Beef Dishes

From burgers and meatballs to kebabs and steaks, beef is a popular choice for fast summer meals. Steak is quick and easy to cook and prime cuts of beef such as sirloin, fillet or rump give really tender results. Choose steaks with a light marbling of fat that will keep them moist.

When barbecuing, trim off any excess fat before cooking so that it does not drip on to the coals and cause them to flare up. Position the meat a suitable distance from the coals so it has time to cook right through while it browns evenly on the outside. To test if it is cooked, press with your finger. If it still feels very flexible, it will be rare. If firmer, but still with a little ‘give’, it will be medium. If it feels firm to the touch, it will be well done. And if it feels hard, it will be dry and over-cooked!

Carpet bag steaks

If you are barbecuing, cook the oysters in advance. Once they are cool, stuff and wrap the steaks, then chill until you are ready to start cooking.

Serves 4

4 fillet or thick rump steaks

8 oysters

15 g/½ oz/1 tbsp butter or margarine

15 ml/1 tbsp snipped fresh chives

A few drops of Tabasco sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 rashers (slices) of streaky bacon, rinded

A little oil, for brushing

1 Make a deep slit in the side of each steak to form a pocket.

2 Open the oysters, tip into a pan with their liquid, the butter or margarine, chives, Tabasco and a little salt and pepper and fry (sauté) until the edges begin to curl.

3 Lift the oysters out of the pan. Boil the cooking juices until very well reduced and pour over the oysters. Toss and leave to cool.

4 Push two oysters inside each steak and add a little of the juices to each.

5 Stretch each bacon rasher with the back of a knife. Wrap one round each steak. Secure with a cocktail stick (toothpick), if necessary.

6 Cook on the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for 8–16 minutes, turning frequently and brushing with a little oil, until cooked to your liking.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 8–16 minutes

Surf ’n’ turf with caper and mustard mayonnaise

Serves 4

4 fillet steaks, about 150 g/5 oz each

Sunflower oil, for brushing

15 ml/1 tbsp steak seasoning

12 raw peeled king prawns (jumbo shrimp), tails left on

Juice of ½ lemon

For the mayonnaise:

90 ml/6 tbsp mayonnaise

45 ml/3 tbsp crème fraîche

5 ml/1 tsp Dijon mustard

15 ml/1 tbsp capers, chopped

15 ml/1 tbsp vinegar from the capers

15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

To garnish:

Sprigs of fresh parsley and wedges of lemon

1 Brush the steaks with oil and dust liberally with the steak seasoning.

2 Lay the prawns in a shallow dish and sprinkle with the lemon juice.

3 Mix the remaining ingredients together and chill until ready to serve.

4 Cook the steaks on the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for 8–15 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked to your liking.

5 Brush the prawns with oil and cook for 2 minutes on each side until pink and just cooked through.

6 Transfer the steaks and prawns to plates, garnish with sprigs of parsley and wedges of lemon and serve with the flavoured mayonnaise.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15–20 minutes

Siena steaks

Serves 6

6 sirloin steaks, trimmed of excess fat

For the marinade:

2 onions, sliced

45 ml/3 tbsp olive oil

150 ml/¼ pt/2/3 cup red wine

1 bay leaf

Freshly ground black pepper

5 ml/1 tsp grainy mustard

For the topping:

1 red (bell) pepper, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 tomatoes, cut into wedges

12 green olives, stoned (pitted)

To serve:

A green salad

1 Put the steaks in a shallow dish in a single layer. Cover with half the sliced onion. Mix two-thirds of the oil with the remaining marinade ingredients and pour over. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours, turning once or twice.

2 Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a saucepan – you can do this on the hob, or, if you are barbecuing, set the pan directly on the rack. Add the remaining onion and the rest of the topping ingredients. Fry (sauté), stirring, for 2 minutes.

3 Add 60 ml/4 tbsp of the meat marinade and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste. Push to the side of the rack if you are barbecuing, to keep warm. Indoors, simply remove from the heat to be reheated when the steaks are ready.

4 Drain the meat and cook on the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for 3–6 minutes on each side, or to taste. Transfer to plates. Reheat the vegetable mixture, if necessary, and spoon over the top. Serve with a green salad.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Marinating time: 2 hours

Cooking time: 6–12 minutes

Beer-basted sirloin steaks

Don’t drizzle too much marinade at a time over the steaks during cooking, as the alcohol may cause a flare-up.

Serves 4

4 sirloin steaks, about 2.5 cm/1 in thick

100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup brown ale or stout

15 ml/1 tbsp dark muscovado sugar

15 ml/1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

15 ml/1 tbsp sunflower oil

10 ml/2 tsp black or tropical peppercorns

1 Put the steaks in a single layer in a shallow glass dish. Mix together the ale or stout, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and oil in a jug and pour over the steaks. Turn to coat, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

2 Remove the steaks from the dish, reserving the marinade. Crush the peppercorns, sprinkle evenly over the steaks and press down well.

3 Cook the steaks over the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for 4–5 minutes on each side, depending how well you like them cooked, drizzling with the marinade.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Marinating time: 2 hours

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Crunchy meatballs with tomato barbecue sauce

Peanuts and celery give these meatballs their crunch. They are equally delicious made with beef, lamb or pork.

Serves 6

For the meatballs:

700 g/1½ lb minced (ground) beef, lamb or pork

50 g/2 oz/1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 onion, finely chopped

2 celery sticks, finely chopped

50 g/2 oz/½ cup peanuts, chopped

5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin

5 ml/1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small egg, beaten

For the sauce:

1 large onion, chopped

45 ml/3 tbsp olive oil

400 g/14 oz/1 large can of chopped tomatoes

15 ml/1 tbsp clear honey

30 ml/2 tbsp sweet pickle

15 ml/1 tbsp red wine vinegar

A few drops of Worcestershire sauce

To garnish:

Wedges of lemon

1 Mix all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Shape into small balls about the size of golf balls and press around soaked wooden skewers, about four to a skewer.

2 To make the sauce, place the chopped onion in a saucepan with 15 ml/1 tbsp of the oil and fry (sauté) on the barbecue or hob for 3 minutes, stirring. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes until pulpy. Remove from the heat – if you are barbecuing, it can be kept warm at the side.

3 Brush the meatballs with some of the remaining oil and barbecue or grill (broil) for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through and golden brown, brushing with a little more oil during cooking. Reheat the sauce, if necessary.

4 Garnish the meatballs with wedges of lemon and serve with the warm barbecue sauce.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Sesame beef

Serves 4

30 ml/2 tbsp sesame seeds

3 garlic cloves, crushed

120 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup dry white wine

75 ml/5 tbsp soy sauce

10 ml/2 tsp red wine vinegar

10 ml/2 tsp sesame oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

450 g/1 lb good-quality steak, such as rump

1 Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over a low heat until golden.

2 Mix the seeds with the garlic, wine, soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil and season with salt and pepper.

3 Cut the steak into thin strips about 3 x 1 cm/1¼ x ½ in.

4 Marinate the steak in the mixture for 2 hours.

5 Thread the steak on to soaked wooden skewers and barbecue or grill (broil) for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Marinating time: 2 hours

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Mega beef burgers

Ideally, use a hinged wire cooking rack for cooking burgers over a barbecue – this prevents them from falling apart when you turn them over.

Serves 4

700 g/1½ lb minced (ground) steak

1 small onion, grated or very finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

30 ml/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2.5 ml/½ tsp made English mustard

30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 egg, lightly beaten

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 rashers (slices) of smoked streaky bacon

4 burger buns

To serve:

Salad leaves and mayonnaise

1 Mix together the minced steak, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, parsley and egg in a bowl, seasoning well with salt and pepper.

2 Shape the mixture into four burgers, cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

3 Barbecue the burgers or cook under a preheated grill (broiler) for about 7 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, until cooked through.

4 Meanwhile, barbecue or grill (broil) the bacon for about 3 minutes on each side, until browned.

5 Serve the burgers in split buns, topped with the bacon, salad leaves and mayonnaise.

Preparation time: 10 minutes plus 1 hour chilling

Cooking time: 14 minutes

Thai spiced steaks

Serves 4

8 thin sirloin steaks, about 100 g/4 oz each

50 g/2 oz/½ cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped

6 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced

5 cm/2 in piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

1 red chilli, seeded and chopped

30 ml/2 tbsp sesame oil

30 ml/2 tbsp dark brown sugar

5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin

15 ml/1 tbsp sherry vinegar

45 ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

150 ml/¼ pint/2/3 cup rice wine or dry sherry

120 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup chicken stock

Juice of 1 lime

1 Put the steaks in a shallow glass dish. Mix together the peanuts, spring onions, ginger, chilli, oil, sugar, cumin, vinegar, coriander and 30 ml/2 tbsp of the wine or sherry. Spread over both sides of the steaks, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

2 Remove the steaks and put the marinade in a small pan with the remaining wine or sherry, the stock and lime juice. Bring to the boil on the barbecue or hob, then move to the side or reduce the heat, and simmer for about 6 minutes, until reduced to a thick sauce.

3 Cook the steaks on the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for about 4 minutes on each side, depending on how you like your meat. Serve the beef with a little of the sauce spooned over and the rest served separately.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Marinating time: 4 hours

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Boozy barbecue steaks

In Southern Australia, this popular recipe is made with kangaroo meat, which is renowned for its gamey flavour. As kangaroo steaks are not too common elsewhere, rump steak makes a good alternative.

Serves 4

4 rump or kangaroo steaks, about 2.5 cm/1 in thick

90 ml/6 tbsp brandy

15 ml/1 tbsp dark muscovado sugar

30 ml/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

5 ml/1 tsp tomato purée (paste)

Freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

A mixed salad and baked potatoes

1 Make a few small cuts along the fatty edge of the steaks to prevent them curling up during cooking, then place in a shallow dish.

2 Mix together the brandy, sugar, soy sauce, tomato purée and pepper in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the steaks, turning them to coat completely. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

3 Cook the steaks over the hottest part of the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for 3 minutes on each side. Move them to a slightly cooler part of the barbecue or reduce the grill heat, and cook for a further 3–6 minutes on each side, depending how well you like your meat cooked, basting occasionally with the marinade.

4 Serve the steaks on warmed plates with a mixed salad and baked potatoes.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Marinating time: 2 hours

Cooking time: 12–18 minutes

Greek beef with tzatziki

Serves 4

4 sirloin or rump steaks, about 2.5 cm/1 in thick

75 ml/5 tbsp olive oil

45 ml/3 tbsp lemon juice

30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

For the tzatziki:

1 cucumber

2.5 ml/½ tsp salt

300 ml/½ pint/1¼ cups plain Greek yoghurt

1 garlic clove, crushed

30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Place the steaks in a shallow dish. Mix together 60 ml/4 tbsp of the olive oil, the lemon juice and oregano and pour over the steaks. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.

2 For the tzatziki, halve, seed and finely dice the cucumber and put in a sieve (strainer). Sprinkle with the salt and leave over a bowl to drain for 20 minutes. Pat dry on kitchen paper (paper towels) and tip into a bowl.

3 Add the yoghurt to the cucumber with the remaining olive oil, the garlic, mint and pepper. Mix together, then cover and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

4 Remove the steaks from the marinade and cook on the barbecue or under a preheated grill (broiler) for 5–8 minutes on each side until cooked to your liking. Season with salt and pepper.

5 Serve the steaks with the tzatziki.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Marinating time: 2 hours

Cooking time: 10–16 minutes

Cumin kebabs

Whole cumin seeds give a subtle Middle Eastern flavour to these simple kebabs.

Serves 4

450 g/1 lb lean rump or sirloin steak, cubed

15 ml/1 tbsp red wine vinegar

45 ml/3 tbsp milk

15 ml/1 tbsp ground ginger

5 ml/1 tsp ground coriander (cilantro)

2.5 ml/½ tsp ground turmeric

2.5 ml/½ tsp cumin seeds

5 ml/1 tsp lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

45 ml/3 tbsp butter or margarine, melted

1 Place the meat in a shallow bowl and sprinkle with the vinegar.

2 Mix together all the remaining ingredients except the butter or margarine and pour over the meat. Toss well. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

3 Thread the meat on to soaked wooden skewers and brush with butter or margarine.

4 Barbecue or grill (broil) for about 20 minutes, turning frequently and brushing with the remaining butter or margarine as the meat cooks.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Marinating time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes