Food suggestion of the week

Griddled seasoned steaks
 
Often home-cooked steaks lack that ‘restaurant’ flavour and, no matter what the cut of meat, can be bland.  However with some coaxing by way of skillful seasoning the perfect tasty steak can be achieved.  Outdoors or indoors the method is much the same, in Italy they would usually cut a large griddled steak into several thick slices thereby producing many more surfaces to coat with the condiments and seasoning.
 
Serves 3-4
500g fillet steak
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 dozen garlic cloves
A sprig of fresh rosemary
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
 

• Put the olive oil and the whole garlic cloves in a large frying pan and cook, stirring two or three times, until the garlic becomes a pale gold. Turn off the heat and ‘roll’ the rosemary around in the garlicky oil.
• Turn on the heat under the griddle to very high; if cooking outside, make sure the charcoal is hot and glowing. Put on the meat which should sizzle instantly and begin to smoke. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it is a very dark brown on one side, turn it over, sprinkle with salt and cook the other side.
• Transfer the steaks to a chopping board and cut them on an angle into slices about 3cms thick. The meat should still be quite rare.
• Turn on the heat under the pan containing the oil, garlic and rosemary to a medium high. As soon as the oil begins to heat up, put in the steak slices and any remaining juices from the chopping board. Cook for 1 minute at a very lively heat, turning the meat over frequently and adding a liberal grinding of black pepper.
• Transfer the meat to a warm platter and pour over the oil and juices from the pan, leave the garlic and rosemary in the pan. Serve piping hot, perfect with frites, rocket and a delicious glass of your favourite Italian wine.