This pairing can never go wrong. Steak (or venison) goes very well with medium bodied rich whiskies. Whiskies have a rich, deep and smoky flavour really works well with beef (and venison).
This recipe pairs the whisky in a manner so that neither the whisky or the meat dominate or overwhelm the flavours of the other. Rather they complement each other’s flavour and help elevate the experience.
INGREDIENTS
- Steak 500g cut into one-inch chunky steaks across the grain
- A dash of whisky
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Steak seasoning
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tsp dijon mustard
- Knob of butter
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 cup of mushrooms
- 2 tbsp sliced jalapeno peppers
- Handful of pickles
- 1 red or orange capsicum
- ½ cup real egg mayonnaise
- Your favourite hot sauce
- Some sauerkraut (optional)
- Some ciabatta buns or whatever you like to use for sandwiches
RECIPE
*note this recipe is cooked on fire, so when I refer to temperature changes such as “low heat” make the adjustments required to your cooking tool. For instance, if using the OzBraai Pit BBQ, set the rack to the highest elevation above the fire/coal and/or shift over to a cooler spot on your BBQ.
1) Place your steaks into a glass container and marinate in oil, steak seasoning, garlic and a good dash of whisky. Don’t worry most of the alcohol will burn off anyway but the flavour remains, cover and set aside at room temperature.
2) Heat some more oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry until soft and translucent, don’t forget to stir, onion burns easily.
3) Once the onion is soft, lower the heat. Add jalapenos, mushrooms, peppers and Dijon mustard to the pan. Stir in and fry on a low heat for 5 mins, stirring often.
4) Drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the pan and add the butter. Season with salt and pepper and move pan to a simmer. Simmer this mixture for 15-20 mins until veggies are caramelised and fragrant. At this point this mix should look and smell like something you really want to add to a burger! Spoon the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
5) In a small bowl combine mayo and hot sauce together.
6) Heat some more oil in a heavy pan.
Note* I prefer my lodge cast iron for this but use whatever you got. Just beware that a lesser quality pan will burn your steak easily, so try to use something quality that can withstand the heat of the fire and not charr your steak to nothingness.
Once your pan is hot, with a little oil vapour coming off it, add steaks and get them seared on either side. For an inch thick piece like these, it should be 2mins either side max. (better yet use a probe and aim for 55 degrees C or 13-140 F) once it’s done, set aside and rest for a few minutes.
7) Toast your bread over the heat for a minute or so and then lather on a layer of the mayo-hot sauce mix. Add a bit of the onion, jalapeno and mushroom mix and top of with some sauerkraut and pickles and of course the steak!
Now go enjoy your flavour bomb sandwich with a cold beer!
By Philipp Spahn @wild_heart_hunter
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