Aussie Steak with Creamy Chimichurri
A perfect recipe for Aussie steak with Chimichurri because a great steak is a real treat. Juicy, tender and light pink in the middle surrounded by a well-seasoned crust.
How to cook the perfect steak
If you are a meat lover, is there anything better than a delicious, juicy and flavourful steak for your main course? The choice of steak is totally a personal taste, and you choose a steak as per your budget and taste. Steaks come in different shapes and sizes, with bone and without the bone. Some come with a lot of marbling and some with very little marbling. The cooking times for each steak varies depending on which cut of steak it is and which part of the cattle it comes from. I love modern Australian food and I love a juicy steak. There are a number of steaks you can buy from the butchers or your local supermarket or from the farmers directly. Some very popular steaks are eye fillet steak (tenderloin/filet mignon), ribeye steak (when the bone is removed), rib steak (when the bone is attached) Tomahawk steak, New York Steak, T-bone steak, Porterhouse steak, strip steak, chuck steak, rump steak, Wagyu or Kobe steak. Each of these steaks come from a different part of the cattle and therefore not all types of steaks are equal in tenderness. The most tender steaks come from the loin and rib around the backbone, and you can expect to pay a high price for the most tender steaks. These steaks have little connective tissue and finely marbled fat.
I am extremely fond of a cut of steak that is tasty but has very little marbling, and it is called as eye fillet steak also known as tenderloin or Filet Mignon which is a moist and flavourful slice of beef. Having lived in Australia for over two decades, one of the most enjoyable steak eating experiences I have had is eating a juicy Eye Fillet Steak or as I would like to call it the royal steak. I used to look forward to going to a steak restaurant such as Ribs and Rumps or even a local pub close to home only to eat a juicy piece of steak cooked to perfection. My son is an all time steak lover and he has been cooking steaks at home for some time. Thanks to my son, the idea to write an Aussie steak recipe came from him. Each time we tried this steak, it turned out moist and juicy and stayed juicy even up to a day, if they were any leftovers. We tried to cook many different types of steaks and have finally settled for the Beef Eye Fillet Steak. The Eye Fillet Steak comes from a small section derived from the tenderloin, sitting close to the ribs of the cattle. It has very little marbling and is most suitable to pan fry with butter and olive oil for extra flavour and it compliments well with a sauce. You can also cook it on a barbecue, but you must be careful not to overcook this cut as it can dry out very quickly due to very little marbling. In this blog, I am going to write a step-by-step method of how to pan-sear the eye fillet steak. I have cooked it both ways and I love to eat it both ways.
A sauce is not an absolute must to enjoy a steak, but an eye fillet steak tastes great with a sauce. This creamy chimichurri sauce is adapted from a recipe in “Simply Heaven”, Volume 3, of A collection of delicious Philadelphia recipes for all occasions. If you would like to check out, their website is philly.com.au for many delicious Philly recipes, however, the recipe for this sauce is only in this book and not on their website.
Every meat-eater should know how to cook a perfect steak because a great steak is a real treat. It is juicy, tender and light pink in the middle surrounded by a well-seasoned crust. There are many ways of cooking the steak, but I like it cooked medium or medium well.
MEDIUM or MEDIUM WELL STEAK?
Medium – Cooked to 145°F or 63°C, the middle of the steak is fully pink and hot, with a greyish-brown seasoned crust.
Medium Well – Cooked to 154°F or 68°C, with a light-pink centre and a browned crust.
pan-seared steak tips and tricks
Keep all the ingredients ready before you start cooking the steak. Open a few windows to enable proper ventilation as pan-searing causes some smoke.
Remove steaks from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes). You may trim any excess fat, but I prefer to leave the fat on. Pat-dry the steaks with paper towel to remove any excess moisture as excess moisture prevents browning.
Fortunately, if you are pan-searing, the only tools you will need are your frying pan, a good pair of sturdy tongs and modern-style thermometer with a digital display.
A good choice for a pan is a heavy based frying pan or a cast iron pan with a good heat capacity. I use my 12 inch/30 cms heavy frying pan with a non-stick surface.
Drizzle steak generously with oil which has a high smoke point such as grape seed or peanut oil. This will help the steak to stay moist.
To season before or after cooking – There are two schools of thought about when to season the steak. Some like to season before cooking and some like to season after cooking. I like to season my steak before cooking because a steak seasoned before cooking has more flavour as you can taste the seasoning. It is your decision whether to season before or after cooking. Whether you decide to season before or after cooking, you must season the steak generously on top and bottom. My favourite seasoning is salt and coarsely ground pepper. It is better to use freshly ground pepper than the pre-ground store bought pepper.
To season with Indian spices or not – I have experimented my steaks with traditional Indian pantry spices such as chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. A word of caution, seasoning with multi-flavoured spices is not a great idea because the spices can hide the flavour and taste of the steak. Further, the spices burn during cooking resulting in a crust a bit charred which is not desirable in a steak. A brown crust is better than a charred crust.
Unseasoned Beef Eye Fillet Steak
Seasoned Steak with oil, salt and pepper
Cooked steak resting
The temperature of the oil in the pan is very important if you want a nice brown crust. You want the oil to reach a smoking point before you add the steak. You must hear the sear as soon as you place the steaks on the pan. Further overcrowding the pan will result in uneven cooking. Cook steaks in two batches so there is enough space for even cooking.
The time for cooking the steaks is equally important. Watering your indoor plants in the middle of cooking your steak is not a good idea because this could end up in a tough steak. In the first instance, cook the steak for 2 to 3 minutes or until a crust has formed. Cooking time also varies depending on the size and thickness of your steak. In my recipe I have used a one (1) inch thick steak. In total, the eye fillet steak should take approximately 7-8 minutes to cook.
Flip the steak after the crust has formed. Once you flip the steak, it is important to baste it with butter. This is a stage where you can add some butter, fresh herbs and garlic or you could add store bought herb butter. I have added some thyme and garlic, but you can also add other herbs such as rosemary, sage or oregano. I am not a fan of adding curry leaves to a steak due to the strong flavour. As the butter starts to melt, add 2 cloves of bruised garlic cloves with skin and a sprig or two of fresh thyme leaves on to the butter. Baste the steaks with this butter mix continuously. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 60°C-63°C for a medium steak or to your liking. The steak shown in the main above above is a perfect example of a steak that is cooked medium.
As soon as the temperature of the steak has reached 60°C-63°C, remove the steaks from heat and rest for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Some prefer to cover the steak loosely with foil but I feel resting on a plate or wire rack without the use of foil is equally good.
Serve on heated plates immediately either whole or sliced along with your choice of sauce and vegetables or salsa. In many restaurants I have been to, a steak was served with a disc of herbed butter on top along with a mash and some steamed vegetables.
Some great techniques of cooking a steak are pan-seared, pan and oven combination and grilling. The technique in the recipe below and my step by step instructions should give you the confidence required to prepare and enjoy a pan-seared steak. Do not be disappointed if the steak is not perfect for the first time around because practice makes perfect. Once you experiment with different techniques, you will know which method works best for you.
Bon Appétit!
If you have tried this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback. Please be sure to rate the recipe and/or leave a comment below. If you want to see more recipe inspirations, you can follow me on instagram @lavina_mendonsa.
Rested steak just before slicing
Plated up steak with tasty sweet corn and grilled cherry tomatoes
A sliced steak with creamy Chimichurri on the side
Aussie Steak with Creamy Chimichurri
Ingredients
- Beef eye fillet steaks 4 x 200g each 1 inch thick
- 16 green prawns peeled and deveined tails intact
- 6 tbsp. grapeseed oil
- 6-8 tsp. salt or to taste
- 8 tsp. freshly ground pepper or to taste
- 4 tbsp. butter for basting
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 8 garlic cloves bruised with skin
- Grape seed oil for drizzling over steak and prawns
- Salt for sprinkling over prawns
- Continental parsley for garnish
- 1 red chilli sliced diagonally for garnish
For the creamy Chimichurri Sauce
- 250 g spreadable cream cheese
- ½ cup warm chicken stock
- 1¼ cup coriander leaves finely chopped
- ¾ cup continental parsley finely chopped
- ¾ cup oregano leaves or 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 3 green chillies finely chopped or to taste
- ¾ tsp. chilli flakes
- 1 small Spanish onion finely chopped
- 4 tbsp. lemon juice or to taste
- ¼ tsp. sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt or to taste
Instructions
For the sauce
- Add cheese and chicken stock to a medium size saucepan and whisk to combine. Add rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Place on low heat until heated through. Stir from time to time. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
For the steaks
- Remove steaks from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Pat-dry the steaks with paper towel to remove any excess moisture as excess moisture prevents browning.
- Drizzle the steaks on both sides generously with grape seed oil.
- Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper on both sides (I like my pepper coarsely ground but the decision is yours). Set aside for no more than 10 minutes. Seasoning with multi-flavoured spices such as chilli, coriander and cumin is not recommended as multi-flavoured spices can hide the flavour and taste of the steak.
- Use a heavy based frying pan. I use my 12 inch/30 cms frying pan with non-stick surface. Heat the pan on medium heat and add grape seed oil. When the oil is smoking, using your tongs, place the steaks on the cooking surface ensuring you place them away from you to avoid splattering of oil. I cooked 2 steaks at a time so there is space for even cooking. As the surface is hot, you will hear the sear as soon as you place the steak on the pan.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until a crust has formed.
- Flip the steak. Add 2 tbsp. butter on the side of the pan. As the butter starts to melt, add 2 cloves of bruised garlic cloves with skin and two sprigs of fresh thyme. Baste the steak with this butter mix continuously. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 60°C – 63°C for a medium steak or to your liking.
- Remove steak from heat and rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Repeat same with other two steaks.
- While the steak is resting, fry the prawns in the same pan till they turn just pink.
- Serve immediately on heated plates. To plate up, place one steak on the plate, top with 4 prawns, drizzle generously with creamy sauce. Finally finish off with a garnish of parsley and sliced red chilli. Serve with sweetcorn on the side or grilled tomatoes or a salsa of your choice, paired with your favourite beer or matured Australian red wine.
Notes
- You may use Philadelphia or any spreadable cream cheese. I used the Woolworths spreadable cream cheese.
- Basting the steak with butter while cooking adds extra richness and enhances the juiciness as it softens the crust of the steak.
- It is very important to rest steak for 10 minutes after cooking because during cooking, the meat contracts and the juices move to the centre of the steak. Resting allows for the juices to evenly redistribute and be restrained after slicing for maximum juiciness.
Plated steak with creamy Chimichurri, prawns, grilled tomatoes and sweetcorn
Sliced steak with creamy chimichurri
Plated steak with creamy chimichurri, prawns and grilled tomatoes
Hi, I’m Catherine!
I’m all about creating tasty Indian dishes with whatever’s on hand, even when I’m short on time or budget. I love turning simple ingredients into flavorful delights. Join me on this culinary adventure where we’ll explore the magic of Indian cuisine, one delicious dish at a time!
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