Sirloin steak with red wine shallots

Sirloin steak with red wine shallots

From the sirloin and without the rib section, this cut of steak is moist, full of flavour and quite tender.

There are normally five ways to cook steak depending on how you like yours done. They are as follows: Rare, Medium Rare, Medium, Medium Well and Well Done. Most chefs use the ‘give’ test, which is using the knuckle of a forefinger to see how the steak is cooking. The more ‘give’, the rarer the meat, to hardly any, which signifies well done. Using a meat thermometer is probably a more reliable way to ensure your steak is cooked properly.

Cooking times


Rare: 30-51º C 2-3 minutes each side
Medium Rare: 57-63º C 3-4 minutes each side
Medium: 63-68º C 4 minutes each side
Medium Well: 72-77º C 5 minutes each side
Well Done: 77º C + 6 minutes each side

Red wine and shallot sauce


Serves 4

Ingredients


4 shallots (finely chopped)
2 tbs light olive oil
2 cloves garlic (finely crushed)
4 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 sprig fresh thyme
400ml beef stock (jellied veal stock is best but a cube is fine)
400ml full-bodied red wine
1 dessert spoon slightly salted butter
Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper

Method


In a medium-size pan sauté the shallots in the oil over a high heat, stirring often until just caramelised.
Add the garlic and thyme and season. Cook for a further 3 minutes then add the balsamic vinegar.
When the balsamic has gone syrupy, add the wine and stock, stir and simmer to reduce by half.
Remove the garlic and thyme then whisk in the butter to give the sauce a nice shine.