Denver Steak with Pink Onion Salsa Recipe
A small number of steak cuts tend to hog the limelight, but there are some cuts out there that continue to remain a bit of a butcher’s secret. Denver steak is one of them - marbled, deeply flavourful and cheaper than fillet, rib-eye and sirloin.
- 2 Denver steaks, 300g each, patted dry and at room temperature
- 20ml of vegetable oil
- 40g of unsalted butter
- 1 small bunch of fresh thyme
- 1 bunch of rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves, bashed in their skins
- 1 pinch of pink peppercorns, to garnish
- 2 red onions, finely sliced
- 200ml of vinegar, white wine or cider
- 400ml of water
- 1 handful of pink peppercorns, small
- 1 tbsp of salt
- 1 tbsp of caster sugar
- 100g of cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
- 100g of cooked beetroot, finely chopped
- 1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 handful of parsley, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 200ml of olive oil
- Start by making the pink pickled onions. Add the finely sliced onions to a bowl and whisk together the vinegar, water, salt, sugar and pink peppercorns. Pour this mixture over the onions, then chill in the fridge, leaving to quick-pickle for at least an hour
- Mix 200g of the pink pickled onions with the rest of the salsa ingredients (except the olive oil) in a bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Drizzle in the olive oil, stirring, until you’re happy with the consistency (you might like it quite thick, in which case you won’t need all of it). Set aside
- Put a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Season the steaks liberally with salt and pepper
- When the pan is smoking hot, carefully lay the steaks in it. Leave to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes
- Flip the steaks over and add the butter, rosemary, thyme and garlic cloves. Baste the steaks for another minute or so, then use a temperature probe to check the internal temperature. Once they reach 55°C, transfer them to a tray and leave to rest for 5 minutes
- Slice the steaks against the grain and serve topped with the pink pickled onion salsa and a scattering of pink peppercorns
Denver steak requires a trip to the butcher – you won’t find it in the supermarket – but it’s well worth it. One of the most lesser-known of the lesser-known cuts of beef, it’s taken from the front shoulder and offers heaps of flavour for its affordable price point. While it has no fat cap, it generally has a high amount of marbling throughout the meat, which renders during cooking. Think of it as like a sirloin or rib-eye but with heaps more flavour (and a fair bit cheaper).
The best way to cook Denver steak is medium-rare over a very high heat, searing in a hot pan or over charcoal. Too much cooking and the steak turns very tough; any rarer and you don’t give a chance for the marbled fat to render. Always rest it for at least five minutes to ensure maximum juiciness and slice against the grain for the best texture.
