Reverse-Seared Thick Sirloin with Shallot Chimichurri

Method

1. Pat the steak dry with kitchen paper and season all over with coarse salt, sides included. Set it on a rack over a tray and refrigerate uncovered for 60 minutes (or up to overnight). The surface dries out, which gives a much deeper brown crust later.

   Add in this stepBeef sirloin or strip loin (4 cm thick) 450 gCoarse salt 1¼ tsp

2. Finely chop the shallot into 2 mm pieces and soak it in the vinegar and salt for 10 min to soften its bite. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley, oregano and garlic with a knife, add them to the shallot and stir in the chili flakes and olive oil. Chopping by hand rather than blending keeps the colour bright and stops it turning bitter.

   Add in this stepShallot (or red onion) 25 gRed wine vinegar 1½ tbspSalt (for the sauce) 1 pinchFlat-leaf parsley 20 gFresh oregano leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried) 3 gGarlic (cloves, for the sauce) 1Red chili flakes 1 pinchExtra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp

3. Preheat the oven to 120°C. Put the steak in on its rack and cook for 25 min, until a thermometer in the thickest part reads 48°C (for medium-rare; 54°C for medium). Steak sizes vary, so go by temperature rather than time.

   oven

4. Brush a 26 cm cast-iron pan with oil and heat over high heat until it smokes. Sear the steak for 2 min in total, turning every 30 seconds, and stand it on its edges with tongs to brown the sides too. Lower to medium heat, add the butter, crushed garlic and thyme and keep spooning the foaming butter over the meat for 1 min more. If you cannot leave at least 2 cm between steaks, sear in two batches.

   Add in this stepCooking oil 1 tbspButter 20 gGarlic (cloves, crushed in their skins) 2Fresh thyme (sprigs) 3

   high heat→medium heat

5. Move the steak to a board and rest it for 5 min. Because it was cooked gently in the oven, it needs only a short rest and loses very little juice.

6. Slice against the grain into 1 cm slices, sprinkle with flaky salt and pepper and serve with the chimichurri. If the slices are evenly pink right to the crust with no grey band, you nailed it.

   Add in this stepFlaky salt (to finish) to tasteCoarsely ground black pepper to taste