Rob Feenie is the food concept architect for Cactus Restaurants in Western Canada. He has also published three cookbooks.
Ever since I was a kid I have loved beef, and especially a great steak. Now, my own children cannot get enough of it.
Why is it so addictive? Well, we are lucky to live in a country that produces some of the best meat in the world - right in Alberta. There are more than three million people living in the province and 5.5 million head of cattle. Clearly, we Canadians take our meat seriously.
Of course, it's not just the quantity of cattle: First and foremost, it's the care and attention put into grading the product. The best of what Canada has to offer is Canada Prime, then AAA and AA.
The difference between grades is the marbling in the beef itself. Marbling (or fat) does several things, but most importantly it gives the meat flavour.
Also necessary for a wonderful and tender piece of meat: aging. Normally, in Canada, we wet age our meat for a minimum of 24 days to a maximum of 34 days. Ask your butcher about your next cut. Ideally, you would like a dry age, as this exposes the enzymes to the air, helping to give the meat a better flavour over time.
So, with all this great beef
to choose from, which steak should you buy? I think sirloin is one of the best cuts
for many reasons. Mainly,
it's delicious, but also one of the most reasonable to purchase. I always include it on the menu at Cactus Club - and it's sure to be a big part
of the steak program at our new West Edmonton Mall location.
The trick with sirloin is to remember that it is cut from three different muscles, and the piece you do not want is the one cut across all three. You want your butcher to separate the muscles and cut it from just one, so there will be no sinew - just a tender piece of meat.
Now, you're just a couple of points away from a great steak.
On the barbecue is the best way to cook beef at home as it gives you the highest degree of heat. Ideally, steaks should be cooked at about 600 to 700 F. Your oven likely only gets to 550 F - and with a nice sear on the top of the stove, you'll have smoke issues to deal with.
Once your grill is heated, season your meat with a good amount of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a touch of olive oil as well. Once the meat is on the grill, make sure it is getting nice even heat.
When the steak has reached your ideal temperature, take it off the heat and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before you slice into it. Cut too soon and you will lose all the juices and flavours you have worked so hard on getting right.
Pour yourself a nice glass of red wine in the meantime.
Trust me, it's worth the wait.
GRILLED SIRLOIN WITH ROASTED FINGERLING POTATOES, CREAMED SPINACH, GARLIC HERB BUTTER OR PEPPERCORN SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
For the herb butter:
1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
For the peppercorn sauce:
2 cups veal stock
1¼ cups whipping cream
¼ cup green peppercorns
¼ cup pink peppercorns
Juice of half a lemon
For the potatoes:
16 fingerling potatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fine sea salt and pepper to taste
For the creamed spinach:
4 pounds spinach, washed and trimmed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup mascarpone cheese
For the steaks:
4 9-ounce sirloin steaks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Malden or coarse salt
2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper
METHOD
To make the butter: Mix all the butter ingredients in a stainless-steel bowl. Place on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a sausage shape. Freeze (up to a month).
To make the peppercorn sauce: In a saucepan bring the veal stock and cream to a boil. Turn down, add the green and pink peppercorns and reduce by half. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Hold warm until steaks are ready.
To make the potatoes: Heat oven to 450 F. Place potato halves on a cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Hold while the steaks are cooking.
To make the creamed spinach: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for about 2 minutes. Place spinach in bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the spinach, place in a lint free cloth and squeeze out as much water as you can. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the spinach, the cream and cheeses and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Reduce further if desired. Hold for up to an hour, covered.
To make the steaks: Preheat barbecue to medium-high heat. Toss sirloins with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
Cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium rare. Rest steaks for 15 minutes before serving. Let your guests help themselves to either the peppercorn sauce or the butter.
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Beppi's wine matches
Pricey sirloin provides a convenient excuse to haul out something expensive; medium-rare steak is a fine canvas for a complex, tannic, full-flavoured red. Cabernet sauvignon, the king of robust reds, is the boilerplate pairing for grilled steak. This includes cabernet-merlot blends, which account for most red Bordeaux. So-called super Tuscan reds from Italy, many of which are made from cabernet or merlot, would be especially good.
But cabernet is hardly mandatory. Given the accompaniments, particularly the cheese-infused spinach, the dish as a whole affords a fair bit of latitude. Consider other full-bodied reds, such as Barolo, or European wines based on the syrah grape, such as a red from the Rhone Valley. If you don't drink red at all, try a chardonnay.
Beppi Crosariol