RecipeTin Eats was almost too embarrassed to share her incredibly simple go-to dinner with crispy chilli oil

Name: RecipeTin Eats was almost too embarrassed to share her incredibly simple go-to dinner with crispy chilli oil
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 2 x 300g beef scotch fillet steaks (see note); 2 tsp vegetable oil, for cooking; ¾ tsp cooking salt; ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper; Lao Gan Ma crispy chilli oil (see note)

Quick, easy, flexible and delicious, Nagi Maehashi turns to this dependable recipe after a long day, and you will too.

RecipeTin Eats

April 2, 2024

Steak with store-bought crispy chilli oil and simple sides is a midweek favourite.Steve Brown; STYLING: Emma Knowles

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:2

I’m almost embarrassed to put this up as a recipe. But then I realised that of all the recipes I’ve shared in the four years I’ve contributed to Good Food, this is probably the one I make most often. It’s quick and easy, and I can replace the steak with chicken breast, pork chops, fish or eggplant steaks, and vary the sides.

The key, of course, is finding a good crispy chilli oil. It will become your best friend in the kitchen. I collect crispy chilli oil from family-run shops and markets like some people collect coins or Pokemon cards. But the one I can always rely on is Lao Gan Ma. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll understand why the “angry grandma” pictured on the label is a billionaire.

SOS checklist

Fewer than 12 ingredients (excluding oil, salt, pepper, and sides!) ✔
Less than 30 minutes’ prep and cook time ✔

Ingredients

Chilli crisp steak

2 x 300g beef scotch fillet steaks (see note)
2 tsp vegetable oil, for cooking
¾ tsp cooking salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Lao Gan Ma crispy chilli oil (see note)

Side dishes

8 baby potatoes
25g unsalted butter, melted
pinch of roughly chopped parsley leaves to garnish, optional
1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends snapped off

Method

Step 1
Take the steak out of the fridge. (See note below about salting overnight.) Pat the surface dry with a paper towel then leave the steak on the counter for 1 hour to remove the chill. This will help it cook more evenly.
Step 2
Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with 5cm of water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft all the way through. Drain in a colander, transfer to a bowl, and crush them lightly with a fork so they burst open slightly. Drizzle with butter, sprinkle with salt, pepper and parsley, if using, then gently toss and keep warm until you’re ready to serve.
Step 3
Preheat a dry cast-iron frying pan on high heat until it is smoking hot (look for wisps of smoke). Do not put oil in the pan or use a non-stick pan (you’ll destroy it).
Step 4
Meanwhile, drizzle the oil on the steak and rub it all over, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Step 5
Place the steaks in the pan and cook the first side for 2½ minutes or until a deep golden-brown crust forms. Turn and cook the other side for 2 minutes or until the steak’s internal temperature reaches 51C (medium-rare) – see note for other levels of doneness.
Step 6
Remove the steaks from the pan and rest for 5 minutes on a rack over a plate (this prevents the bottom from becoming “sweaty”). The internal temperature will rise to 56C. Cut the steaks into thick slices.
Step 7
While the steaks are resting, add the asparagus to the still-hot pan over high heat. Toss for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender-crisp. The residual oil, salt and pepper will season the asparagus.
Step 8
To serve, divide the steak slices among two plates and place the potatoes and asparagus alongside. Dollop as much chilli crisp as you want across the steak. Then dig in!

Notes

The famous Lao Gan Ma crispy chilli oil.Supplied

If time permits, season your steak with salt and pepper, place on a rack set over a tray or plate, and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight. Aside from improving the flavour, this will dry out the surface, giving your steak a superior crust when it cooks.
Lao Gan Ma (“old godmother”) crispy chilli oil can be found in some supermarkets and most Asian grocers. It has a worldwide following among foodies for its textural crunch, which comes from crispy garlic and chilli bits. It’s a little bit sweet and not overly spicy – I can eat it with a spoon, dunk crackers in it, and drizzle it over my morning eggs. Be sure to buy the jar labelled “crispy chilli oil” or “chilli crisp” as Lao Gan Ma produces other varieties, each with similar labels.
My personal favourite is Mrs C’s Chilli Crisp, made by a family-run Melbourne business that delivers Australia-wide. I buy The Apprentice variety, which is even less spicy than Lao Gan Ma. If you can handle the heat, get The OG.
For optimum juiciness, medium-rare is my (and restaurants’) preferred level of doneness. It needs to hit 51C on a meat thermometer inserted into the centre of the steak. For medium, pull it off the stove at 55C. For medium-well done, it needs to hit 60C.
If you don’t have asparagus, try carrots, beans, broccolini or Brussels sprouts – anything that can be cut into a similar size to asparagus.
Sometimes I like to give the potatoes a light pan-fry just before serving, to make the surface a little golden (as pictured).