Italian Seared Beef Recipe

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This Italian Seared Beef is a quick and tender recipe, which is made with rump steak and green pesto. It’s the perfect 30-minute meal, ready in a flash for a delicious weeknight dinner.

Italian Seared Beef Recipe Ingredients

1 tablespoon pine nuts
250g rump steak
2 heaped teaspoons green pesto
40g rocket
15g Parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

How To Make Italian Seared Beef

Toast Pine Nuts and Prep Steak: Place a large, non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Add the pine nuts and toast them, tossing regularly, until golden. Remove them from the pan. Trim the fat off the rump steak, finely chop the fat, and place it in the hot pan to render and crisp up.
Tenderize the Steak: While the fat crisps, season the steak with sea salt and black pepper. Place it between two sheets of greaseproof paper and use a rolling pin or meat mallet to bash it to about 1cm thick.
Sear the Steak: Use a slotted spoon to scoop out and reserve the crispy bits of fat from the pan. Place the pounded steak in the hot pan and sear for just 1 minute on each side for a beautiful medium-rare that’s still blushing in the middle.
Rest and Slice: Remove the steak to a board to rest for a couple of minutes. While it rests, spread the pesto over a sharing platter. Thinly slice the rested steak at an angle.
Assemble and Serve: Arrange the sliced steak on the pesto-smeared platter. In a small bowl, mix the steak’s resting juices with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and drizzle it over the top. Pile the rocket on the steak, then scatter over the toasted pine nuts and the reserved crispy fat bits. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the Parmesan cheese over everything and serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

How to get a perfect sear? The secret is a very hot pan. Heat your non-stick or cast-iron skillet on high until it’s almost smoking before you add the steak. This creates a beautiful, deep brown crust without overcooking the inside.
Why pound the steak thin? Pounding a cut like rump steak does two important things: it tenderizes the meat by breaking down the tough muscle fibers, and it creates a uniform, thin steak that cooks incredibly quickly and evenly.
Why is resting the steak so important? This step is not optional! Resting the cooked steak allows the juices to relax and redistribute throughout the meat. If you slice it too soon, all the delicious juices will run out onto the cutting board, leaving you with a dry steak.
Can I make my own pesto? Yes, and it’s highly recommended for the best flavor! A simple homemade pesto made with fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and olive oil will elevate this dish even further.

What To Serve With Italian Seared Beef

This is a fantastic light and complete meal on its own, with protein, greens, and healthy fats. For a more substantial dinner, it pairs beautifully with:

Crusty ciabatta or focaccia bread to soak up the juices
A side of roasted cherry tomatoes
Simple lemon and garlic roasted potatoes

How To Store Leftovers

Best Eaten Fresh: This dish is at its absolute best when the steak is warm and freshly sliced.
Refrigerate: If you have leftovers, it’s best to store the components separately. Store the sliced steak and the rocket in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The steak is delicious served cold in a salad or sandwich the next day.

Italian Seared Beef Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 serving (half of the recipe)
Calories: 620 kcal
Carbohydrates: 8g
Protein: 45g
Fat: 45g
Saturated Fat: 15g
Sodium: 850mg

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Can I use a different cut of steak?

Yes. While rump is a great, flavorful choice for this method, a sirloin or flank steak would also be fantastic. Just be sure to pound it thin and slice it against the grain.

Do I have to use the rendered beef fat?

You don’t have to, but it’s a chef’s trick for adding a huge amount of flavor and a wonderful crispy texture to the final dish without any waste.

Is there a substitute for rocket?

Rocket (or arugula) has a unique, peppery bite that is perfect for this dish. If you don’t have it, a mix of baby spinach and watercress would be a good substitute.

Try More Recipes:

Course: DinnerCuisine: Italian-InspiredDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

620

kcal

A quick and elegant restaurant-style meal featuring a perfectly seared rump steak, thinly sliced and served over a bed of pesto and peppery rocket with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan.

Ingredients

250g rump steak
1 tbsp pine nuts
2 heaped tsp green pesto
40g rocket
15g Parmesan cheese
Olive oil, salt, and pepper

Directions

Toast the pine nuts in a hot, dry, non-stick frying pan until golden; set aside.
Trim the fat from the steak, chop it, and render it in the hot pan until crispy. Remove the crispy bits and set aside.
Pound the seasoned steak between two sheets of greaseproof paper until it is 1cm thick.
Sear the steak in the hot beef fat for 1 minute on each side until golden but still pink in the middle. Let it rest on a board for a few minutes.
Spread the pesto on a platter. Thinly slice the rested steak and arrange it on top.
Top with the rocket, toasted pine nuts, crispy fat bits, and shavings of Parmesan.
Drizzle with the resting juices mixed with a little extra virgin olive oil before serving.

Notes

The most important tip for a tender steak is to pound it thin and then let it rest for a few minutes after cooking before slicing.
For the best results, use a very hot pan to get a quick, beautiful sear on the steak without overcooking it.
Don’t skip using the rendered fat from the steak trimmings to cook the steak in; it adds an incredible amount of flavor.
Assembling the dish on a platter with the pesto smeared on the bottom allows every slice of steak to get perfectly coated.