Neil Perry: Steaks are high

When the weather turns cool, it’s time to create hearty food that works well with red wine – and I think a really good steak is the perfect match. This is the premise of my new steakhouse-style restaurant, Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney.

Of course, it’s important to use the best steaks you can find. We use only the finest cattle that have been grass-fed and only finished on grain if drought
conditions make it necessary. Grass-fed beef differs from lot-fed beef in that it has a more natural beef flavour and a much better Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio. This makes it better for you, and the cow enjoys a much healthier life.

The beef then goes through a dry-ageing process on the bone for between 28 and 40 days. This method allows the enzymes in the meat to do their handiwork. The beef hangs in a special cool room at close to zero degrees with very low humidity. In this state, the beef ages perfectly and becomes incredibly tender and much more flavoursome. It is, in reality, the only way to improve the flavour by ageing and gives an incredibly juicy result.

So, can you enjoy a similar experience at home? Yes, but it isn’t as easy. You need a good butcher whom you trust and a bottle of wine you want to share with family and friends (see our winter red wine feature). Then follow this recipe. It promises a wonderful winter wine-and-food match.

Aged beef ribs barbecued with anchovy butter

I love this dish served with a creamy potato gratin and a green leaf salad. Serves 4

Ingredients
4 x 250g aged beef ribs
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
4 spoonfuls of anchovy butter
Freshly ground pepper

For the butter
8 large anchovy fillets
Sea salt
1 lemon, juiced
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground pepper

Method
To prepare the butter, place the anchovies and a little salt in a mortar and pound with a pestle until they start to break up. Add the lemon juice and butter, then plenty of pepper. Mix completely. Put to one side until ready to plate the steaks.

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator two hours before cooking and season with sea salt. Preheat the barbecue to hot and make sure the grill bars are clean. Drizzle the steaks with extra virgin olive oil and shake off any excess. Put the steaks on the grill at a 45-degree angle to the grill bars. When halfway through cooking that side, turn the steaks 45 degrees in the opposite direction. When done, turn them over and cook the other side. Put the steaks on a plate, cover with foil and keep them in a warm spot to rest.

Use the touch test to check for “doneness”. A rare steak will be soft to the touch and will spring back when pressed. As it cooks, the steak will become firmer and firmer to touch. If you see the juices come to the surface as red droplets, your steak will be medium-rare, probably heading to medium after resting; if the juices are pink to clear, you have a well-done steak.

Place one steak on each of four plates. Pour the juices from the resting plate over the steaks and add a spoonful of the anchovy butter. Add a grind of fresh pepper and serve immediately.

Tags:

celebrity chefs

,

meat lovers

,

Neil Perry