Steak and Onions

Whether you eat it or not, the benefits of red meat can’t be ignored, but not everyone likes a boring slab of meat on the plate. So, for this one I add a bit of Mediterranean style into the salad with haloumi and basil for a balanced and tasty meal. And, what would a steak be without onion?

Preparation

You can buy any beef you prefer, but we tend to eat sirloin. I do like to get my steak to room temperature before I cook it, I really do think it makes a difference. So half an hour before dinner, I get the steaks out of the fridge and drizzle some olive oil on both sides, and sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper on both sides. Then I wash my hands (remember – food safety is important!), and start on the balsamic onions.

Balsamic Onions

Heat a fry pan over low heat and add some olive oil. Let it heat up while you peel and slice some red onions and pop them in the frying pan. The aim is to cook them slowly without browning them too much so that the natural sugars in the onion start to caramelise and add a sweetness to the onions. It should take between 10 and 15 minutes for them to cook. When they are nearly done, add a little bit of balsamic vinegar for extra flavour.

Multitasking

When the onions have been cooking for about 10 minutes, start on the salad. Slice up some haloumi into 2 cm thick slices, and chop the tomatoes up (which I also like to keep at room temperature as they have much better flavour). I used cherry tomatoes for this photo, but use any that you like.

Remove the onions from the pan, and turn the heat up slightly to medium heat. Place the sliced haloumi in the pan. It should take about 3 minutes each side. When the haloumi is golden brown, turn each slice over carefully. Remove from the pan, and then turn the heat right up to get ready for the steaks.

Back to the salad – drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes. Equal quantities work well – for 2 large tomatoes, approximately 1 dessertspoon of oil and the same amount of vinegar. I like to add a little bit of salt and pepper to mine at this stage.

Place the steaks into the searing hot pan (and turn on the extractor fan!). For the steak pictured, I cook them for 3 minutes on each side. I use my oven timer to be precise. Turn the steaks when they’re ready.

Tear up some rocket and basil, and add to the tomatoes. Stir through so that the salad dressing coats the greens. The haloumi should be a bit cooler now, so slice it up into chunks. Spoon the salad onto the plates, and add some haloumi.

Finishing

The steaks should be done by now, so take them out of the pan and wrap in foil wrap and leave them to rest. I usually use this time to start cleaning up and hand washing any dishes such as my frying pan.

Once rested, serve them with the balsamic onions alongside the salad. I added some potato gems for the photo, as the crispness of them works well with this meal. If organised, I can have this balanced meal on the table in 30 minutes, including washing up – let me know how long it takes you!