Beef fillet steak with pickled cucumber

Tamara West

Lean beef is a good source of haem iron, so Kathy Paterson ensures that it's on the weekly menu.

Pickled cucumber

3	Lebanese cucumber, or 1 long telegraph cucumber (Main)
1 tsp	Flaky sea salt
2 cloves	Garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp	Miso paste
1 tsp	Liquid honey
1 pinch	Chilli flakes, or use 1 fresh chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Beef

4 fillets	Eye fillets of beef, 170g each, at room temperature (Main)
1 serving	Oil, for pan-frying
1 Tbsp	Toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove seeds, then cut into small dice. Place in a bowl, sprinkle over the salt and leave to sit for 15 minutes.
2. Rinse and drain cucumber, return to a clean bowl and mix with the remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The longer you leave before eating the more pickled it becomes.
3. Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium-high heat. Rub a dash of oil over the steaks and season with freshly ground black pepper. Place in the frying pan and cook for 3 minutes each side for medium-rare. Remove from the frying pan, season with salt and leave to rest for 5 minutes before plating.
4. Serve steaks with cucumber pickle, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds, a bowl of cooked brown rice and a simple green salad.

Tip

Check out Ray McVinnie's video on'How to cook the perfect white rice'.

See Kathy's other recipes with high haem iron levels

• Lamb leg steaks with broccoli and almond butter
• New Zealand green-lipped mussels with tomato sauce