Oyster steak caught your eye? It’s not a surf-and-turf take on the Portuguese classic, but rather a little gem of a meat cut, packed with flavour and potential. In the Chalmar Farm Kitchen, we enjoy bringing the familiar and lesser-known together for a new experience.
Oyster steak 101: It’s a roundish muscle with stripes of fat running along it, looking like an oyster shell. It also goes by the name spider steak for its distinctive web-like fatty streaks. It’s this natural marbling that gives this prized cut its juiciness and moreish flavour.
Heat the oil, vinegar, garlic and chilli in a saucepan over high heat. Add the tomatoes, paprika, and sugar, turn heat down to medium and cook for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and using a blender, puree roughly.
Heat butter and oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onions and salt. Let it cook slowly until the onions are soft and browned.
Rub the oyster steaks with oil and season well with salt and pepper.
Heat a griddle pan over high heat. Sear the steaks on both sides till browned, no more than 2 minutes on a side. Don’t overcook to prevent it going chewy, leave it to rest, season again and transfer the steak to each Portuguese roll, top with caramelized onions, peri-peri sauce, and rocket.
Season the steak well with sea salt just before cooking, as the salt reduces the smoke and adds to the crusty layer as it sears.
Don’t crowd the pan, as the steaks will start stewing when it’s too close together.
For variation, try this tasty jewel of a steak with a dollop of Dijon mustard blended with some horseradish.