Cured Beef & Fig Salad
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Rest Time: 1 day
- Total Time: 24 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Salads
- Method: Curing
Description
This delicious cured beef salad, that you should make if you’re up for a bit of a challenge, is served with pickled carrot and homemade labneh.
Ingredients
Labneh
2 cups plain buffalo milk yoghurt or full fat Greek yoghurt or goats’ milk yoghurt
½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt (optional)
Labneh Flavouring
Crushed coriander
Cumin seeds
Citrus zest
Pinch dried chilli
Fresh herbs finely chopped
Sugar (optional)
Cured Beef
600 g beef sirloin cut into a log, trimmed,
Fat and sinews removed (fillet can also be used)
Curing Rub
¾ C (185 ml) sea salt
⅓ C sugar (80 ml)
1–2 tsp (5 ml) cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
¼ C (60 ml) crushed black pepper
¼ C (60 ml) fresh thyme
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon zest
½–1 tsp (2.5–5 ml) toasted and crushed coriander seeds
Crust
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon zest
2 Tbsp (30 ml) fresh thyme
2 Tbsp (30 ml) finely crushed black pepper
To Assemble
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
30–40 slices cured beef (see recipe)
200 g labneh balls
24 ribbons pickled carrot, rolled
12 fresh figs, sliced
Mustard greens or wild rocket
20 g toasted pine nuts
Maldon salt
Black pepper
Balsamic reduction (optional)
Instructions
Labneh
Combine the yoghurt, salt and flavouring of your choice.
Wrap in a muslin cloth. Suspend from a wooden spoon over a saucepan or leave in a strainer over night.
The process requires 12-24 hours hanging time.
Cured Beef
Cut the beef lengthwise into two equal pieces.
Lay a dishtowel out on the table. Sprinkle salt and sugar onto the dishtowel. Sprinkle the cumin, black pepper, thyme, lemon zest and coriander seeds on top. Place the meat in the centre of the dishtowel, wrap neatly and place in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate for 6–12 hours, depending on how much you want the meat to cure.
Remove meat from the dishtowel and gently wipe off the excess rub.
Mix the crust ingredients together and place on a plate or cutting board. Roll the meat in it to cover the meat lightly. Thinly slice the meat and reserve for plating.
To Assemble
Place five to six slices of cured beef on each plate.
Top with balls of labneh, pickled carrot, sliced fig and the salad greens.
Season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic reduction (if using).
Notes
The quantity of spice is subject to taste. Adding a little rosemary or chilli, will also work well. Also add more pepper if desired.
