Longhorn beef sirloin, pickled walnut salsa verde and tropea onions

  • medium
  • 4
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
Not yet rated

This stunning aged beef sirloin recipe is served with charred Tropea onions, pickled walnut salsa verde and fresh watercress for a memorable main course. Chef Merlin Labron-Johnson uses Longhorn beef aged for 86 days for unparalleled depth of flavour and texture.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Beef sirloin

Tropea onions

  • 5 Tropea onions, large
  • red wine vinegar
  • olive oil
  • salt

Pickled walnut salsa verde

To serve

Equipment

  • Cooking thermometer

Method

1
Preheat the oven to as high as it can go
2
To begin, prepare the onions. Place the onions whole onto a large square of tin foil and season with salt and oil
  • 5 Tropea onions, large
  • olive oil
  • salt
3
Fold the tin foil over the onions to create an envelope and seal the edges. Bake in the oven for 40–55 minutes until cooked but not soft. Set aside
4
To make the salsa verde, mix together all of the ingredients and season with salt, plus a little lemon juice if needed
5
To prepare the sirloin, rub the beef with oil and salt and set aside in a warm place until it reaches a temperature of approximately 45°C
6
Heat a heavy-bottomed cast iron pan until smoking hot and sear the beef on 1 side for 1 minute
7
Turn the beef onto the other side and leave for 20 seconds. Add the butter and baste the meat for a further 40 seconds
8
Remove the beef from the pan and place on a tray. Pour the cooking fat from the pan over the beef and leave to rest in a warm place for 8–10 minutes
9
Meanwhile, cut each onion in half and place cut-side down onto a hot pan or plancha with a dash of oil. Once well-coloured, remove from the heat, separate each onion half into individual petals and season with salt and a little vinegar
  • red wine vinegar
10
Pour the fat and juices from the beef into a pan and add the salsa verde. Warm gently over a low heat
11
Slice the beef and arrange over warmed plates. Dress with the warm salsa verde and onion petals, then finish with some dressed watercress
First published in 2016

After six years working in Michelin-starred restaurants in Switzerland, France and Belgium, Merlin Labron-Johnson returned to the UK to open Portland. Nine months later, he was awarded a Michelin star at just twenty-four years old. Now he can be found in Bruton, Somerset, with his restaurant Osip, which was awarded a Michelin green star in 2023.

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