Beef Tagliata with Salsa Verde

Name: Beef Tagliata with Salsa Verde
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4 x 250g sirloin steaks; Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling; Salt flakes, to taste; Salad, for serving; Crusty bread, for serving; SALSA VERDE; 2 firmly packed cups parsley leaves; 4 cloves garlic, chopped; 2 tablespoons capers in brine, rinsed; 7 anchovy fillets in olive oil; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

In Italy, steak is usually sliced into strips – bistecca tagliata (tagliata meaning ‘cut’) – which looks much more appealing than a big slab of meat on the plate. It’s often served with a salad of rocket and shaved parmesan (see video below). Some recipes marinate the meat while others don’t, and any cut of steak can be used; it’s quick and versatile. The secrets to success are allowing the meat to come to room temperature, getting your pan or grill good and hot before cooking it, then setting it aside to rest after it’s been cooked to allow the fibres to relax and the juices to spread evenly throughout so it’s tender and juicy. The rest is up to you. I’ve added one of my favourite condiments, salsa verde, but you could just as easily serve it with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a lemon wedge. Salsa verde is a great sauce to have in your repertoire, it’s delicious drizzled over just about everything, prawns, poultry and vegetables as well as steak. So next time you fire up the barbie, think Italian and make this beef tagliata with salsa verde! I love a glass of Payten & Jones V V Sangiovese with this (especially if it’s been in the fridge for 30 minutes or so), it’s juicy enough to handle the steak and herbal enough for the salsa verde. Perfetto!

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 x 250g sirloin steaks
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt flakes, to taste
Salad, for serving
Crusty bread, for serving

Salsa Verde

2 firmly packed cups parsley leaves
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons capers in brine, rinsed
7 anchovy fillets in olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

Remove steaks from the fridge 30 minutes or so before cooking, to bring them to room temperature.
Meanwhile, make Salsa Verde: combine all Ingredients in a food processor. Set aside.
Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan.
Drizzle steaks well with oil, rubbing it all over both sides. Sprinkle both sides generously with salt.
Cook steaks for about 3 minutes each side for medium-rare, or to your liking.
Place steaks on a warm plate, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
Cut steaks on the diagonal, against the grain, into slices about 1cm thick.
Arrange on plates, drizzle with a little Salsa Verde and serve with salad, bread and extra Salsa Verde on the side.