How long do I grill sirloin steak for medium rare?

Grill 2.5cm thick sirloin steaks on the low rack for 3 to 4 minutes each side, until 54 to 57°C (130 to 135°F) in the centre. Then rest them for 5 minutes in the ketjap manis, turning once.

How do I set Charlie up to grill steak?

Light half a football of lumpwood charcoal, close the door and open both vents. At 210°C (410°F) close the vents to a small gap so Charlie settles around 220°C (430°F), with a cooking rack on the lowest runners.

Can I make the nam jim dressing the day before?

Yes. Nam jim keeps in the fridge overnight and the flavours develop and intensify. Add the palm sugar and fish sauce gradually, tasting as you go, until it balances sweet, sour and salty.

Can I make the Thai salad without noodles?

Yes. For a lighter salad, swap the rice noodles for shredded cabbage or lettuce. Keep the bean sprouts, herbs, cucumber and tomatoes, and keep the sliced spring onions in cold water so they stay crisp.

Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / Beef

Sirloin steak grilling on the rack in the Charlie Oven

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Flame Grilled Sirloin Steak with Thai Salad

Name: Flame Grilled Sirloin Steak with Thai Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 8 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 600g sirloin steak (2 steaks about 2.5cm thick); 60g large red chillies (about 4), split in half and deseeded; 1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped; 15g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped; 20g Coriander, stalks chopped (keep the leaves for the salad), Use the stalks in the marinade and reserve the leaves for the salad; 100ml lime juice (4 to 5 limes); 1 to 2 tbsp palm sugar, finely grated (to taste); 2 tbsp fish sauce (to taste); 2 tbsp ketjap manis, for resting the steak; 100g bean sprouts; 5g extra if needed Coriander leaves, picked, Use the leaves reserved from the marinade bunch; add up to 5g extra only if needed; 5g Mint leaves; 3 spring onions, thinly sliced at an angle; 150g dried rice noodles; 50g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped; ½ cucumber, chopped; 8 cherry tomatoes, halved

Charcoal-grilled sirloin with crisp salad, herbs and a sharp Nam Jim dressing. Chilli, citrus and a little sweetness balance the beef's seared crust. From our Mat Blak Flavour Masterclass, this is a steak dish that feels fresh right down to the last bite.

Mat BlakChef, Kai by matblak

Grill

Prep20 minutes plus tempering

Cook8 minutes plus resting

Serves4

DifficultyMedium

Oven temperature220°C (430°F)

RackCharlie Oven Cooking Rack on the lower rack, just above the charcoal

CharcoalHalf a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal

Method

Setting up Charlie

Place half a football of lumpwood charcoal in the centre of the oven and light it using your preferred method.
Close the door and open the vents fully. Watch the temperature rise to 210 to 215°C (410 to 420°F) then shut the vents to leave a small gap.
Place the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack directly over the charcoal for direct grilling.

Light half a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal in the centre of the Charlie Oven. Close the door and open both vents. When the temperature reaches 210°C (410°F), close the vents to a small gap and let the oven settle at about 220°C (430°F). Fit a cooking rack on the lowest runners, just above the charcoal, where the heat is most direct.
Make the nam jim. Blend the chillies, garlic, coriander stalks, ginger and lime juice until smooth. Add the palm sugar a little at a time for sweetness, then the fish sauce in small amounts for saltiness, tasting as you go.
Take the steaks out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and season with salt. Grill them on the low rack for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, 54 to 57°C (130 to 135°F) in the centre. Rest the steaks for 5 minutes in the ketjap manis, turning them once.
Cook the rice noodles following the packet instructions, then rinse in cold water and drain well. Slice the spring onions, chop the cucumber and halve the cherry tomatoes. Pick the coriander and mint leaves.
Slice the rested steak thinly across the grain. Toss the noodles, bean sprouts, herbs, spring onions, cucumber and tomatoes together. Top with the steak, scatter over the peanuts and spoon over the nam jim to serve.

Tips

Use a meat thermometer to check the steak reaches 54 to 57°C (130 to 135°F) for a good medium rare. Rest the steak for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
The Nam Jim dressing can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge. The flavours will develop and intensify overnight.
Keep the spring onions in cold water after slicing to keep them crisp and remove some of their raw bite.
Balance is key with the Nam Jim. Add the fish sauce and palm sugar gradually, tasting as you go until you hit that good sweet, sour, salty combination.
For a lighter option, swap the rice noodles for shredded cabbage or lettuce to make this more of a traditional Thai salad.

More recipes

The cook

Mat Blak

Chef, Kai by matblak

Mat Blak (Matt Burgess) is a New Zealand Māori chef with over 30 years' experience, from Soho House and Gordon Ramsay's Maze Grill to Group Executive Chef at Caravan. He now runs his food consultancy, Kaiwhenua, makes the Blak Fire condiment and led Charlie Oven's Flavour Masterclass.

More recipes by Mat Blak

Frequently asked questions

How long do I grill sirloin steak for medium rare?

Grill 2.5cm thick sirloin steaks on the low rack for 3 to 4 minutes each side, until 54 to 57°C (130 to 135°F) in the centre. Then rest them for 5 minutes in the ketjap manis, turning once.
How do I set Charlie up to grill steak?

Light half a football of lumpwood charcoal, close the door and open both vents. At 210°C (410°F) close the vents to a small gap so Charlie settles around 220°C (430°F), with a cooking rack on the lowest runners.
Can I make the nam jim dressing the day before?

Yes. Nam jim keeps in the fridge overnight and the flavours develop and intensify. Add the palm sugar and fish sauce gradually, tasting as you go, until it balances sweet, sour and salty.
Can I make the Thai salad without noodles?

Yes. For a lighter salad, swap the rice noodles for shredded cabbage or lettuce. Keep the bean sprouts, herbs, cucumber and tomatoes, and keep the sliced spring onions in cold water so they stay crisp.