Minute steak recipe

This dish brings so much comfort to me. It’s all about respecting the ingredients and doing each part carefully to bring together one wonderful thing. I like to use sirloin due to the succulent nature of the cut and its ability to retain flavour. I also give the meat a generous spice rub overnight before BBQing, resulting in a tender and flavoursome steak. Layered over a rich tomato sauce, this is a particularly great expression of sirloin.

Note: This is quick to cook, but the transformation happens in the long marinade, so give it time!

Ingredients

For the minute steak

• 1 onion, coarsely grated, plus ½ onion for rubbing
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing and drizzling
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon thyme, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 6 x 100g sirloin steaks, pounded flat with a meat mallet
• 4 flatbreads
  

For the tomato gravy

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 tsp dried hot chilli flakes
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp Turkish hot red pepper purée (biber salçası)
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 400g tin plum tomatoes
• 1 tsp runny honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Aleppo chilli butter

• 40g unsalted butter
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Aleppo chilli flakes or 1 tbsp smoked paprika with a pinch of dried chilli flakes
  

To serve

• 4 tbsp full-fat plain yoghurt
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Pickled Turkish chillies
• Olive oil to drizzle

Method

1. To prepare the minute steak, combine the onion, olive oil, lemon thyme,
   lemon zest, smoked paprika, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Add the steaks and massage the marinade into the meat with your hands. Cover and chill in the fridge for 4-6 hours or preferably overnight.
2. To make the tomato gravy, heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over
   a medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until softened and translucent but not coloured. Stir in the garlic and hot chilli flakes and continue to fry for a few minutes. Add the tomato and hot red pepper purées and fry for a further 1-2 minutes. Pour in the vinegar, turn the heat up to high and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil and then turn the heat down to its lowest setting and simmer for 35-40 mins, or until the sauce has thickened. Towards the end of the cooking time, stir in the honey and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until ready to use.
3. Remove the steaks from the fridge so they can get to room temperature before cooking on a hot grill/BBQ.
4. To make the Aleppo chilli butter, melt the butter over a medium-low heat in a small frying pan. Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes. Whisk the butter gently for about 3-5 minutes, until it darkens and caramelises to a nutty golden brown. Add the chilli flakes right at the end and remove the pan from the heat. Keep warm until ready to use.
5. Rub the flatbreads with the onion half, brush with olive oil and grill on
   both sides.
6. Put the tomato gravy over a medium heat again to reheat.
7. Put the grill up to its highest setting. Brush the marinated steaks with oil on both sides and quickly flash-grill the steaks for 30 secs–1 min on each side. Transfer the steaks to the tomato gravy and cook briefly in the sauce, spooning the tomato gravy over the steaks as it bubbles and cooks. Carefully remove the steaks and cut each steak into 2 or 3 slices.
8. Place the grilled flatbreads on the base of a serving platter followed by the tomato gravy. Lay the steak slices on top and spoon over the yoghurt and then the Aleppo chilli butter. Garnish with shallot, parsley and chillies and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.