Valentyna’s oyster blade with green sauce

‘If you’d said to teenage me that I would grow up to be a farmer, I probably would have laughed, but here I am. Sydney’s inner west seems aeons away from our farm in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales, where my partner and I farm Black Galloways. As farmers, we are committed to leaving our patch of paradise in better health than when we found it.

One of the ironies of our life as beef farmers is that well hung, carefully butchered animals are often difficult to access. When we do have some available, we opt for cuts such as flank, shin and chuck, enjoying their deeper flavour. Oyster blade is delicious slow-roasted to break down its middle membrane and connective tissue, but prepared and hung properly, it responds beautifully to a quick cook. At home we would cook this on a fire and serve it with whatever the garden and hills have to offer at the time. On the stovetop, a cast-iron pan lightly brushed with oil and heated until wisps of smoke rise can give pretty good results, too.’

Valentyna Juskin, farmer and retail customer

Feeds: 4 | Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes
Special equipment: A grill plate, or two large cast-iron frying pans

4 oyster blade steaks (about 250–300 g/ 9–10 oz each), at room temperature

Boiled new potatoes and steamed green beans, to serve

Green sauce

Handful finely chopped mixed soft herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, dill, tarragon, mint and chives

110 g (3¾ oz/½ cup) pitted and finely chopped green olives

Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

2 garlic cloves, crushed

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) olive oil

Dijon mustard, to taste

To make the green sauce, take the time to finely chop herbs and olives by hand, to ensure your sauce doesn’t taste like the smell of lawn clippings. Combine in a bowl with lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic. Add enough olive oil to make a loose dressing, then add mustard, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

If you’re cooking the steak over a fire, make sure your coals are white-hot and the grill plate is smoking. If using the stovetop, you may need to use two cast-iron pans; make sure they are super-hot and well seasoned, so the steaks don’t stick.

Season steaks on both sides with salt and place on the grill or in your pan/s. Cook for about 6 minutes, turn, then cook for a further 6 minutes until browned. Depending on their thickness, this should get you to medium–rare, which is perfect.

When the steaks are cooked to your liking, remove from the grill, let them rest for 5 minutes, then slice across the grain and season to taste with salt.

Serve with the green sauce and potatoes and beans.