Spiced Beef with Potato and Parsley Salad

, from Issue #22. September, 2015
Photography by Steve Rood.
Spiced Beef with Potato and Parsley Salad

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

1 kilogram piece beef rib eye
olive oil

Spice rub
1 teaspoon each ground coriander, allspice and fennel
1 teaspoon each sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Salad
500 grams small waxy potatoes, scrubbed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup sliced cornichons
1/4
 cup capers, rinsed if salted
1 shallot, very finely chopped
1 cup picked flat-leaf parsley

Mustard sauce
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
150 ml canola oil
50 ml olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Beef: Trim off any excess fat and silver skin. Tie with kitchen string at 2 cm intervals to help retain its shape while cooking.

Spice rub: Combine the spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl and crush them with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle onto a large plate. Brush the meat with olive oil and roll in the spices, turning to coat on all sides.

Heat an ovenproof saut. pan with a little oil until hot but not smoking. Sear the beef on all sides, taking care not to burn the spices. Transfer to the oven and roast for 40 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. This will give you beef that is cooked to medium-rare.

Remove to a plate, cover loosely and rest for at least 20 minutes or leave to cool completely. The beef is best not refrigerated before serving.

Mustard sauce: Put the yolks and mustard in a food processor and blend. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the combined oils to form a thick sauce. Add the lemon juice, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces and season. A little hot water can be added if needed to give a softer consistency.

Salad: Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and cool. Peel if desired and cut into large bite-sized pieces. Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl and season. Add the cornichons, capers and shallots then fold through the flat-leaf parsley and potatoes.

To serve: Slice the beef thinly and arrange on serving plates. Place a pile of the salad in the centre and drizzle the beef with the mustard sauce. Serve with long slices of grilled bread.