Jan Bilton's steak dishes
"My favourite animal is steak," quipped American writer Fran Lebowitz. And yes, there’s nothing quite like a perfectly grilled beef steak. It’s ‘feel good’ food and it can be dressed up in so many ways — including served with a mushroom, mustard or red wine sauce.
Grilling steak lends itself
to numerous dishes including ethnic favourites such as Greek kebabs, Asian stir-fries, Italian pizzaiola, Spanish tapas and Mexican chillis.
Carpetbag steak — a scotch fillet stuffed with oysters — was popular during the 1950s and '60s. As the steak is grilled or pan-fried, the flavour of the fresh oysters permeates the steak and blends with the juice of the tender meat. A strip of bacon was sometimes wrapped around the steak. The earliest specific reference to this method of serving steak was in 1891 in a United States newspaper which may indicate a connection with carpetbaggers — or to gluttony!
Always rest steak — covered — for about 5 minutes after cooking so the meat loses less juice and it will be so much more tender when you cut it.
Lean steak (and other beef cuts) is a powerhouse of protein and a great source of iron, the B group of vitamins and zinc.
Argentine steak
A favourite on the grill or barbecue.
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Kiwi two-minute steak burgers
Great weeknight fare. Thin slices of fillet could replace the schnitzel.
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Vietnamese caramelised steak
Just scrummy.
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