Some flavour combinations sound unusual until the first mouthful proves just how well they belong together.
Strawberries and pepper are a perfect example.
The sweetness and gentle acidity of fresh strawberries work beautifully with the warmth and fragrance of peppercorns. When they are brought together with a rich veal jus and a properly cooked rib fillet steak, the result is balanced, savoury and unexpectedly elegant.
This Chef’s Table recipe was inspired by a dish Chef Ian remembers Australian chef and television personality Peter Russell-Clarke presenting in the late 1970s.
At the time, the combination of steak, pepper and strawberries attracted plenty of criticism. It may have seemed unusual, but the flavours made sense. Pepper enhances the natural flavour of strawberries, while the strawberries soften the sharper edge of the peppercorns and bring freshness to the rich sauce.
For this recipe, we build the sauce in the same pan used to cook the steaks. The green peppercorns are sautéed first to release their fragrance, then the pan is deglazed with Bone Roasters Veal Jus. Fresh diced strawberries are folded through at the end, and each steak is finished with sour cream and the rich strawberry and green peppercorn sauce.
Serve with seasonal vegetables or a fresh salad for a restaurant-style Chef’s Table meal at home.
2 portions
Stovetop frying pan
Place one rib fillet steak in the centre of each serving plate - fat side to back of plate, not front facing
Spoon one teaspoon of sour cream into the centre of each steak.
Pour the green peppercorn and strawberry jus generously over the entire steak.
Slice or halve the two reserved strawberries and use them to garnish the plates.
Serve immediately with seasonal vegetables, roasted vegetables or a fresh salad.
A Ballandean Estate Shiraz is the perfect partner for this dish.
The rich berry character and peppery spice of the Shiraz complement the rib fillet, green peppercorns and strawberries beautifully.
Or for the more adventerous of palate, it goes exceptionally well with the Ballandean Estate Wines award winning 2024 Saperavi.
Why the Pairing Works:
Juicy Fat Meets Acid and Tannin: Rib Fillet is a highly marbled, rich cut of beef. The Saperavi grape naturally boasts high acidity and firm, structural tannins. The wine cuts straight through the richness of the steak, cleansing your palate after every bite.
The Strawberry Connection: Ballandean's Saperavi is known for its intense dark cherry and forest berry profile. A savory, sweet strawberry jus bridges the gap between the plate and the glass, mirroring the fruit notes of the wine without overwhelming it.
Spice Symbiosis: Green peppercorns add a bright, aromatic punch of heat. The 2024 Saperavi is a powerful, high-alcohol red that stands up beautifully to bold spices like pepper and garlic, creating a balanced, savory finish.
Sounds perfect right? For the discerning palate, this one is for you. https://ballandeanestate.com/product/2024-saperavi/
Make a few small cuts through the strip of fat along the side of the steak before it goes into the pan.
Fat contracts as it cooks, and an uncut strip of fat can pull tightly against the meat and cause the steak to curl. Nipping the fat helps the steak remain flat against the pan, creating more even contact, colouring and cooking.
Take care to cut only through the fat and not deeply into the meat.
Do not cut the strawberries into very small pieces.
The aim is to soften the fruit gently while still being able to see and taste pieces of strawberry in the finished sauce. If they are cut too finely or cooked for too long, they can break down and give the sauce a jam-like consistency.
Add them only after the jus has reduced, then cook them briefly.
Season the steaks with salt and pepper before they go into the pan.
This allows the seasoning to become part of the crust and flavour the meat as it cooks. Adding salt and pepper after cooking does not have the same effect, as the seasoning simply sits on the surface.
Apply the oil directly to the steaks rather than pouring it into the pan. This provides enough oil for caramelisation without leaving excess oil in the sauce pan.
Do not simply add the green peppercorns directly to the jus.
Sautéing them in the pan first helps release their fragrance and essential oils, producing a deeper and more rounded pepper flavour throughout the finished sauce.
Ask your butcher to cut the steaks fresh and prepare them to the size and thickness you prefer.
You do not need to accept only the steaks already cut, wrapped or displayed in the window. Choosing individual portion sizes means everyone receives the amount they want and helps reduce waste.
Chef Ian cooked a smaller steak well done and a larger steak medium rare. Because the smaller steak needed to cook further through while the larger steak was served less cooked, they reached their preferred degrees of doneness at approximately the same time.
The frying pan or grill plate must be properly heated before the steaks are added.
A hot cooking surface creates the caramelisation that gives the steak its appetising colour, crust and deeper flavour. If the pan is not hot enough, the steak will begin to release moisture and stew in its own juices rather than sear properly.
You should hear a strong sizzle as soon as the steak touches the cooking surface.
Once the steak is placed into the hot pan, leave it alone and allow the first side to caramelise properly.
Do not keep turning the steak over and over. Continually moving it makes it harder to develop an even crust and can interfere with the cooking process.
Cook the first side, turn the steak, then cook the other side until it reaches your preferred degree of doneness.
Do not poke the steak with a fork to turn it or test whether it is cooked.
Piercing the meat creates openings through which the natural juices can escape, resulting in a drier steak.
Use a pair of kitchen tongs to gently lift and turn the steak without piercing the surface.
Avoid pressing the steak down with a spatula while it cooks.
Pressing forces the natural juices out of the meat and into the pan. Those juices should remain inside the steak, where they help keep it moist and tender.
Allow the heat of the pan to do the work.
Make sure there is enough room around each steak.
Adding too many steaks to the pan at once lowers the temperature of the cooking surface. This can prevent proper caramelisation and cause the meat to release moisture and steam.
Use a pan large enough to hold the steaks comfortably, or cook them in separate batches.
The steak will continue to cook slightly after it is removed from the pan.
For this reason, remove it just before it reaches the exact degree of doneness you are aiming for. The residual heat inside the meat will continue the cooking process while it rests.
This is particularly important when cooking steaks to medium rare or medium.
Resting the steak is not an optional final step. It is part of the cooking process and must happen before the steak is served.
When a steak is exposed to high heat, its juices are drawn towards the centre of the meat. Resting allows those juices to redistribute throughout the steak.
If the steak is cut immediately, much of the juice will run out onto the plate. Allowing it to rest keeps more of that moisture inside the meat, giving you a juicier and more tender result.
Place the steaks somewhere warm and cover them loosely while they rest. Do not wrap them tightly, as this may soften the caramelised crust.
Always add any juices collected on the resting plate back into the sauce.
Make several small cuts through the strip of fat along the edge of the steak before it goes into the pan.
As the fat cooks, it contracts and can pull the steak out of shape. Nipping the fat helps prevent the steak from curling, allowing more of its surface to remain in contact with the pan for even caramelisation.
Cut only through the fat and avoid cutting deeply into the meat.
Different-sized steaks can work to your advantage when two people prefer different degrees of doneness.
For this recipe, Chef Ian cooked a smaller steak well done and a larger steak medium rare. Because the smaller steak needed to cook further through, both steaks reached their preferred doneness at approximately the same time.
Ask your butcher to cut the steaks fresh to the portion size and thickness you need rather than simply accepting what is already wrapped or displayed.
Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the steak, the temperature of the pan and the preferred degree of doneness.
With experience, you can assess the steak by gently pressing the surface with your tongs and feeling how firm it has become. For greater accuracy, particularly with thicker steaks, a meat thermometer can also be used.
The important thing is not to cut into the steak while it is cooking to check the centre, as this releases the juices you are trying to retain.
A good pan sauce begins before the sauce ingredients are added.
When the rib fillet steaks are cooked, they leave caramelised juices on the base of the pan. These concentrated cooking juices contain enormous flavour and form the foundation of the sauce.
After removing the steaks, the green peppercorns are sautéed in the same pan to release their fragrance.
The veal jus is then added to deglaze the pan. Scraping the base lifts those caramelised cooking juices and incorporates them into the sauce.
Reducing the jus concentrates the flavour and gives the sauce its rich consistency.
The strawberries are added towards the end so they bring freshness, gentle sweetness and acidity without disappearing into the sauce.
This is the difference between simply heating a prepared jus and using it to create a properly balanced restaurant-style sauce.
The complete dish is best cooked and served fresh, but some preparation can be done ahead of time.
The strawberries can be washed, dried and prepared earlier in the day. Keep them covered in the refrigerator until required.
The green peppercorns can also be drained and measured in advance.
The steaks should be cooked shortly before serving so they remain tender, juicy and at the correct degree of doneness.
The sauce can be prepared just before the steaks are cooked, but do not add the diced strawberries until the final reheating. This keeps their flavour fresh and prevents them from becoming too soft.
The rib fillet steaks can also be cooked on a barbecue or grill plate.
Season and lightly oil the steaks, then cook them over high heat until they reach your preferred degree of doneness.
Remove the steaks and allow them to rest.
Prepare the sauce separately in a frying pan by sautéing the green peppercorns, adding the Bone Roasters Veal Jus and reducing it until rich and glossy.
Add the diced strawberries at the end, then stir through any juices collected from the resting steaks.
Plate and serve in the same way.
Good cooking often requires us to look beyond what seems familiar and understand why different flavours work together.
Strawberries and pepper may have appeared unusual when Peter Russell-Clarke presented the combination in the late 1970s, but the principle behind it remains sound.
The pepper enhances the strawberries, the strawberries bring freshness to the rich veal jus, and the sauce complements the rib fillet without overpowering it.
Finished with sour cream and paired with a Ballandean Estate Red this is a dish that brings flavour, history and a little culinary adventure to the Chef’s Table.
Chef Ian