Most Asian markets carry Japanese nanami togarashi seasoning. It is a mixture of ground chile, orange peel, spices, and sesame seeds. For this beef salad, it is simply a question of rolling the beef in the seasoning and searing it quickly in a heavy pan. The beef is barely cooked and is eaten thinly sliced, like carpaccio. There will be some left over for tomorrow. I cannot think of a better accompaniment for it than a simple tomato salad.

　　

Ingredients

enough for 4 as a light main dish

　　fillet of beef – 1 pound (500g)

　　olive oil

　　togarashi – 1 tablespoon

　　

For the Tomato Salad

large, ripe tomatoes – 6

　　olive oil – 5 tablespoons (75ml)

　　red wine vinegar – 2 tablespoons

　　sugar – a pinch

　　cilantro leaves – a handful

　　

Step 1

Roll the fillet of beef in a little olive oil, then dust with the Japanese seasoning. Warm a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a shallow pan and, once it starts to sizzle, brown the beef on all sides. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate for two hours.

　　

Step 2

Slice the tomatoes thinly and lay them on a serving plate. Make the dressing by mixing the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a good pinch of sugar together, then stirring in the cilantro. Spoon the dressing over the tomatoes.

　　

Step 3

Remove the beef from the fridge and slice very, very thinly. It should be as thin as you can get it. Lay the slices on plates and serve with the tomato salad.

　　Tender