Recipes, Pork Recipes, Steak Recipes

Pork ribeye steak, broccoli & anchovy mayonnaise

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I think you will find this steak a bit of a revelation, perfectly marbled and cooked to a blushing medium. Paired with a punchy anchovy and caper mayonnaise, this makes for a quick and relatively easy supper.

This is a versatile cut from the pig and can produce wonderful results when slow-cooked. However, in my opinion, it is best cooked like a steak, deeply coloured and flavourful on the outside and pink and tender beneath the surface. The natural marbling of the cut makes for a juicy finale.

I think anchovy needs to be reclassified as the chef’s best friend. A standout ingredient in its own right — think on top of a slice of great bread and a juicy, plump summer tomato, but also a great foundation to many salsas, dressings and emulsions to support all kinds of meat, fish and vegetables. It is a gift, use it recklessly.

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the mayonnaise

Method

For the mayonnaise:

  1. A couple of disclaimers here: you will need a food processor or blender for this. Also, this will make more than you need for this dinner (it is really hard to make just one portion worth of an emulsion like this). It can be kept in the fridge and used for something else for 3-4 days.
  2. Tip the anchovies, capers, garlic, a teaspoon of vinegar and the egg yolks into the blender and blend on a high speed for a couple of minutes until it is smooth.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon of warm water and blitz. Then measure out 75ml of vegetable oil. Extra virgin olive oil has a very strong taste and can lead to a slightly bitter finish, so I like to blend it with a little bit of a more neutral-flavoured oil.
  4. Slowly pour in the oil, whilst blending on a medium speed. Once all the vegetable oil is incorporated, then turn to the extra virgin olive oil. Add this at a steady pace until the mayonnaise has reached the right consistency.
  5. Add half of the lemon juice and blitz.
  6. Check for seasoning, we haven’t yet added any salt as the anchovies and capers are salty, but it may need some. Also, check for acidity and adjust with the remaining lemon juice or more vinegar, as you desire.

To cook the steaks:

  1. Make sure to remove them from their packaging and the fridge at least an hour before you want to cook them.
  2. Season the steaks well with salt.
  3. Heat a frying pan or cast-iron skillet over a high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil.
  4. Wait until the oil is just beginning to smoke, and then carefully add the steaks. Turn the heat down to medium and leave them to cook on one side for 1 minute. Then turn them over and cook the other side for 1 minute.
  5. At this point, flip again and add a knob of butter, the garlic and sage leaves.
  6. Allow the butter to foam and keep the steaks moving around the pan, flipping them every 30 seconds.
  7. Cook like this for 3-4 minutes over a medium to low heat, making sure that the butter doesn’t burn. It should remain foaming throughout.
  8. Remove the steaks from the pan onto a plate to rest. Pour the butter, garlic and sage over the top. They should rest for 10 minutes.
  9. Douse the shallot rings in a little Moscatel vinegar (or another good quality white wine vinegar).
  10. Meanwhile, blanch the broccoli in salted boiling water. When cooked, remove from the water and drain before chucking them into the pan with which you cooked your steaks. Set the pan over a high heat. Fry and try to allow the edges of the broccoli to take on a little bit of char.
  11. Toss the shallot rings through the broccoli and check the seasoning.
  12. Slice up your steaks and serve with a generous dollop of the anchovy mayonnaise.

Shop the ingredients

For 15 years George worked in some of London’s most loved restaurants, including Padella and Primeur, and had a 5-year stint as Head Chef at the Garden Museum Café. George earned rave reviews for his simple, thoughtful cookery, his dishes were firmly rooted in the classics, and always paid homage to the produce. In 2021 George realised a long-held ambition and released his first cookbook entitled, A Year In The Kitchen. It celebrates the annual cookery cycle, taking readers on a journey through the British seasons, showcasing native produce, and inspiring year round creativity. In 2022 George left London behind, and moved back home to Yorkshire. His passion for seasonal cookery and reverence of quality British ingredients proved that for George, home is where the heart is. Like his food, George is led by the seasons, he’s open to new opportunities, and always following his heart.