Irish Porterhouse Steak With Tomato Panzanella Recipe
This simple, summery dish is inspired by Richard Bainbridge's time in Midleton town just outside Cork City on the island of Ireland.
Ingredients
- 1 porterhouse steak, dry-aged and thick-cut (ideally around 1kg), (Richard uses Murphy's Butchers in Midleton, Co. Cork)
- 8 tomatoes, ideally just-picked and a variety of colours and shapes, roughly chopped
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp of capers
- 1 bunch of mixed herbs, such as tarragon, parsley, basil and oregano, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp of rapeseed oil, ideally Irish, or olive oil
- 3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
- 1 pinch of caster sugar
- 200g of focaccia, or sourdough, stale or fresh, chopped into generous cubes
Method · 25 min
- Preheat the oven to 180°C
- Place a large, ovenproof frying pan over a high heat and allow it to become smoking hot. Season the steak generously with salt
- Carefully place the steak into the hot pan and colour it well on each side until beautifully golden brown
- Transfer the pan to the oven and cook the steak for 8 minutes, turning halfway through – this should give you a beautifully medium-rare steak, depending on the thickness of the porterhouse but adjust the cooking time accordingly. Season the steak with freshly ground black pepper and leave it to rest for at least 10 minutes in a warm place
- For the panzanella, place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Add the chopped onion, capers and herbs, along with the rapeseed oil and vinegar. Season with salt, black pepper and the sugar. Mix everything together and leave it to sit for at least 5 minutes, allowing the tomatoes to release their juices – you want it to be juicy and quite wet so the bread can soak up the juices and wonderful flavours
- Fold the focaccia through the tomato salad, ensuring it soaks up the juices and dressing. Check the seasoning then transfer the panzanella to a large serving dish
- Once you're happy that the beef has sufficiently rested, remove the meat from the T-bone and slice it into thick slices. Lay these over the panzanella, allowing the resting juices to mingle with the tomatoes, bread, herbs and vinegar
- Bring the dish to the table and serve immediately for everyone to share
