High steaks
High in protein and rich in iron, there’s still a place for steak on the carniverous cyclist’s menu
The competitors consume a solid breakfast. Brooklyn is a good team; Roger De Vlaeminck can expect loyal and effective support from riders such as De Witte, De Muynck, Van der Slagmolen… they’re all riding for De Vlaeminck’s chance.’
So narrator David Saunders intones in clipped English as the camera pans around Brooklyn’s breakfast table. This is the 1976 documentary
A Sunday In Hell, and as the camera then zooms in on De Vlaeminck’s fork, Saunders says, ‘A rare steak is a good breakfast for what lies ahead.’
Oh how things have changed. Yet while eating a slab of meat before an undertaking like Paris-Roubaix is now considered counterproductive, steak still has its uses.
Yes it’s incredibly high in protein at around 25g per 100g, but more importantly it contains a high concentration of haem iron, which is essential to red blood cells that transport oxygen, and which is more readily absorbed than non-haem iron found in veg. That said, veg is important too, so while this steak is pepped up with a sesame seed crust, the nutritional content and flavour combinations are elevated with a green veg side cooked east Asian-style.
It’s a powerful combo, and for this time of year a brilliantly versatile dish that suits a post-ride barbie – now there’s a thing that will stand the test of time.
Grilled sesame seed steak Asian style
INGREDIENTS
2 steaks (allow 190– 200g per person)
1 white onion, peeled and sliced
Good selection of chopped greens: pak choi, mangetouts, spinach, kale, green beans, broccoli
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp black sesame seeds 1 tsp white sesame seeds Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 2
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 552 Total carbohydrate 25g Sugars 10g Fat 22g Protein 75g Sodium 834mg
Method
• Preheat a grill pan and a large sauté pan – we’re going to cook two things at once!
• In a bowl, mix together the black and white sesame seeds. Add a good pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Place the steaks on a plate and sprinkle the seed mixture over the top. For non-meat eaters, try substituting the steaks for plant-based alternatives to meat such as Beyond Burger or Vivera.
• Heat the olive oil in the grill pan and sear the steak over a high heat for 2 minutes on each side. At the last minute add the soy sauce to the pan to glaze the steaks. Remove the steaks from the pan, transfer to a warmed plate and allow to rest for 3-4 minutes.
• Heat the coconut oil in the sauté pan and stir-fry the onion over a high heat for 1 minute. Add the fresh ginger and garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
• Add the mixed greens. Continue cooking over a high heat for a further 2 minutes (you want the veg to be crunchy and have some bite to it). Finish off by adding the fish and teriyaki sauces and sesame oil. Slice the steak and serve with the greens.