Todays Perfect Recipe

Perfect Steak Recipe

Perfect Steak

How to make Perfect Steak


Jeez I've been eating a lot of steak recently...

This is a very simple method of cooking steaks that gets absolutely fantastic results.  Next time you cook a steak, don't just fry it in oil, try this.  What you get at the end is a steak with miles more flavour, and not dried out on one side which can happen if you're just nuking it in the pan without much thought.  Treat your meat well!

  1. Season the steak generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a glug of olive oil in the pan until it is hot.  You want thesteak to sizzle as soon as it hits the pan.  If it doesn't, that means you're just boiling the meat in oil and too much oil will penetrate the meat, making it greasy.  If it doesn't sizzle, just take the steak out and wait a bit longer.
  3. Seal the steak on one side in the hot oil.  Turn the steak over and add the garlic cloves around it to perfume the meat.
  4. Lay the rosemary sprigs on the steak and add the butter to the pan.  Let the butter get nice and hot, then with a metal spoon start spooning up the butter and meat juices and basting the top side of the steak(pouring it over the rosemary to allow the flavour to permeate the meat).  Tilt the pan slightly to make it easier for you to spoon up the oil.  Careful as you do this, mind.  Keep basting.
  5. Remove the rosemary temporarily with tongs.  Turn the steak over, put the rosemary back on and resume basting.  The oil should sizzle in a satisfying manner when you pour it on the meat.  Numnumnum.
  6. Continue for as long as you like your meat done.  I'm a medium / medium-rare type of guy and like it pink.  Remove the steak from the pan and let it sit for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

I served mine with a garlic mash (so easy, I just grated a clove of garlic, sizzled it in a bit of olive oil and added it to mashed potato with salt and pepper) and some steamed green beans.  A really simple, yet totally delicious dinner.  For one.  Ho hum.



Black Pepper Beef Tagliatelle Recipe

Black Pepper Beef Tagliatelle

How to make Black Pepper Beef Tagliatelle


I absolutely love dishes like this.  For some reason, pasta works incredibly well with robust Asian flavours - here a delicious peppery, garlicky sweet sauce.  The combination of Asian flavours with fresh (or good quality dried) pasta is something I thoroughly enjoy experimenting with.  Makes 2 generous portions.


  1. In a blender, pulse together the black peppercorns, mirin, oyster sauce, sesame oil and sugar to a thick paste.  You're looking for a sweet, peppery flavour.  Adjust to your liking - my measurements aren't exact, they are simply where I started off from... 
  2. Put some water on the boil in a pan for the pasta.
  3. Heat some olive oil in a wok.  When hot, stir fry together the sliced pepper and mushrooms.  Glug some kecap manis on them to give a little colour.  Season with a bit of salt.  When soft, tip them into a heatproof container and keep aside.
  4. When your pasta water is boiling, add the pasta.  It will cook in about 6 - 10 mins (depending on whether you opted for fresh or dry), and that's more than enough time to finish off the beef.
  5. In the wok, heat a little more oil.  Fry together the beef, garlic, ginger and shallots.  When the beef is cooked through, add the mushrooms and peppers you cooked previous.  Add the pepper sauce from the blender.  Mix well and turn down the heat.
  6. Drain the pasta and add to the beef wok.  Add the chopped coriander and spring onions, mix everything together well, and serve immediately.  Squeeze over fresh lime before eating.

Sesame Tuna with Lime Mash Recipe

Sesame Tuna with Lime Mash


How to make Sesame Tuna with Lime Mash


This dish made a great summer-tasting dinner, but it was substantial enough to feel nice and full afterwards. The lime mash was something I dreamed up on the train - it works really well with the clean taste of the sashimi tuna.
Serves 2.
Prepare the dressing:
  1. Dry-fry the garlic cloves until they are blackened slightly. Squeeze out the garlic pulp into a blender.
  2. Add the ginger and chillies. Blend. Add the liquid ingredients, blend and season to taste. Save in the fridge - this makes more than enough to last you for several dishes.
Prepare the tuna:
  1. Pour the soy sauce, apple vinegar and sesame oil into a shallow dish. Lay the tuna on the liquid, cover and put in the fridge. Allow half an hour (or more if you have time) then turn and put back in the fridge.
  2. Once the tuna is marinated nicely, drain the liquid off. Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds, to cover the tuna completely. Pat down to secure the seeds on the flesh.
  3. Wrap the tuna in cling film tightly so the seeds are compacted in further. Put in fridge for at least another half hour. You can store the tuna in the fridge like this and take it out just before you want to cook it.
  4. Heat a griddle pan with a little oil until hot. Flash the tuna on each side for literally just a few seconds, creating a cooked border of white flesh running a few millimeters deep all the way round. Use flat-faced tongs so you don't rub off too many seeds.
  5. Let the tuna rest for 5 mins. Slice thinly and serve.
For the lime mash:
  1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until you can poke a fork through easily. Drain and put back in the hot pan to let more moisture evaporate.
  2. Mash the potatoes together with a generous lubrication of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the lime zest.
  3. To serve, run the biggest spoon you have under a hot tap for a few seconds. Shake dry then scoop the mash like you would ice cream, to form an elongated egg-shape of mash. This is a quenelle and it is a pleasant way of serving mash whilst preserving some aesthetic standards.
And that's it! Plate the tuna and mash with something green - I used baby asparagus. Drizzle with the roasted garlic dressing. Done.


Copyright © 2004 & 2007 Ibrahim Mohamed! Inc. All rights reserved.e-mail:ibumohd@gmail.com

No comments: