Recipes, Beef Recipes, Steak Recipes

Featherblade steak w/ anchovies & red wine

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So it was our glorious leader Jorge Thomas, founder of Swaledale Butchers that told me of this recipe, along with many things, both meat and miscellaneous that have caught my attention and interest.

“Featherblade makes for a great braise” he instructed me and as I’d only ever cast them into the flames, I set myself a challenge that I’d cook two Featherblade steaks from the same Dexter cow. One cooked as I normally would, the other braised. Both would include the same ingredients, one as a marinade and the other as a sauce. It worked an absolute treat, so a big thank you to Jorge.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Shop the ingredients

Directions

Barbecue

  1. In a small saucepan add the olive oil, dried herbs, and anchovies.
  2. Bring to heat and gently fry the anchovies until collapsed.
  3. Add the tomato purée and stir with the anchovy oil until darkened and beginning to catch.
  4. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer before reducing by a third.
  5. Transfer to a bowl that will fit the steak and cool the marinade before stirring in the mustard.
  6. Add the grated raw garlic and pepper.
  7. Add the Featherblades to this mix and leave to marinate for 6 hours, covered and in the fridge.
  8. Get your bbq unbelievably hot, but on no account flaming and lay the marinated steak on the grill. Cook fast and hard, turning from time to time only when proper browning is achieved. Daub on marinade when needs be and continue until nice colouring and maybe crispness has been achieved while the internal temperature reads 53°C.

Braise

  1. When braising the featherblade, cut across the grain into 1cm thick slices.
  2. Using half the oil and in a heavy-bottomed pan that owns a lid, fry the steak until well browned over a medium heat.
  3. Add in the rest of the oil and anchovies and follow as in the previous recipe but this time adding the mustard and garlic to the cooking whilst also adding an extra 100ml of water.
  4. Bring to a very low simmer and add the lid. Cook slowly and gently for 45 minutes or so or until the meat is just tender.
  5. Serve over wet, buttery polenta and add a scattering of chopped fresh parsley over the top.

Valentine Warner is a chef, food writer, business owner and broadcaster, with a deep interest in nature, travel and provincial food. He describes his cooking style as ‘International Grandmother’ and combines his strong sense of storytelling with his infectious love of cookery. Val has a deep respect and understanding of ingredients, both wild and cultivated, and has the instinctive ability to rustle up hearty and wholesome meals from whatever’s available. Val is an avid proponent of native food sources, and finds common ground with Swaledale in their work to deliver top-notch meat, within a truthful, ethical and high welfare framework. Originally a trained portrait painter, Val has also authored 5 cookbooks, managed his own catering company and is a co-owner of Taqueria, a West London Mexican cafe. Val is also a partner in the Hepple Distillery in Northumberland and Holmen Lofoten hotel on arctic Norway’s Lofoten island.