Warm Beef and Cannellini Bean Salad





Sometimes you know, simplicity makes for the perfect meal, especially when the sun is out and filling yet light meal is all you require. This is perfect for sitting outside on a summers evening as the heat beginnings to cool and your shiny forehead (unless you’re follicley blessed) glows red as if in competition with the setting sun. Add in some acceptable company a glass of your favourite tipple and perfection is pretty much there


One of the great things about this dish is the use of beef fillet tails. If you’re not sure what this is, it’s basically the end pieces of the beef fillet that don’t look as aesthetically pleasing as the rest of the cut. That’s where the differences stop, as a fillet tail is just as tender and succulent as it’s easier on the eye brother. If you can find yourself a good butcher, which I have with H.H Jackson, always helpful and will try and order for you what they don't normally stock


You can use other cuts of beef or even a steak from the middle of the fillet, the idea here is that you make an expensive ingredient go a long way , whilst maintaining the fantastic beefy taste and complementing it with other ingredients that give the dish a marvellous balance of flavours. This also works well with Rib eye steak as you get almost the same tenderness
As there’s little fat on the beef and it’s used sparingly, this is pretty healthy considering the red meat content



Serves 2
One Beef Fillet tail – Single Rib eye steak will do (basically just use a steak the size you would normally use for one person)
Handful of plain black pitted olives
2 Medium size tomatoes
1 400g tin of Cannellini beans
4 Tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon of Red Wine vinegar
1 Clove of Garlic
Half of a Heart or Romaine Lettuce
Half a red onion
20 or so Basil leaves
Parmesan Cheese

Begin by taking the steak out of the fridge, cover and allow it to come to room temperature
Drain the beans in a colander or sieve and wash thoroughly under cold running water, allow to drain.
Finely chop the red onion and place into a wide salad bowl
Cut the tomatoes into quarters, remove the seeds, juice and core, slice into strips and add to the Onion
Quarter the olives and add to the Salad Bowl
To prepare the steak season well with Salt and Pepper, add a small amount of cooking oil and rub all over the steak and set to one side
In a small bowl, add the vinegar and olive oil
Crush the garlic clove add this to the oil and vinegar along with a twist of salt and pepper plus a dash of lemon juice, whisk until thick and combined. Then taste, if its not to your liking, add a little at a time what you think it needs more of. I can’t be more precise than this as I have no idea what you like


Place a frying pan on the hob and heat until very hot
Now place your steak into the pan and cook to your preference, in this case more rare than medium.
Once cooked place the steak on a plate and cover with foil and leave to rest for around 10 mins


Put the pan back on the heat and until hot, pour in half a glass of water, careful is this will boil madly. Then using a wooden spatula scrape of the bits of meat stuck to the pan. Reduce the liquid to about a tablespoon and add to the dressing, whisk again
Whilst the beef is still resting, slice the lettuce into strips, tear the basil leaves and add both to the salad bowl. At this point get your hands in and combine well
Take the beef from the plate, pouring any remaining juices into the dressing
Slice thinly at an angle, add the beef to the salad, mix again
Give the dressing a last good whisk and taste, then pour onto the salad. Mix well again with your hands, this will get messy.


Four a flourish place shaved (using a potato peeler) parmesan on top.

Dig in








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