01 Wagyu Steak

The best approach to red meat is to eat it less often, while indulging in higher-quality produce. M Restaurants are experts in wagyu beef, from the world’s most prestigious Japanese breeds, which also happens to be rich in flavourful, beneficial fats

INGREDIENTS

(SERVES 1)

WAGYU SIRLOIN, 200G UNSALTED BUTTER, 30G A PICKLING ONION, HALVED THYME SPRIG

PARSNIP PURÉE, 75ML

FOR THE PURÉE

PARSNIPS, 200G, PEELED AND CHOPPED

WHOLE MILK, 100ML BUTTER, 50G

METHOD

The secret is in the

breeding, says chef Mike Reid, author of M: A 24-Hour Cookbook. It predisposes wagyu to impressive marbling in the muscle tissue. While this is partly made up of saturated fat, much of it is nutritious oleic acid, the kind of fat you find in olive oil. It’s also rich in zinc, which supports your immunity. But first, the parsnips: in a pot, heat the milk and butter with 100ml of water and a pinch of salt. Add the parsnips and cook until tender. Transfer the parsnips to a blender and blitz, adding some of the cooking liquid until smooth.

Reid favours Blackmore

wagyu, which is “full-blood” – which means it’s not diluted by other breeds. Make sure your steak is at room temperature for at least half an hour before cooking. Heat your sauté pan over a medium heat, add half of the butter, then add your steak and season with salt. Add the onion and thyme with the last of your butter.

As the steak cooks, baste it with the butter from the pan. Reid recommends medium rare: four minutes on one side on a medium-tolow heat, then a further two and a half minutes on the other. Warm the puréed parsnips and plate up.