Chilli-hot sirloin steak with Asian mushrooms, courgettes and red peppers

In Stellenbosch recently, I found myself in the lovely Banhoek valley, along the winding drive called Helshoogte between the university town and Franschhoek. 

The Banhoek Chilli Oil Company, based in the valley that is sometimes called Banghoek (Dutch settlers had supposedly dubbed it “scary corner” for its treacherous terrain and wild animals), had sent me a bottle of their excellent chilli oil a couple of years back, and you may have spotted it in some of my recipes over the past few years.

There’s much more to the operation than I had realised. All sorts of different chilli oil products. You’ll be finding more of them in my recipes as we roll along, but for now, I decided to open the slim bottle of their Asian chilli oil.

Adi Meintjes, their head of production, gave us a tour of the facility, including an orchard, if that’s the best word, of chilli bushes of varying descriptions. Carolina Reaper Peach chillies, labelled “super hot”. Bhut Jolokia Red Ghost Pepper, also super hot. Peperoncini (mild). Bishops Crown (medium). Yellow Scotch Bonnet ( “very hot”). Golden Cayenne and Brazilian Starfish (both medium). And more.

“Feel free to taste as many as you like,” said a smiling Adi. The wry joke is that no one is likely to get carried away and denude the bushes of their fiery harvest.

That’s the point isn’t it? Without wishing to put the fresh chilli business out of … well, business, buying them fresh is a bit of a problem. They weigh hardly anything at all, to the extent that when I buy the few that I need, the poor soul whose job it is to stand there all day weighing vegetables invariably hands it to me, saying it doesn’t weigh enough and that I need to add more. I now say just press it down with your hand so it registers some weight. And I voluntarily pay probably twice the price just so that the scale registers something.

I don’t use chillies in a lot of dishes, so there’s always a little bag of ignored chillies in the crisper of my fridge.

Now that I have three bottles of Banhoek chilli oil I reckon I won’t have that problem for a while, although I do still like those little pops of bright red colour when diced red chillies have been added.

Anyway, back home I had bought sirloin steaks and wanted to avoid starch. No chips tonight. I had bought a packet of mixed Asian mushrooms (shimeji, shiitake, king oyster). And in the crisper I had a bright red bell pepper, some red chillies (yes), and a few perky green courgettes.

The last would be the odd one out, I thought — unless I cooked them Chinese-style, in a little chilli oil with spring onions. So I sliced them into thin julienne strips, did the same with the red pepper and spring onions, and suddenly the courgettes were no longer out of place.

I fried the mushrooms in coconut oil and a drop of Asian chilli oil, then added a dash of tamari soy sauce and chopped garlic.

I fried the courgettes, red bell pepper and spring onions very quickly in Asian chilli oil and a dab of butter (yes, butter) with garlic, ginger and soy sauce, and finished it by stirring in a spoonful of brown miso paste.

The steaks are only salted, then grilled in a skillet in butter and chilli oil.

Tony’s sirloin steak in Asian chilli oil, with Asian mushrooms, peppers and courgettes

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

2 x 350 g beef sirloin steaks

Salt

3 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp chilli oil (for grilling the steak, along with the butter)

Banhoek Asian chilli oil, variously as needed (you need a light hand with it)

2 Tbsp butter

Chopped coriander for garnish

For the mushrooms:

1 x 300g punnet of Woolworths mixed shiitake, king oyster and shimeji mushrooms

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp Banhoek Asian chilli oil

Dash of tamari soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

For the courgettes, red bell pepper and spring onions:

6 small courgettes, in long julienne strips

1 red bell pepper, in thin julienne strips

6 spring onions, snipped in half lengthwise

2 red chillies, diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 x 2 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp Banhoek Asian chilli oil

Dash of tamari soy sauce

1 Tbsp miso paste

Method

A few hours before cooking, pat the steaks dry, salt them on all sides, put them on a plate and refrigerate, uncovered. Remove them from the fridge 90 minutes or so before cooking them (if it’s winter, the kitchen is cold), or an hour before cooking in warm weather.

Cook the two vegetable side dishes first, then reheat each of them once it’s time to plate up the steaks.

For the mushrooms:

Trim their ends as necessary. Leave the little shimeji mushrooms whole. Slice the king oysters into three or four pieces each. Halve the shiitakes or leave them whole if small. Peel and chop the garlic cloves.

In a pan, melt the coconut oil and add the chilli oil. Add the mushrooms all at once, with the garlic and a dash of soy, and cook on a moderate heat, stirring, until they are soft. Reserve.

For the courgettes, spring onions and red pepper: 

Slice the red pepper into julienne strips, after removing the core and pips.

Top and tail the courgettes and slice them in three long pieces each, then slice those into narrow strips (see the photo for reference).

Chop the garlic and chillies. Peel and chop or grate the fresh ginger.

Melt the butter in a pan and add a dash of Asian chilli oil. Add the ginger, chillies and garlic, then immediately add all the vegetables.

Stir-fry quickly on a moderate heat, stirring, until the courgettes and red better strips have softened, but don’t take it too far.

Add the tamari soy sauce and stir in the miso paste. Heat through, turn off the heat and reserve.

For the steaks:

Melt the butter in an iron skillet and add the oil, on a moderately high heat, and fry the steaks till medium rare, or to your preference. Let them rest while you quickly reheat the vegetables.

Serve the courgette and mushrooms alongside, with any pan juices poured over the steaks. Garnish with chopped coriander. DM

Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the year award, in 2021 and 2023

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

This dish is photographed on a plate by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.