At Turner & George HQ, this one’s become a bit of a go-to. We’ve cooked our way through BBQ Days | BBQ Nights more times than we’d care to admit, and this recipe keeps coming back around.
It’s built around bavette, which we’ll always champion, but we’ve tried it with rump, flat iron and rib eye too and it works beautifully across the board. That said, bavette still wins for us. Big on taste, quick to cook, and properly good value.
In the words of Helen, ‘Bavette is one of my all-time favourite cuts of steak because it cooks super-fast, is relatively affordable and packed with flavour. It’s crucial that you sear it quickly then let it rest well before slicing thinly against the grain. Do all that, and you’ll never look back.’
The creamed corn is rich and comforting, but the real hero is the lime pickle butter. It’s one of those things that sounds like it might be a faff but couldn’t be easier, and once you’ve made it you’ll start putting it on everything.
Seeing as BBQ season is well and truly here, this feels like a very good place to start. So get going, for gawd’s sakes.
Extracted from BBQ Days, BBQ Nights, Helen Graves (Hardie Grant Books UK, RP £22.00)
Photography by Robert Billington.
Ingredients - serve 4
2 × bavette steaks weighing about 200 g (7 oz) each,
neutral oil, for cooking
handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sour creamed corn
dash of neutral oil
120 g (4¼ oz/9 tablespoons) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 × 340 g (12 oz) tin sweetcorn, drained
120 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) single (light) cream
Lime pickle butter
2 teaspoons lime pickle, finely chopped
50 g (1¾ oz/3½ tablespoons) butter, softened so it’s mashable
Method
Prepare a barbecue for two-zone cooking
To cook the onion for the creamed corn, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat, add the onion and soften gently for about 10 minutes.
While the onion’s softening, cook the steaks. Rub them with a little oil, season them really well with sea salt and place directly over the coals.
Cook for a few minutes on each side - exact cooking times will depend on the thickness of the steak. A thicker piece might take 4–5 minutes on each side. Set aside to rest.
Add 50 ml (1¾ fl oz/3½ tablespoons) water to the onion along with the corn, then turn down the heat to low and cook gently for 10 minutes.
Add the cream and season, then simmer for 1 minute. Purée half of the creamed corn - this is easiest using a stick/hand blender - then combine it with the unblended corn.
To make the lime pickle butter, place the butter in a small saucepan and cook over a medium-low heat until it begins to turn brown and nutty, then add the lime pickle. Mix well to combine.
Slice the steak or mushrooms thinly and serve on top of the creamed corn. Top with brown butter and coriander (cilantro).
To cook indoors : Preheat a griddle pan over a high heat for at least 5 minutes. Cook the steaks as above.
One of the many versions we've rustled up (this is with flat iron).
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