Recipe: Marinated Herb Steak on Panini

MARINATED HERB STEAK ON PANINI

4 top-quality sirloin steaks, with a good strip of fat around the steak
4 panini or English muffins
3/4 cup hummus (175 ml)
1 large sun-ripened tomato, thinly sliced and dressed with 12 basil leaves,
1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE MARINADE INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup red wine (50 ml)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar (10 ml)
4 garlic cloves, crushed
A good handful of a mixture of fresh rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for grilling (30 ml)
1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed (5 ml)

To make marinade, put red wine, vinegar, crushed garlic, herbs, olive oil and pepper in a small food processor and blend to a paste.

Put steaks in a freezer bag, add marinade and seal bag well. Invert bag on a plate and let stand for 1 hour, turning bag from time to time.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Preheat a charcoal or gas grill. When ready to cook, remove steaks from marinade and leave them to drain well.

Brush with a little oil and transfer to the hot grill. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes on both sides until well charred for rare meat, or cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes for medium-rare.

TO SERVE:
Cut panini in half and toast on the barbecue or griddle.

When toasted, spread one half of each with hummus and put a steak on top with the dressed tomato slices. (It may be a good idea to slice the cooked steak if the panini are being eaten with fingers rather than a knife and fork.) Sandwich with the other panini half and serve immediately.

Serves: 4
Source: Eating Outdoors: Cooking and Entertaining in the Open Air by Lindy Wildsmith