Seared sirloin with Japanese dips

This recipe is based on the southern Japanese dish tataki, which means 'hit into pieces'. Serve with our spicy soy dressing and wasabi-laced soured cream for an extra hit of heat

Prep:25 mins
Cook:10 mins

Serves 2
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 465
fat 28g
saturates 11g
carbs 8g
sugars 5g
fibre 1g
protein 46g
salt 5.8g

Ingredients

400g whole piece of sirloin, trimmed of excess fat
1 tbsp sunflower oil
thumb-sized piece ginger, finely grated
¼ cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
small handful mustard cress
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
cooked sticky rice, to serve (optional)
4 tbsp soy sauce
juice 1 lime
large pinch of chilli flakes
small pinch of white sugar
1 tbsp wasabi
5 tbsp soured cream

Tip

3 steps to perfect steak

1. Make sure your meat is at room temperature before cooking - this ensures it cooks evenly.

2. Get your pan hot enough to seal and brown the meat properly, so it's more flavoursome.

3. Rest a thick-cut steak before serving to retain its juices

Method

Rub the beef generously with oil and season well. Heat a heavy frying pan and sear the beef on all sides for about 8 mins in total for very rare, 10 mins for rare and 12 mins for medium-rare. Remove from the pan and set aside.
While the meat is resting, prepare the accompaniments. For the ponzu dipping sauce, mix all the ingredients together with a splash of water until the sugar has dissolved, then set aside. For the wasabi cream, stir the ingredients together until completely mixed, then set aside.
After the beef has rested for 10 mins, use your sharpest knife to carve it into thin slices. Fan the slices out on a serving platter, scatter with the cucumber, then the cress, followed by the sesame seeds. Bring to the table with the two sauces and the ginger in small serving dishes for dipping and spreading over the beef slices. Serve with chopsticks and sticky rice on the side, if you like.