Marinated Bavette Steak

Bavette steak sounds all lovely and French and posh, until you find out that it's called 'flank steak' over here in the UK - and then the provincial, suburban, middle class, dull side of you decides to buy sirloin instead.

Ok ok, bavette is a bit of a spoiled, precious little brat, and to get the best out of it, you are going to have to play by the rules:

If you don't marinate it, it'll be tough. If you cook it longer than medium rare, it'll be tough. If you cut it with (rather than across) the grain, it'll be tough. if you don't let it rest, it'll be tough. If you look at it the wrong way, it'll be tough. The little b*****d.

But if you adhere to these rules, bavette is one of the most characterful, cheap, delicious steaks that money can buy. Anyway, sirloin and fillet steaks are for wimps. Your friends will hardly say 'Wow' to you for cooking those cuts properly.

Serve the bavette with my Ratatouille, for a fantastic dinner party dish. At £2 per serving, you can't go wrong (unless you don't stick to those effing rules).

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

800g bavette steak, de-sinewed and cut into four pieces
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Sunflower oil for frying
Pinches of sea salt and pepper

Marinate the steaks in the garlic, oregano, vinegar, oil and black pepper (never salt the steaks before cooking - it draws out the juices and makes them dry) for at least two hours, or preferably overnight. Preheat a grill or frying pan until blisteringly hot and add the sunflower oil. Sear the steaks for two minutes on each side, until well charred on the outside and still rare in the very centre. Place the steaks on a board, and after resting them for five minutes, slice them across the grain into 1cm thick strips, placing the strips into their original position (as if the steak was still uncut) and plate them up. Season generously with sea salt.