The great thing about beef is you can throw some pretty big fl avours at it, as is the case in this dish. I love the interplay here between the bitterness of the charring competing with the sweetness of the syrup and saltiness of the cheese. Throw in the heat from the mustard greens and texture of the walnuts, and you can understand why I like this sort of dish.

• Serves: 6

Ingredients

Step 1: Shiraz Syrup
Makes ½ cup
1 cup shiraz
½ cup brown sugar
6 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
1 bay leaf
2 strips orange zest

Step 2: Caramelised Onions
½ cup cooking oil
1kg onion, sliced into thin slivers (French cut)
1 tablespoon fi nely minced garlic
1½ tablespoons fi nely chopped fresh thyme leaves
pinch of dried chilli fl akes
¼ cup malt or balsamic vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup water
salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Step 3: To Prepare the Salad
1 bag mustard greens or mesclun
1 celery heart, stalk and leaves chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves
½ cup fresh parsley leaves

Step 4: To Cook and Serve
6 x 180g sirloin steaks
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
canola oil for brushing
½ cup roasted walnut halves
150g fi rm, crumbly blue cheese
walnut oil for dressing

Method

Step 1: Shiraz Syrup
Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and put over medium heat. Simmer to reduce to a runny syrup consistency (5–10 minutes). Remember the syrup will be a lot thicker once cooled.

Step 2: Caramelised Onions
Mix all the ingredients, except the salt and pepper, in a large, heavy-based saucepan.
Place on medium–low heat and simmer for 1–1½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the onions are cooked down and a deep golden brown with a slight jam-like consistency. Add a little more water to prevent the onions from sticking if needed.
Remove from the heat, season to taste, cool and refrigerate until required.

Step 3: To Prepare the Salad
Place the greens in a bowl, gently ripping any of the large leaves. Add the remaining ingredients and lightly toss together. Cover with a damp towel and refrigerate until required.

Step 4: To Cook and Serve
Heat the grill plate to high heat.
Season the steaks liberally with sea salt and black pepper. Brush with a little oil and cook to your required doneness. Remove and set aside to rest.
While the steaks are cooking, warm the caramelised onions over low heat in a saucepan or in the microwave.
Once the steaks are cooked and rested, either on a platter or individual plates, place a bed of caramelised onion. Slice the sirloins into 1cm strips, exposing the pink inner of the steak. Top with the salad greens and walnuts and crumble some blue cheese over. To fi nish, drizzle with the walnut oil followed by the shiraz syrup. A quick grind of fresh black pepper and you are good to go. Serve now.

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