The Sauce Hustle

I have spent more than a few months living abroad and honestly, over three years I consumed beef a total of four or five times.

Now, being African and a certified carnivore at heart, meat is central to my and many of our diets. You can imagine the depression and stress. So how did it happen?

First, I have to mention the ridiculously high price of the meat. Local butchers like the ones we find in the hood or our locales are rare in Nordic Europe. Granted the grocery stores have their own in-house and there is the odd halaal butcher here and there, but they don’t have “that thing”. So, I was stuck with over-priced, over-glorified meat. The rib-eye wasn’t giving and the fillet was, well, money down the drain.

Secondly, the taste in and of itself was just not happening.

You can baptise the meat with salt and pepper, paprika, chilli powder, mixed herbs and more, and still feel like you are eating a tasteless piece of rubber in soup. Stews became my default as steak became disappointing – and I say this as someone who makes a mean steak, if I do say so myself.

The restaurants were no better. I felt like I needed to secure a loan to dine out. I decided to try an American Texas-style steakhouse.

Never again. Namibian beef is something special, and I’m not just saying that because I’m biased. The marbling, the tenderness, the rich flavour – it’s a whole experience that you only appreciate when it is taken away from you.

So what was the key to resolving my meat drama? Developing sauces and sides to make the bland and unimaginative meat shine.
Steak needs friends. Whether it is a great garlic butter, the salsa at the kapana stand or chimichurri, they all serve to glorify the steak. My preference is something with a hint of citrus, herb and zing. So there has to be bird’s eye chilli along with garlic, lemon and black pepper to start, and anything else is a welcomed extra.

Enter chimichurri. Making a great chimichurri sauce has to be the foundation to one’s steak. We all seem to have mastered the kapana salsa, now let’s step it up a notch.

Chimichurri is the flavour bomb your steak didn’t know it needed. It’s fresh, herby, slightly spicy, and cuts through the richness of beef like a dream. Add fire to it and you have a winner!

Drizzle it over your steak, dip your potatoes in it, or just eat it with a spoon – we look, but we don’t judge here.

This Argentinian classic is easy to make and takes your steak game to the next level. Best part? No cooking involved. Just chop, mix and let the flavours develop.

Chimichurri Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh coriander (optional, but adds depth), chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon red chilli flakes (adjust to heat preference)

Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
In a bowl, combine the chopped herbs and garlic.

Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar and chilli flakes. Mix well.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Let the sauce sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld. Store any leftovers in the fridge – it gets better the next day.

Steak may be the star, but the right sauce can make your meal unforgettable. And if you’ve never tried it on a good steak, now is the time.