Peppered fillet steak with parsley potatoes- Great meal for Valentines

This supper is for two, so push the boat out on a prime cut of beef- great for a special valentines meal

·         3 large red-skinned pototoes,, peeled and cut into large cubes

·         2 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle extra

·         1 garlic clove, minced

·         small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

·         2 beef fillet steaks (each about 140g/5oz)

·         1 tsp cracked black pepper

·         small knob of butter

·         watercress

 salad, to serve

Method

1.    Tip the potatoes into a pan of water, bring to the boil, simmer for 2 mins, then drain. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the potatoes and sizzle gently for 20 mins, tossing occasionally, until golden and crispy all over. When the potatoes are cooked, add the garlic to the pan and fry for 1 min more. Finally, toss through the parsley, season with sea salt and set aside.

2.    Meanwhile, rub the steaks with a drizzle of oil, then press in the black pepper. Heat a griddle pan until hot, and cook the steaks to your liking (2½ mins each side for medium rare, 3½ mins for medium, 4½ mins for well done). Leave steaks to rest for 5 mins, then top with a knob of butter and serve with the potatoes and some watercress salad.

Spice up your barbecue with The Buckingham Butcher!

Chicken and steak cooked on the barbecue taste great as they are, but if you’re looking to ring the changes, we’ve got some ideas to spice them up a little! These work well too...

Simple All Purpose Rub (for steak, chicken and pork)

You Will Need:-
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper 
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

What To Do:-
Using a pestle and mortar, first bash the fennel seeds well, then add all the ingredients. Bash this well together until you have a red paste. Rub on meats before grilling them.

Steak Rub

You Will Need:-
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon dill seeds
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper

What To Do:-
In a small bowl, combine the paprika, coriander, dill, garlic, mustard, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Just before cooking, press the rub gently into the steak.

BBQ Chicken Rub and Sauce

What You’ll Need:-

Rub
2 heaped teaspoons fennel seeds
1 heaped teaspoon smoked paprika
1 heaped teaspoon golden caster sugar
1 level teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

For the BBQ sauce
200 g light soft brown sugar
200 g tomato ketchup
200 ml fresh unsweetened apple juice
100 ml bourbon whisky
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 heaped teaspoons English mustard
Juice of 2 oranges
A few splashes of chipotle Tabasco
1 pinch of sea salt

Bash up the rub ingredients and rub over the chicken. To make the BBQ sauce, simply mix the ingredients together and warm in a saucepan before drizzling over the cooked chicken.

Hope you enjoy!

Trevor, The Buckingham Butcher