Spiced Rib Eye with Quinoa and Stinging Nettle Salad

I cooked this with the beautiful backdrop of Arthur Boyd’s property, Bundanon and took inspiration from the cattle farm and landscape to create a dish of my own.

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes plus resting time

Ingredients:
2 (approx. 600g each) beef rib eye steaks
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil

Nettle & Grain Salad
1 cup quinoa
1 cup stinging nettles (or baby rocket)
1 bunch coriander, shredded
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, shredded
1 bunch mint, shredded
1 eschallot, finely sliced
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
½ cup (80g) currants or sultanas
Seeds of 1 pomegranate (optional)

Vinaigrette
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper and Sea salt to taste

Dressing
½ cup (140g) thick Greek yoghurt
1 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Rinse quinoa, drain and toast in a small saucepan. Add water and cook according to packet directions. In the last couple of minutes of cooking, add the stinging nettles, and cook, stirring until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Rub steak with cumin and coriander and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to allow to absorb flavours.
3. Mix remaining salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Add quinoa and nettle mixture.
4. Heat a large frying-pan over high heat, add olive oil. Add beef and cook for 5 minutes or until brown and crusted on one side. Turn and cover with a lid or foil and cook for a further five minutes or until brown, crusted and cooked as desired. Remove to a warm plate, covered loosely with foil to rest for 5-10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile mix together vinaigrette and toss through salad. Combine cumin and yogurt.
6. To serve, carve the meat off the bones and then slice downwards to make thin slices. Divide salad among four serving plates and surround with steak and drizzle over the yoghurt mixture.

Lyndey’s Note: To remove the seeds from a pomegranate, slice in half then turn and bash with the back of a wooden spoon over a small bowl.