- To brine the beef and leeks, place all the ingredients into a pan and heat to dissolve the sugar and salt. Allow to cool then immerse your ingredients in the brine to complete the process. Brine the beef for at least an hour before cooking. The leeks should be brined for at least a week (the ones in the recipe were brined for two months). Alternatively, use capers instead of the brined leeks.
- For the dried anchovy powder and dulse seaweed powder, preheat the oven to 70ºC until dry and crisp. Once cooled, place into a pestle and mortar and ground to a powder. Make as much as you like and it’s a great alternative to salt.
- Using either a gas flame or blowtorch, place the tomato on a skewer to blacken the skin. Once blackened completely drop into iced water and rub gently to remove the skin. Repeat with the other tomatoes.
- Deseed and cut into portions, place on a tray and season with salt. Leave aside for 10-15 minutes. If using a BBQ, keep the tomato large in size.
- For the water bath, vac pack the beef and cook for 12 minutes at 62ºC. Alternatively, place on the BBQ for 4 minutes each side to seal, achieving a nice char. Once off the BBQ rest for 10 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, add the egg yolk, Dijon mustard and vinegar and whisk. While whisking, gently add the charcoal oil – slowly – until the mayonnaise is emulsified and thickened. Once thickened, place into a piping bag and place in the fridge. Alternatively, you can use the oil from the anchovy’s to create an anchovy mayonnaise.
- Pat the leeks dry and slice.
- To char the tomatoes, use the gas flame or blowtorch until the edges begin to char, or place on the BBQ for a smoky taste.
- After 12 minutes in the water bath, place the beef in a hot pan for 4 minutes, turning occasionally until both sides are caramelised. Base with butter and leave to rest.
- Thinly slice the green strawberries, and season with the dulse seaweed powder.
- Once the beef has rested, place the charred tomatoes on the plate and garnish with the mayonnaise, leeks and sliced beef. Season with the anchovy powder.
- Dress the dandelion leaves in the resting beef juices and top the beef with the leaves and sliced strawberries. Finish by seasoning with the dulse seaweed powder.
Stephen Stevens’s Welsh Beef wagyu, tomatoes, green strawberry and charcoal mayonnaise
- Prep time 20 mins
- Cook time 40 mins
- Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 PGI Welsh Wagyu Beef sirloin steak
- 4 large tomatoes, de-seeded and cut into portions
- Dried anchovy powder
- Dried dulse seaweed powder
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp white wine vinegar
- Charcoal oil or anchovy oil
- Green strawberries, thinly sliced
- Brined foraged sea leeks or baby leeks or capers
- Dandelion leaves
- Butter
- Salt
For the sauce:
- 3ltr water
- 300g Maldon sea salt
- 200g sugar