Grilled Beef Fillet Steaks in Merlot Marinade with Prune Jam

Ingredients

4 beef fillets, 3cm thick
1 cup merlot (or use merlot/cabernet sauvignon blend)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 juniper berries, crushed
Sprig parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to season
8 prunes

Prune Jam
1 small red onion, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon each butter and oil
Prunes from the marinade
� cup brown sugar
� cup port
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange

Method

Steaks

Tie the fillets with string to keep their shape if wished. Place in a snaplock plastic bag or sealed container and pour in the wine, garlic, juniper berries, parsley sprig, pepper and prunes. Seal and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Remove the meat from the marinade and dry on a paper towel. Heat a frying pan until very hot. Brush the steaks with oil and pan-fry over a high heat, allowing 2-3 minutes each side, depending on how well done you prefer your steak.

Allow the meat to stand for 1-2 minutes before serving over pan-fried mushrooms with the Prune Jam and garnishing with fresh herbs. Serve with your favourite vegetables or salad.

Prune Jam

Cook the onion in the butter and oil in a frying pan until softened and beginning to brown. Add the prunes from the marinade, brown sugar, port, orange rind and juice and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and jam-like. Crush the prunes with a wooden spoon during cooking.

Serves 4

Grilled Beef Fillet Steaks in Merlot Marinade with Prune Jam

Ingredients

4 beef fillets, 3cm thick
1 cup merlot (or use merlot/cabernet sauvignon blend)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 juniper berries, crushed
Sprig parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to season
8 prunes

Prune Jam

1 small red onion, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon each butter and oil
Prunes from the marinade
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup port
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange

Method

Steaks

Tie the fillets with string to keep their shape if wished. Place in a snaplock plastic bag or sealed container and pour in the wine, garlic, juniper berries, parsley sprig, pepper and prunes. Seal and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Remove the meat from the marinade and dry on a paper towel. Heat a frying pan until very hot. Brush the steaks with oil and pan-fry over a high heat, allowing 2-3 minutes each side, depending on how well done you prefer your steak.

Allow the meat to stand for 1-2 minutes before serving over pan-fried mushrooms with the Prune Jam and garnishing with fresh herbs. Serve with your favourite vegetables or salad.

Prune Jam

Cook the onion in the butter and oil in a frying pan until softened and beginning to brown. Add the prunes from the marinade, brown sugar, port, orange rind and juice and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and jam-like. Crush the prunes with a wooden spoon during cooking.

Serves 4

Grilled Beef Steaks with Orange Lentils and Bearnaise Sauce
Ingredients - Serves 6


6 sirloin, scotch fillet or eye fillet steaks

Orange Lentils
½ cup puy lentils
2 ½ cups vegetable stock
1 shallot or ½ onion, peeled
¼ - ½ tsp ground mace
½ cup orange juice
2-3 pieces pared orange rind
2 oranges, peeled, segmented and diced
Bearnaise Sauce
½ shallot, peeled and finely diced
2-3 peppercorns
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar or tarragon vinegar
2 Tbsp water
125g unsalted butter, melted
2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp each chopped tarragon and chervil
Method


Season the steaks with salt, pepper and oil. Heat a heavy-based frying pan or grill until very hot. Add the steaks and cook to your liking, turning once. (For example, a 3cm thick sirloin steak requires approx 10 minutes total cooking time.) Stand 2-3 minutes before serving.

Serve with the Orange Lentils, Bearnaise Sauce and vegetables.

Orange Lentils
Simmer the lentils in the stock with the shallot or onion, mace, orange juice and rind for 40 minutes until they are chewy-tender and all the stock has been absorbed. Remove the shallot or onion, and orange rind. Toss in the orange wedges and season with salt and pepper.

Bearnaise Sauce
Put the shallots, peppercorns, vinegar and water in a saucepan and simmer over a low heat until reduced to 2 Tbsp of liquid. Drain.

Melt the butter. Mix the egg yolks with the strained, reduced vinegar in a double saucepan or heat-proof bowl. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and gradually whisk in the melted butter to make a thick sauce. Stir in the chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Ingredients

6 beef steaks suitable for pan-frying, trimmed (scotch, sirloin, rump, eye fillet)
1-2 Tbsp oil
Salt and pepper to season

Green Olive Mash

6-8 medium-sized floury potatoes (approx. 800g-1kg), peeled and chopped
200ml extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves roasted jumbo garlic, finely chopped
1 cup pitted green olives, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped curly or Italian parsley
Salt and pepper

To serve

Blanched spinach
Butter for spinach
Cooked fresh baby carrots (or other vegetables) to garnish
Semi-dried or fresh tomatoes, diced
300ml light jus or your favourite gravy

Method

Mash

Simmer the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain well then return to the element at a low heat to dry out. Mash or pass through a mouli then add the olive oil a little at a time (don't allow to become too sloppy). Mix in the garlic, olives and parsley and season to taste. Keep warm; this can be reheated in the microwave, carefully stirring regularly.

To serve

Season the beef on both sides then brown well in a little oil using a hot grill or heavy-based pan. Continue to cook to the desired degree (2-3 minutes per side for medium) and then rest the steaks in a warm place for 6-8 minutes before carving across the grain. Heat the gravy and reheat the blanched spinach in a clean pan with a little butter. Place a portion of mash and baby vegetables in the centre of a warm plate. Arrange slices of steak and top with blanched spinach. Sprinkle with some diced tomato then spoon over the jus or gravy and serve.

Serves 6