I know what you’re thinking. What kind of ponce says he’s going to post easy, weeknight meals and then uses ingredients like sorrel flowers. And I hear you, believe me. Thing is…our (amazing) vegetable supplier sent some this week, as a bonus. So I put them in; they add a nice bitter/sour note to the dish but you could away without them, owing to the lemon juice in this recipe. If you do want to pretty up the dish, any edible flower would do the trick but also feel free to add your favourite herbs. Most people are familiar with steak tartare but this is just another way to enjoy raw beef. Next time you don’t really feel like cooking…don’t. Get your friendly butcher to sell you some lean beef and slice it into thin pieces at home. Dress with lemon juice and fresh herbs. It’ll take you quicker to make this recipe than it did for me to write it. (And it didn’t take me long to write).
What you’ll need: (serves 2)
- 400g grass-fed flatiron, sliced as finely as possible (or any other lean cut)
- 1 x clove of garlic, peeled and grated or very finely chopped
- 1 x cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 x cup fresh fennel fronds
- Juice and zest from one lemon
- 1 x tsp dried chilli flakes
- 4 x tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt, to taste
What you’ll do:
- Pick and roughly chop the parsley. Add lemon juice, garlic, fennel fronds, chilli and oil, adjusting the quantities to taste. Season with salt and add more oil, if necessary. (You want a coarse texture with everything well coated.)
- Arrange your sliced beef on a plate and, using your hands, add the salad.
- To garnish, add lemon zest and sorrel flowers (or anything else you’re using).