Aged prime sirloin is very expensive, but worth the cost. Try to get the rib
end, not the sirloin butt end. Trim some of the fat cap but not all. Score
the top fat cap with crisscross cuts about 1/2-inch deep.
Serves 6
Ingredients
Sirloin
- 1 each aged prime sirloin*, about 4-½ pounds
- Olive oil
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup fresh coarsely ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Potato Cake
- 3 pounds Idaho russet potatoes
- ½ cup bacon or duck fat (or butter)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 each scallions, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure
For the sirloin
- Rub the sirloin with olive oil, salt, cracked black pepper
and minced garlic. Let rest for an hour. Heat a grill (preferably wood or charcoal fired) to very hot,
but leave one side cool.
- Place the sirloin on the hot side of the grill, fat-side
down. Watch closely to avoid flare-ups. Grill about 6
minutes on the first side and turn. Cook for 4 minutes
more and move to the cool side of the grill. Cover the
grill and let the sirloin rest there about 10 minutes.
The meat will be rare. Cook sirloin longer if more doneness
is desired. Remove the meat from grill and keep
warm. A kitchen thermometer is a handy tool here.
For the Potato Cake
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash the potatoes and
cook them whole in a pot of salted boiling water. When
just tender, drain and peel the potatoes. Chop coarsely.
- Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add the
fat or butter and olive oil. Add in a layer of the potatoes
and sprinkle with some chopped garlic, scallions and salt
and pepper. Repeat until all the potatoes, garlic and most of
the scallions are gone (save some scallions to top the cake with
after cooking). Cook until very well-browned on the bottom
side. Invert the potato cake onto a plate and slide it back into
the pan with the browned side up. Cook until bottom side is
also well-browned.
- Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Slide the potato cake
out onto a serving plate and garnish with scallions (and more
chopped garlic of you like).
To Finish and Serve
- Slice the sirloin and serve with wedges of the potato cake. If
desired, pass Béarnaise Sauce on the side.
Les Kincaid, Winning Styles Cookbook: Recipes from the James Beard Foundation Award-Winning Chefs
