Steak tagliati

I’m not a major carnivore; I could live without meat most of the time. But occasionally I do hanker after a good steak. To get a good steak you need to go to a butcher. Normally I buy rib eye for the marbled fat, but on this occasion I fancied sirloin. Now, a good steak shouldn’t be messed with too much. A smoking hot pan, 2 minutes on either side, and you’re good. If the meat is good, you season it well, and you don’t overcook it, you can’t go too far wrong. To serve alongside a steak you must have potatoes, and you must have some greens, and a sauce (even if it’s mayo). That’s it really; I’m easily pleased. But it can get boring eating steak with chips and a salad can’t it? This is where Steak Tagliati comes in.

The name simply refers to the Northern Italian style of serving the steak sliced and dressed (I think, please correct me if I’m wrong here). In this dish I have simply roasted some new potatoes. Then some halved tomatoes join some fresh peppery salad on a large serving plate. I flash fried a steak, and rested it in a quick, tangy dressing. Served sliced thinly on top of the salad, you have yourself a very beautiful, and deceptively easy dinner for 2. Kids love this too by the way – simply double up if serving kids as well.

Serves: 2 adults
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 32 minutes

Ingredients:

1 good quality sirloin steak (from your butcher, makes all the difference!)
About 500g of new potatoes, halved
3 handfuls of rocket or mixed salad containing rocket
About 12 vine ripened tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 generous teaspoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Take your steaks out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for at least an hour. 
2. Preheat oven to 180C.
3. Halve and roast your potatoes in a glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt. They’ll take around 30 minutes.
4. Scatter your rocket salad on a sharing plate. Or two plates if you prefer. 
5. Halve your tomatoes and do the same. 
6. In a dish large enough for your steaks, mix the oil, vinegar, oregano and salt. This is where your meat will rest. 
7. Oil your steaks, not the pan. Season with salt. When the pan is smoking so hot that you can’t put your hand over the pan for more than a few seconds (open windows, it might get smoky!) you are ready to put your steaks on to cook. Put them in the pan and do not move them. For medium rare, set a timer for 2 minutes. Turn them. 2 minutes more. Obviously if they are very thickly cut you may want to cook them for longer, same if they are thin, cook them for less time. 
8. When the meat is finished pan frying, take it out and rest it in the dish with the dressing on. Rest for at least a few minutes each side. Baste with the dressing. 
9. When the potatoes are done, scatter artfully over the salad leaves and tomatoes. Slice your steak thinly and do the same with that. Spoon over the dressing and give a little gentle toss with your hands.