A wood-fired or charcoal grill will give the best results for this Barbecued Rump Steak with Salsa Verde and Spring Onions, but you can still cook a great steak on a gas barbecue. Salsa verde traditionally includes milk-soaked breadcrumbs and a chopped hard-boiled egg, but I like this variation for its lightness.
Barbecued Rump Steak with Salsa Verde and Spring Onions Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 x 180–200 g (6–7 oz) rump steaks, preferably grass-fed
12 spring onions (scallions), trimmed
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
1 lemon, quartered
Spice Rub
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon mild chilli flakes
Salsa Verde
½ cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
Small handful of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons salted baby capers, rinsed and drained
2 large anchovy fillets, chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon mild chilli flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Method:
To make the spice rub, use a mortar and pestle to finely grind all the ingredients together.
Remove the steaks from the fridge 2 hours before cooking: place on a plate and drizzle with olive oil, then rub the spice mix all over and leave to come to room temperature.
For the salsa verde, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat the barbecue to hot and clean the grill bars. Put the steaks on the grill at a 45-degree angle to the grill bars and cook for 4 minutes, then rotate to 45 degrees in the opposite direction and cook, still on the same side, for a further 4 minutes. Now turn the steaks over and cook for a final 5 minutes. (These timings are for medium-rare.) Remove and leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
While the steaks are resting, drizzle the spring onions with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and grill for about 5 minutes or until tender and lightly charred.
To serve, put each steak on a chopping board and cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) slices. Place three spring onions on each plate and lay a steak on top, arranging the strips so they overlap. Spoon over the salsa verde, then add a lemon quarter to each plate and serve.
Smart Tip:
If you have no space for a barbecue, you can get great results with a heavy-based pan over high heat on the stove – I really like the crust on a pan-fried steak – it just won’t have the hint of smoke from the barbecue.
Variations:
- Add some finely chopped mint or oregano to the salsa verde.
- Fillet, rib or sirloin would also work well here.
Images and text from Everything I Love to Cook by Neil Perry, photography by Petrina Tinslay. Murdoch Books RRP $69.99 NZD, RRP $59.99 AUD.
