Dirty Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 6-12 mins

Equipment

• Lumpwood charcoal

• Natural firelighters

• Portable grill/barbecue

• Barbecue chimney starter (aids the lighting process)

• Chopping board, knife, plates, foil, skewers, tongs, bin liner

• Empty lidded jar/container for the sauce (it’s then easy to transport any leftovers back home without making a mess)

• Two lighters (just in case one fails)

• Container of water sufficient to fully quench the charcoal before you leave

Ingredients

Sirloin steaks (quite thickly cut) Fresh bread

For the sauce

Good-sized bunch of flat leaf parsley, garlic (smoked or unsmoked) 2–3 cloves, chopped chilli (optional), oregano, pinch of salt, red wine vinegar, olive oil

For your skewers

Tomatoes, red peppers, mushrooms and honey-pickled onion

Safety and the environment

• Check and observe any local by-laws/restrictions on the use of barbecues.

• Never have barbecues/fires if the location and/or conditions could lead to wild or moorland fires.

• Keep your barbecue off the ground to prevent scorching the ground.

• Take all your rubbish and burnt charcoal/ashes home with you.

• Never use a barbecue inside a tent or vehicle unless it’s specifically designed for the purpose, due to risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Remember – leave no trace.

Method

1 Set up your portable barbecue and light the charcoal; we use a chimney lighter as it speeds up the process of getting the charcoal lit and up to operating temperature.

2 Whilst the charcoal is doing its thing, make the sauce for the steak, slice the bread ready for toasting and prep the skewers (you can choose what ingredients you use for these or swap for an alternative).

3 For the sauce, put the chopped herbs, garlic, chilli (if using), salt, oil and vinegar into the jar and mix together.

As a rough guide you want to be aiming for 1–2 tablespoons of sauce per steak.

4 When the coals are glowing orange, place the steaks directly on the hot coals. After 2–3 mins turn over and spread the sauce on the cooked side of the steak and cook for a further 2–3 mins (medium rare).

5 Wrap the steak in foil and and leave it to rest for 5 minutes. Place the loaded skewers over, or on, the coals and then put the sliced bread on the coals at the last minute as this only takes a few seconds.

6 Slice up the steak into thin pieces and place between the two slices of bread. Give it another smothering of the sauce – this gives it extra flavour and helps keep the bread moist after toasting. .