Biltong-crusted fillet steak with burnt butter sauce

THIS biltong-crusted steak recipe is from Willie, a professional chef who was kind enough to share one of his top trade secrets with me. The only unconventional ingredient for this recipe is what I call biltong powder. Many butcheries and supermarkets sell it but if you can’t find it, simply make your own using dry biltong and a blender.

(Serves 4) 1kg beef fillet ½ cup Dijon mustard Salt and pepper 2 tots olive oil Mix vegetables for 4 people (for example carrots, onions, baby marrow, mushrooms and bell peppers, chopped or sliced) ½ cup butter Cling wrap

Spread Dijon mustard all over the fillet steak. Use your recently washed hands or a knife or spoon to do this.

Season the steak with salt and pepper.

If you couldn’t find biltong powder and your biltong is still intact, chop it and then use a blender to process into a fine form.

Throw all the powdered biltong onto the steak. Roll, toss and press until the mustard-coated outer surface of the fillet steak is encrusted in biltong.

Roll the steak tightly into cling wrap and put it in the fridge

When you are ready to braai a few hours later or a day later, unwrap the steak and cut it into four equally sized portions.

Put your fireproof pan or wok onto the fire and add the olive oil and all the vegetables. Stir fry the vegetables until charred but still crisp.

Braai the steak medallions on a grid over very hot coals for about 8-10 minutes, making sure all four sides of each steak face the coals to get some colour.

Plate the steak and the vegetables. Add butter to the pan you used to fry the vegetables. Make sure there is intense heat under the pan so the butter melts and starts to bubble. As soon as the butter starts to brown, remove the pan from the fire and drizzle the steaks and vegetables with the burnt butter.

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