Beef skirt steak in black bean broth

At the restaurant, Omar serves this dish with smoked tomato, and pickled onions, and uses culinary charcoal or squid ink to give a black colour to the broth*. You will need to soak the black beans overnight.

• serves

  8

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 35 g (¼ cup) black peppercorns
• 50 g (¼ cup) yellow mustard seeds
• 25 g (¼ cup) dried chilli flakes
• 1.2 kg (2 pieces) beef skirt steak, trimmed
• 12 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• creamy rice croquettes and rocket, to serve

Black bean broth

• 150 g (¾ cup) black beans, soaked overnight
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green capsicum
• ½ garlic bulb
• ½ tsp dried oregano

Drink 2009 Argento Reserva Malbec, Argentina ($25).

Instructions

Preheat oven to 120°C. Toast peppercorns, mustard seeds and chilli flakes in a roasting pan over low heat, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add beef, garlic and 1 tbsp salt, turning steak to coat in spices. Add 1.5L water, increase heat to high, and bring to the boil.

Remove from heat, cover with foil and place an oven tray on top to cover. Bake for 2 hours or until beef is meltingly tender.

Cool beef in liquid. Drain, transfer to a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until cold. Cut each steak into 4. Set aside for 30 minutes before cooking.

Meanwhile, to make broth, drain beans and rinse. Place in a saucepan with 1L water, bay leaf, vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 50 minutes or until beans are just tender. Drain, reserve pan and set beans aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in reserved pan over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 10 minutes or until golden. Set aside and reserve pan.

Using tongs, hold capsicum over a gas flame, turning, until blackened all over. Repeat with garlic bulb. Cool slightly, then rub off capsicum and garlic skins.

Halve capsicum and discard seeds. Chop flesh and process with garlic and onion to a purée.

Heat remaining 2 tbsp oil in reserved pan over medium heat. Add capsicum purée, beans, oregano and 1.5L water. Cook, stirring, for 30 minutes or until beans are soft. Cool for 5 minutes, then process until smooth. Add water to thin, if desired. Strain through a sieve and discard solids. Keep warm.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook steak for 3 minutes each side or until browned and heated through. Serve with black bean broth, rice croquettes and rocket.

Note

• Use 1½ tbsp culinary charcoal, from specialist food shops or 1 tbsp squid ink, from selected fishmongers, in step 8 when puréeing broth, if using.

As seen in Feast magazine, Issue 8, pg76.

Photography by John Laurie.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.