Meat RECIPE

Asado Wagyu Steaks with Chimi

Wagyu is a breed of cow, renowned for being big in flavour due to the fat content in the meat. Tasmanian wagyu from Robbins Island is, in my opinion, a must try, as the cows spend their lives roaming the beaches, eating fresh grass and breathing some of the world’s cleanest air. The result is a richer flavour in the meat and a creamier fat. I’ve been told by many of my US chef friends that it is some of the best meat they have ever tasted.

Ingredients

2 cups (500 g) salted butter

4 x steaks of your choice (I use Robbins Island wagyu steaks) at room temperature

Sea salt

Chimi:

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 garlic bulb, cloves peeled and finely minced

1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

1 cup oregano leaves, finely chopped

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Equipment:

Fire pit, tripod

- Serves 4 -

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. To make the chimi, bring 1 cup of water to the boil. Add the salt and stir until dissolved, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

2. Place the garlic, parsley, oregano and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Stir through the red wine vinegar, then the olive oil, then the salted water. Transfer the chimi to your vessel of choice and let the flavors mingle for a day in the fridge.

3. Light your fire and let it burn down for about 1 hour or until you obtain a medium heat. Place a grill grate about 12 in (30 cm) above the coals and sit a cast-iron griddle plate on the grill plate to heat up – you want it nice and hot when you add the steaks.

4. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat until the whey splits from the fat – the golden fat will float to the top with the whey underneath. Gently dip the steaks into the golden part of the butter, avoiding the whey, then generously season both sides of the steaks with salt.

5. You want to add your steaks and not move them, so make sure that your grill is super hot when you add the meat, and be patient. Resist the urge to move them! You want the steaks to develop a lovely sugary golden crust. Once this happens, the steaks will lift easily off the grill plate – this should take about 4 minutes. At this point, flip the steaks and continue to cook to your preferred temperature/doneness – I like mine rare. Raise the grill grate once you have seared the meat and let the steaks rest for about 15 minutes. Wagyu has a lot of fat in it, so you want to render it down, as fat equals flavor. Resting the steaks will also result in a sweeter taste. If you serve the steaks piping hot, you lose all the juice, stiffen the meat and miss out on that wonderful flavor.

6. Slice the steaks against the grain and serve with the chimi.

If you’d like to get some of this produce, you can get it in the USA through Herd & Grace.