This recipe, or rather the method, was suggested to me by my agent Ed Victor, and so is known familiarly as Ed’s Tender Rump. The method is this: instead of marinading the meat before cooking, you marinade it after — and it really does keep it extraordinarily tender. Please feel free to play around with the herbs; I think Ed himself uses oregano rather than the thyme I love. I love this with broccoletti or those leggy tenderstem broccoli. A couple of packets, lightly cooked and then drained and placed in the marinade after the beef’s out and sliced, is the most heavenly accompaniment. And I can’t tell you how good both steak and broccoli are cold later.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 15 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Cook: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 15 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Cook: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 rump steak (1-inch thick) weighing approximately 1 pound 4 ounces
- Oil, for greasing
- 5 stalks fresh thyme to give 1 tablespoon of stripped leaves
- 2 bruised cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon Maldon salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- Good grinding fresh pepper
Instructions
- Cut away the fat from around the edge of the steak while you heat a griddle or pan.
- Brush the steak with oil to prevent it sticking to the griddle or pan, and then cook for 3 minutes a side plus 1 minute each side turned again (this gives you pretty griddle marks) for desirably rare meat; the lemon in the post-hoc marinade ‘cooks’ it a little more.
- While the steak is cooking, place the thyme leaves, garlic, oil, lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper in a wide shallow dish.
- Once the steak is cooked, place it in the dish of marinade for 4 minutes a side, before removing it to a board and slicing thinly on the diagonal.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 350 |
| Total Fat | 30 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 18 g |
| Cholesterol | 64 mg |
| Sodium | 272 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 350 |
| Total Fat | 30 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 18 g |
| Cholesterol | 64 mg |
| Sodium | 272 mg |
Reviews
I would use a little less oil, not 1/3 cup as suggested and add a bit more seasoning after cooking. The steak was cooked to perfection for me with 3 min on each side and additional 1 1/2 min on each side. I used the leftovers for a sandwich for my son and threw the rest in a salad for hubby. Would definitely recommend this recipe to family and friends.
I used rib eye steaks with this recipe. I have served this to a number of people and they still talk about how this was one of their favorite steaks, ever!!! I am not a cook and this recipe made me look like a star : Thank you Nigella!!!!!
This is the best way to eat steak. This is easy to cook and really tasty to eat. The preparation is simple, but the results are very flavorful and mouthwatering. Really, how can rare steak with garlic, lemon and thyme be bad? The answer: it can’t! Please try this!
Used Top Sirloin. EXCELLENT NO CHANGES
This was good and easy. I used a 1 1/4#, 1″ thick London Broil, which is what I think she used in the show. I cooked the first sides each 4 min, then 1 1/2 mins per side on the second turn. This resulted in medium rare steak and perfect for me. It was very tender with a crisp crust on the outside…..Yummy! I also needed to pour the marinade over the steak once it was sliced, as well as add some salt and pepper, after which the steak was very tasty…Thanks Nigella!
This was fast and really very tasty. I love my meat rare and the cooking time indicated is spot on. If you don’t like your meat rare plan to cook longer on each side.
The only change I made was to use 1/4 cup of olive oil instead of 1/3 in the marinade. I like the lemon bit to be stronger.
My TV service is East coast time here in California and it was so worth it to be up at 4:30am today to watch Nigella!
Cheers!
It seems counter-intuitive to marinade afterwards, but it works and it so good! Served it over some arugula for a perfect easy dinner.
This was delicious. I used filets and made it for Christmas dinner. It was so easy that it took the stress off dinner. My guests compared it to a restaurant! YUM!
First off, I agree with those who say sirloin is the best way to go for this. I tried to see how much I could stray from the path by grilling a beef roast and doing the marinade…should’ve known grilling a roast wasn’t a smart idea. I finished that off in the oven with the marinade, though, and it was heaven.
This has really become my favorite flavoring for every steak I buy, large or small. And I always feel like Nigella herself later in the evening, as I sneak to the fridge for a nibble of the leftovers, which are just as good cold as hot.
This truly is an express recipe for adding a incredible boost of flavor to an everyday food.
This is a wonderful recipe – easy and flavorful, but the cautions about choosing your steak well are right on. The quality of the meat makes or breaks this dish. I’ve made this with two different cuts of steak and sirloin is definitely the way to go. Also, cook the meat a bit rarer than you usually would, it continues to “cook” in the lemon juice of the marinade. I also sliced the steak after a few minutes and let it marinate again. Took the leftovers (steak and marinade) and added it to some mixed greens for a salad the next day. Excellent.