“Rich, intense and utterly delicious” is how the Masterchef Australia judges described this dish!

 

steak-with-smoked-leeks-pickled-onions-and-roasted-beetroots

 

Ingredients (4 Servings):

  ROASTED BEETROOT

  • 6 small target beetroots
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • salt, to taste

PICKLED ONIONS

  • ½ cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 scallions or baby salad onions

SMOKED LEEKS

  • 2 small leeks
  • 40g unsalted butter

BEETROOT LEAVES

  • 4 large beetroot leaves
  • 1tsp hot paprika

SAUCE

  • 2tbsp olive oil
  • 125g steak, diced
  • 1 spring onion, diced
  • 1 small leek, diced
  • 1 cup water
  • 2tbsp white vinegar
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 20g unsalted butter, cubed
  • salt and pepper, to taste

STEAK

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 sirloin steaks, 4.5cm thick, trimmed
  • salt and pepper, to taste

 

EQUIPMENT

  • Apple Wood Chips and The Smoking Gun

 

METHOD:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C

ROASTED BEETROOT

  1. Place beetroot on a sheet of aluminium foil, drizzle with the oil and season to taste.
  2. Wrap to seal tightly, place on a small baking tray and roast in the pre-heated oven for 15 – 20 minutes, or until soft.
  3. When cooked, remove beetroot from the oven, cut into halves and set them aside, keeping warm until needed.

 PICKLED ONIONS

  1. Place vinegar, sugar and ¼ cup water into a small saucepan and simmer until sugar dissolves.
  2. Meanwhile, trim the stems and root from the onions.
  3. When sugar has dissolved, remove the saucepan from the heat, add the onions and set aside for 20 minutes for the onion to pickle and soften a little.
  4. Once pickled, drain the onions and push the middle of the onions out to separate the layers into individual rings.
  5. Set aside until needed.

SMOKED LEEKS

  1. Trim leeks and remove tough outer layers.
  2. Cut into 3cm lengths and place in a medium glass bowl.
  3. Cover the bowl tightly with 2 layers of cling film.
  4. Prepare The Smoking Gun with Apple Wood Chips.
  5. Pierce the cling film with the nozzle of The Smoking Gun, light the gun and allow the bowl to fill with smoke.
  6. Remove the nozzle and seal the bowl tightly with another layer of cling film.
  7. Set the bowl aside to smoke for 15 minutes.
  8. Once the leeks are smoked, place a medium frying pan on the stovetop over medium heat.
  9. Add the butter and swirl to melt.
  10. Add the pieces of smoked leek and cook, turning frequently, until tender, golden and slightly charred on all sides, about 6 – 7 minutes.
  11. Remove from heat and set aside, keeping warm until needed.

BEETROOT LEAVES

  1. Place beetroot leaves onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
  2. Sprinkle the paprika evenly over the leaves.
  3. Top with another sheet of baking paper then another baking tray to keep the leaves flat.
  4. Place in the pre-heated oven until beetroot leaves are crisp, about 7 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven and set aside to cool until needed.

SAUCE

  1. Place a large frying pan on the stovetop over high heat.
  2. Add the oil and the diced steak and fry until steak is brown and caramelised.
  3. Add spring onion and leek and cook for a further 3 minutes until golden and soft.
  4. Add the water and vinegar to the hot pan and deglaze, scraping the base of the pan with a silicon spatula or wooden spoon.
  5. Once pan is deglazed, add the thyme, reduce heat and allow the sauce to simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
  6. Once reduced, strain the sauce through a fine sieve and discard any solids.
  7. Place the sauce in a clean frying pan and return to the heat.
  8. Add the butter, a cube at a time, whisking until melted and emulsified.
  9. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside, keeping warm until needed.

STEAK

  1. Rub half the oil into the steaks.
  2. Season well with salt and pepper.
  3. Place a large frying pan on the stovetop over high heat.
  4. Add the remaining olive oil and the steak and cook for 4 minutes on one side.
  5. Turn the steak and cook for a further 4 minutes on the other side for medium, or cook to your liking.
  6. Remove the steak from the pan and set aside to rest for 3 – 4 minutes before serving.

TO SERVE

  1. Cut each steak into 4 equal pieces about 4cm x 4cm, trimming if necessary.
  2. Place 2 pieces of steak to one side of each serving plate, about 5 cm apart.
  3. Add 3 -4 drained pickled onion rings between the pieces of steak.
  4. Arrange 2 pieces of smoked leek and 3 roasted beetroot halves on each plate, keeping the dish to one side of the plate.
  5. Break the beetroot leaves in half and place 2 pieces on each plate, leaning against the pieces of steak.
  6. Serve warm sauce in a jug to the side, to add before eating.

 

Recipe by: Elise Franciskovic, Masterchef Australia 2016 Contestant