Portuguese-inspired beef skewers, salsa

LARA KRULL

THIS week's recipe is for a Portuguese-inspired marinated and seared beef Espeteda Mezze with a lemon and garlic aioli, avocado salsa and summer vegetables.

It's a quick, easy meal to prepare. Perfect for a lunch with friends. This delicious and juicy meal would be well paired with your favourite glass of pinotage or chenin blanc.

500gram rump steak cut into cubes

½ red onion

½ green pepper

4 skewers

MARINADE:

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 bay leaves, crushed

Salt and pepper

125ml red wine vinegar

150ml olive oil

½ lemon juice and zest

AIOLI:

3 egg yolks

1 level tablespoon Dijon mustard

Few drops white wine vinegar

Blend and while blender is running slowly pour olive oil in until it thickens

Salt and pepper

Lemon juice, zest and l clove crushed garlic

SALSA:

4 Rosa tomatoes

1 small Israeli cucumber

¼ red onion

½ sweetcorn

METHOD:

The meat:

Skewer steak, onion and pepper alternatively.

Blend all the marinade ingredients into a smooth paste.

Generously rub the marinade on the meat and allow it to absorb the intricate and powerful flavors of all the combined ingredients.

Turn the meat often to ensure that the marinade is well absorbed during the process.

The lemon juice will assist in tenderising the meat.

Use the marinade to brush the meat while you grill the Espeteda to you own personal satisfaction.

The Aioli resembles a mayonnaise and should have a similar consistency.

First blend the egg yolks and slowly combine the olive oil into a thick emulsion sauce.

Be careful not to pour in the oil too quickly as the egg and oil will not blend together but rather "split”. And then you have to start all over.

Flavor with the other ingredients after having roughly blended them into a thickish paste.

The salsa:

Chop the Rosa tomatoes, small Israeli cucumber, red onion and sweet corn, (kernels only), into small squares about 5mmX5mm. Remove the pip from a fresh firm avocado and fill with the chopped veggies.

I would also serve with some fresh favorite bread to mop up all those flavors.

Put together and serve immediately.

Win a Sunday lunch for two at My Pond Hotel by answering this question: What do you have to be careful about when preparing the aioli? Write the answer and your name and phone number on a piece of paper and drop it off at the TotT offices by Tuesday October 2. Last week's winner is Tristan Stanley.

Lara Krull is the executive chef for Lily Restaurant at My Pond Hotel.