Steak with roasted garlic and burnt spring onion butter recipe | Sainsbury`s Magazine (2024)

‘Cooking over fire is so much more than the immediate reaction of food over a blistering heat. Sure it can be hot and fast, but it can also be low and slow, as well as somewhere in between. I love this recipe because it showcases the barbecue’s capabilities. A thick steak licked over searing heat, and roasted garlic cooked slower away from the coals to gently draw the cloves’ natural sweetness.’ says chef Melissa

Melissa Thompson

A former supper club and pop-up host, Melissa is now a successful food and drink writer and an ambassador for Weber. Of Maltese and Jamaican heritage, Melissa is also a passionate advocate for promoting diversity and inclusion in the food industry.

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Ingredients

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Step by step

1. Remove the steaks from the fridge at least an hour before cooking. Rub with 1⁄2 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Set aside.
2. Light a lidded barbecue with the coals to one side. Remove the loose outer skins from the garlic bulbs, rub with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with salt. Put them on the barbecue far away from the direct heat and lower the lid. Cook for 30 minutes or until soft; cool. Parboil the potatoes for 10-12 minutes until just tender. Drain and toss with 1⁄2 tablespoon of oil.

   To cook indoors

   Wrap the garlic bulbs in foil and roast for 30 minutes at 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Cook the spring onions and steaks on a hot griddle pan. The steaks will take 4-5 minutes on each side for medium-rare; griddle the potatoes while the meat is resting.

3. Rub the spring onions with a little oil – don’t remove the outer skin. Lay 6 of them over the coals and turn regularly. Once charred and soft, strip off most of the blackened skin. Chop and add to the butter, and squeeze the softened garlic into the butter too. Add the allspice, black pepper and a good pinch of salt and mix well. Keep 75g to serve and chill the remainder for another time (see ‘To store’).
4. Char the remaining spring onions at the same time as the steaks. Place the steaks over the coals at the hottest part for 2 minutes then turn over. Leave for another minute and then turn on edge so the fat is facing the coals, holding in place with tongs. The melting fat will excite the coals beneath and may cause flames to lick up, and that’s fine. After a minute or so, lay the steak down and cook on both sides for another couple of minutes. Once you have a nice char to the surface, remove to the cooler part of the barbecue and lower the lid for 1 or 2 minutes. Aim for an internal temperature of about 48°C for rare, 54°C for medium and 60°C for well done, checking with a probe thermometer (once you remove the steak from the grill, the temperature will creep up by a couple of degrees as it rests, so bear that in mind).
5. Transfer the steaks to a warmed plate to rest, adding a couple of teaspoons of the flavoured butter to melt over as the meat relaxes.
6. Meanwhile, finish the parboiled potatoes on the barbecue directly over the hot coals (thread them onto skewers if your barbecue grill has wide gaps). When nicely charred and completely tender, toss with parsley and season well.
7. Slice the steaks into strips against the grain and finish with more of the flavoured butter. Serve with the extra charred spring onions and potatoes, and drizzle the resting juices mixed with the reserved butter over the steak.