Nothing screams Summer Sizzler more than a beautifully marinated ribeye steak cooking away on the barbecue. Try it with this cucumber and melon salad.
Steaks sizzling on the barbecue, drinks all around and fresh summer salad flavours to accompany an al afresco meal with friends – that sounds like the ideal summer afternoon to me.
And with this recipe for ribeye steak with a fresh cucumber and melon salad, all you need is to invite your friends round and supply the drinks.
For a long time the ribeye sat in the shade of its previously more popular counterparts, fillet, sirloin and rump, but the cut, certainly in the last few years, has become more and more popular.
With a beautiful marbling of fat for that added layer of flavour during cooking, the ribeye comes from the longissimus dorsi muscle, which runs down the spine of the cow and doesn’t do too much work, giving it a lovely tender texture.
This recipe from soy sauce makers Kikkoman.co.uk uses some of their sauce in the marinade and is also used to make a tasty soy sauce and herb butter which is a lovely accompaniment.
If you have missed any of the other recipes in this series you can find them by clicking here.
Barbecue whisky ribeye steak with cucumber and melon salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 ribeye steaks (approx. 1.2-1.4 kg)
For the marinade:
- Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
- A pinch of freshly ground pepper
- ½ tsp thyme, chopped
- 2 pinches of ground cinnamon
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 6 tbsp Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce
- 1-2 tsp maple syrup
For the basting sauce:
- 1 small shallot
- 1 garlic clove
- 3-4 tbsp whisky
- 100ml orange juice
- 4 tbsp Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce
- Freshly ground pepper, to season
For the salad and dressing
- 2 mini cucumbers (or 1 large cucumber)
- 1 small melon (e.g. Cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon)
- 200g feta
- 2 red sweet pointed peppers
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2-3 tbsp Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce
- 1-2 tsp honey
- Freshly ground pepper, to season
For the soy sauce and herb butter:
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 stems of basil leaves
- 3-4 tbsp Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 250g softened butter
- Lemon pepper or black pepper, to season
Method
- Pat the steaks dry. To prepare the marinade, mix all the marinade ingredients together and brush over the steaks. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- For the basting sauce, peel the shallot and garlic and blend in a blender until smooth with the whisky, orange juice and soy sauce. Season with pepper to taste and place in the fridge until needed.
- To prepare the salad: Wash the cucumber and slice finely. Halve the melon, remove the seeds and dice the flesh. Crumble the feta. Halve the peppers, removing the seeds and core and then wash and cut into rings.
- To prepare the dressing: Use a blender to blend 1-2 tablespoons of cubed melon, the olive oil, white vinegar, soy sauce and honey together. Season with pepper. Add the dressing to the salad and toss.
- To prepare the soy sauce and herb butter: Peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash the basil, pat dry and remove the leaves. Cut the leaves into thin strips. Mix the garlic, basil, soy sauce, Parmesan and maple syrup with the butter and season with pepper.
- Place the steaks on the barbecue (closing the lid, if your barbecue has one). Cook for as long as desired, basting the steaks with the whisky and orange sauce. Serve with the soy sauce and herb butter alongside the salad.
Tip: The marinade also tastes fantastic on barbecued pork belly.