresh herbs
method
Vegetables
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. Drizzle the onions with a little olive oil on an oven tray and roast for 30 minutes or until caramelised and cooked through. Repeat with the tomatoes on another oven tray and roast for the last 10 -15 minutes with the onions. Remove the onions and tomatoes from the oven and set aside. Blanch the spinach briefly in boiling water and refresh immediately in iced water. Drain.
Beef
Heat a little oil in a ridged griddle pan or lightly brush a chargrill with oil. Season the beef well and grill on both sides until medium rare (3 -5 minutes per side) or cooked to your liking. Remove from the heat and rest, covered in a warm place for 6 -8 minutes.
to serve
Arrange equal portions of the roasted onions and Roma tomatoes on 6 serving plates.
Top with the blanched spinach and sprinkle each portion with the feta cheese.
Carve the steaks in half across the grain on an angle and arrange over the vegetables.
Dress with the remaining olive oil and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Season to taste with the sea salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh herbs.
Serve warm or cold.
tips
The success of a dish like this is dependent on the quality of the ingredients used, as there is no disguising the end result with heavy sauces.
Use the most flavoursome tomatoes you can find, and the best cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and good quality balsamic vinegar.
Use top quality cuts of beef such as sirloin or eye fillet, and serve with a meat glaze or jus as well as, or instead of, the oil and vinegar.
Serves 6