Flat iron steak and native pepper sauce

Derived from the oyster blade, a flavoursome and marbled cut of beef from the shoulder. This steak has the right amount of texture and flavour that resembles the classic "steak frites" cut of bavette. The sauce is a nod to the French, but using native mountain pepper that is slightly more fruity than the classic accompaniment.

Flat iron steak and native pepper sauce Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 600 g flat-iron steak
• salt and black pepper
• 50 ml grapeseed oil
• 2 cups (500 ml) veal stock
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 g native pepper, ground
• 20 g Dijon mustard
• 20 ml mushroom soy sauce
• 200 ml thin cream
• 1 bunch chives, finely sliced
• 20 g Lilliput capers, washed and drained (see note)

Resting time: 5 minutes

Marinating time: 6 hours - overnight

Instructions

1. Season the steak well with salt, then place on a tray and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight is ideal.
2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 50-60˚C to keep the steak warm after cooking. Place a cast-iron pan over high heat. When hot and smoking, place the steak in the pan and cook, flipping constantly, for 8 minutes. Transfer the steak to a tray, cover with foil and rest in the oven.
3. Return the cast-iron pan to the heat and add the veal stock, garlic, native pepper, Dijon mustard, mushroom soy sauce and cream. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the steak from the oven and thinly slice. Stir through the chives and capers to the pepper sauce. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
5. Divide the steak between plates and spoon over the pepper sauce. Serve immediately.

 

Note

•Lilliput capers are extra small-sized capers, you could substitute roughly chopped regular capers.

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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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.