Rosemary beef fillet on the braai

Rosemary is at its peak in spring and early summer, the perfect time to take advantage of its luscious aromatics to infuse meat over the coals.

Ingredients

1 beef fillet, whole

4 or more branches of rosemary

Salt

Coarse black pepper

Olive oil

Method

Salt a trimmed beef fillet all over, generously, several hours before it is to be cooked.

Soak the rosemary branches (I mean branches, not little sprigs) in cold water for an hour before they’re needed. This is to slow their burning over the hot coals while they infuse the meat above them.

Oil the fillet and sprinkle with coarse black pepper.

Shake excess water off the rosemary and lay it on the grid over very hot coals. Lay the branches out in such a way that there is room for the entire fillet to lay on the rosemary. Place a few sprigs of rosemary on top of the fillet as well; as they warm up they will release their oils onto the surface of the meat.

Place the oiled fillet on top and leave it for about 10 minutes. Not much cooking of the meat will be done just yet but it will benefit from the rosemary infusion.

Remove the rosemary and cook the fillet on direct heat until tender and pink at the centre, or as you prefer it. Test with a skewer for the juices to run pink rather than red or clear, for medium rare beef.

Let it rest off the coals for 10 or 15 minutes before serving.

Rosemary potato wedges would be good with this: cook them in olive oil in a hot oven with rosemary sprigs and a few squeezes of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste, until golden and tender. The pan needs shaking now and then. DM