STEAK WITH RED WINE SAUCE
Portuguese flavour
This fragrant Portuguese onion and red wine sauce is traditionally used for trinchado, but it’s also a delicious sauce for a showstopper steak on the coals.
Ingredients
(makes 6-8 steak rolls)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 white onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup red wine
1 cup beef stock (we used Knorr’s Stockpot)
1 bay leaf (fresh or dry)
600 g rump tail (we used a picanha)
6 fresh Portuguese bread rolls butter for the rolls
Here’s how
1 Heat the oil and butter in a pan and fry the onion slowly until soft and glossy. (I add half a cup of water and then allow it to boil away to soften the onion before it starts to brown.)
2 Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and fry everything together for another minute or two.
3Add the red wine to the pan and boil it vigorously for a few minutes so that most of the alcohol evaporates. Stir in the stock and bay leaf, turn the heat down to low and simmer the mixture slowly for 10 minutes with the lid on while you braai the meat.
4Use a paper towl and pat the meat dry. Then season it all over with salt and pepper to taste.
5 Braai the seasoned steak over hot coals, with a little flame, until the meat has a lovely crust on the outside – you can do this on a grid or in a hot castiron pan. Now place the meat in the red wine sauce and simmer it slowly, turning every now and again, for another 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked the way you like it. (Pink for me, thank you!) Slice the meat and serve it inside Portuguese rolls thickly spread with real butter – plus a spoonful of onion sauce in each.
Drive & Camp says Getting a large piece of steak evenly cooked is quite a feat. One option is to braai the whole piece until it has a nice crust, allow the meat rest for 10 minutes and then cut it into fat slices. Now braai the slices on the cut sides to make sure the ratio of browned crust to juicy inside is just right. Then heat it through in the sauce before serving.