chargrilled bavette with pickled root vegetables

¼ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil

1.2kg bavette/ flap steak, cut in half acrossways (see note)

1 cup watercress sprigs, to serve

Pickled root vegetables

1 ½ cup (375ml) apple cider vinegar

½ cup (125ml) white wine vinegar

1/3 cup caster sugar

1 tsp black peppercorns

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

700g baby root vegetables such as carrots, radishes, beetroot 

For the pickled vegetables, place both vinegars, sugar, peppercorns and ½ cup water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Stir occasionally for 4-6 minutes until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add garlic and set aside to cool.

Trim tops from vegetables, leaving 3cm attached. Using a mandolin, thinly slice vegetables acrossways. Place vegetables in a 1.6-2 litre sterilised jar and pour over cooled pickling liquid, ensuring vegetables are covered by liquid (press down a little if needed). Seal jar, set aside at room temperature overnight. The pickles can be stored in the fridge in pickling liquid for more than a week.

Preheat oven to 180C. Bring beef to room temperature and season with oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat two ovenproof frypans over a medium-high heat. Cook steaks for 2-3 minutes each side or until browned, transfer to the oven and roast 3-4 minutes until medium rare, being careful not to overcook. Remove from oven, base with juices and let rest for 5-8 minutes.

To serve, slice steak across the grain and place on a serving board with pickled vegetables and scattered with watercress.

 Note: The meat will naturally split through the centre acrossways, use a knife to ease it apart.

Start this recipe a day or more ahead. 

This recipe was developed for Cape Grim.