The perfect combination of succulent steak with warm winter vegetables
When you don’t feel like a heavy dish, this rump steak winter salad hits the spot.
- SERVES: 4
- PREP TIME: 10 mins
- COOK TIME: 30 mins (for the roasted vegetables)
- DIFFICULTY: easy
- IDEAL FOR: midweek meal, weekend meal
Rump steak winter salad
I enjoy a winter salad, especially after the Christmas break.
I’m not a fan of Veganuary, cutting out alcohol completely, or signing up for a new gym.
This is why a (grass-fed) rump steak winter salad is perfect.
It’s not a heavy dish but it doesn’t leave you feeling like you need to go and cook another meal.
(I often feel like salads leave you more hungry than satisfied… unless it’s summer).
So, this dish gives you everything, health, warmth, and taste.
I roast beetroot – which goes so well with steak – and any other veggie that loves to be roasted.
Lay it on a serving dish on top of watercress – I love the pepperiness of watercress – and et voila.
What more could you ask for?
If you don’t have rump, then skirt, or flank works well, just don’t overcook.
I used rump as it’s lean and tender.
Below is a bit more info on rump steak and more importantly, how to cook it to perfection (from The Great British Chefs)
Rump steak
It’s a boneless cut and is a perfect steak for a salad, fajitas, kebabs, and stir-fries.
As the rump of the cow is a well-worked muscle the meat is lean and less tender than other cuts, but is still full of flavour.
It lacks marbling like ribeye but is still a rich and flavourful cut.
Rump is perfect for marinating which will also tenderise the meat (give it a 1 hour minimum to marinate).
Apart from being leaner (yet still tasty) than ribeye or sirloin, it’s also cheaper!
Tips on cooking rump steak
Buy grass-fed beef (if you can).
It is more expensive but you don’t need a lot of it for this salad as you cut it into nice thin slices.
To get the best out of rump cook it medium or medium-rare rather than full-on rare which, can be a little chewy.
Season the meat well before cooking, but only with salt as pepper will burn in the pan.
Use a tiny splash of vegetable and get both pan and oil really hot before adding the meat.
The oil should almost be at smoking point to get a delicious brown crust.
Learn how to cook rump steak to perfection with our step-by-step guide
I have learned over the years how to cook steak.
It can be a bit stressful as you don’t want to ruin a really nice piece of beef.
So, I am not going to tell you how to do it.
Instead, I’m including this step-by-step guide from the pros on The Great British Chefs site.
- Method
Cook for three minutes on each side then transfer to a baking tray and finish in a hot oven for 10–15 minutes. - (You can finish cooking your rump steak in the pan if you prefer – give a 5cm piece of meat five minutes on each side for medium rare – but you’ll get a more even and tender result by using the oven).
- Resting is the final, crucial step for perfection.
- Give it ten minutes.
- Once the steak is rested, slice and serve.
Rump steak winter salad recipe
- 4 – 5 rainbow beetroot (or regular)
- 6 – 8 rainbow carrots (or regular)
- 500 g watercress or you could use baby spinach or rocket
- Vinaigrette: 1 x lemon juice, good slug of olive oil, 1 – 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, salt and pepper – mix in a bowl and taste to get just right
- Horseradish
Pre-heat the oven to 200 C.
Beetroot: You can boil them but I like to roast. If you roast them in their skins, they tend to retain their flavour, colour and goodness much better if cooked unpeeled (you can easily peel away the skins before eating).
Give the beetroot and carrots a good scrub, and in a baking tray, with some olive oil and a couple of crushed garlic cloves, pop in the oven for approx. 30 – 40 mins or until tender.
Approx. 15 minutes before your veggies are done, cook your rump steak (see above) and rest for 5 -10 mins.
Take a large serving dish and scatter the watercress. Next, add your roasted vegetables (peel the beetroot and slice).
Slice your rump steak and place it on the dish, sprinkle a little sea salt over the meat, and some vinaigrette, then a few dollops of horseradish (optional).
Enjoy.
For another steak salad, visit here.
