In this new series, we’re shining a spotlight on some #aussome dishes chefs are cooking up around the country with Aussie Beef & Lamb. These chefs are featuring high-quality, sustainable and grassfed proteins in a wide array of different forms, well beyond the standard steaks and chops. It’s about meeting modern diners where they are and making full use of the cuts, cooking techniques and cuisines in the chef’s toolkit. Though all very different, you’ll see a common thread of affordability, dynamite presentation, bold flavor and, of course, deliciousness, all at a food cost designed to be profitable.
The dish: Harissa & honey glazed Aussie grassfed beef with broccoli rabe and smashed sweet potato
The cut: Aussie grassfed beef flap
Where it fits on the menu: lunch entree
Estimated food cost: $4.73
Estimated food cost %: 23.7%
The chef: Michael Poompan, Ritz-Carlton Denver
Poompan’s Harissa and honey glazed Aussie grassfed beef with broccoli rabe and smashed sweet potato features the sirloin flap. “I developed this looking through the lens of a value lunch entrée,” he says. “The grassfed sirloin flap has a great meaty flavor that stands up to bold flavors and marinades while delivering on a tender texture that guests are looking for. It really stands out as a great center-of-the-plate protein for the value.”
“Grassfed is what guests are talking about and asking for. It’s an easy upsell and tells customers we care about them and their wellness. Australian grassfed in particular is a fantastic value for the quality, especially with cuts like the flap.”
Poompan marinates the Aussie grassfed sirloin flap in honey and harissa, then grills it to temperature, slices it, and lays it across the smashed, roasted sweet potato and sautéed broccoli rabe. “The flap has a clean, beefy flavor that calls out for a bold flavor match,” he says. “The sweetness of the honey plays well with the bitterness of the broccoli and the smoke of the sweet potato. The heat of the harissa cuts through that sweetness, adding a craveable pop.”
Although he developed the recipe as a lunch entrée, he says it could easily move into a shareable. “I might use small sweet potatoes or even purple Okinawa yams, stuff them with crème fraiche and broccoli, and top with the steak and harissa glaze,” he says.