Throwback Thursday: Salt rock T-bone steak

My salt rock spends much of its life forgotten in a corner of the braai, neglected and morose. But it’s madly easy to clean it up and make it as good as new. Just fill a sink with lukewarm water, and use a soft scourer (the coarser side of it) to scrub it in water, until all collected grime and dust are gone. Your salt rock will be gleaming pink once more, and ready to cook on. This recipe is a slight deviation from our traditional Throwback Thursdays, but it also fits this week’s theme of how and what to cook during load shedding.

It’s important to know that you should not salt your steak before cooking, or even afterwards. The salt block will give it all the salty flavour it needs, right through to the centre. 

I use the salt block on the braai grid with masses of very hot coals below. You need to allow time for the salt block to heat through, before putting your steak on top. Then you need a little patience as it cooks slowly.

I used the reverse sear method, waiting for the T-bone to cook gently on both sides for about 5 minutes per side, then took it off the salt block and onto the grid to catch some char.

This recipe is for one of those massive T-bones widely available at the supermarkets that specialise in quality meat and good cuts. I bought mine at my local SuperSpar. It weighed a hefty 800 g and was 4 cm thick at the bone end.

(Recipe is per 1 large T-bone steak which can be sliced and shared by two people once cooked)

Ingredients

800 g T-bone steak, 4 cm thick

Black pepper to taste

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

Method

Best start in the morning. Chop the garlic and stir it into the olive oil. Smear it on both sides of the steak. Leave it to stand uncovered on a plate in the fridge all day, and remove it an hour or more before cooking it.

Make a fire and get plenty of hot coals racked up. Put a cleaned grid on, about one hand’s height above the coals, and put the salt block on the grid. Leave it for about 15 minutes to get really hot.

Put the steak on, leave it for 5 to 7 minutes, or until you’re happy that it’s medium rare at the centre, then turn and repeat on the other side. Move it onto the hot coals on the grid alongside, stoke up the coals (rake them in right under the steak for the full effect of the fire) to char it quickly. Better still, let it catch some live flame; that will crisp the fat cap up nicely. Leave to rest off the coals for 10 minutes. DM/TGIFood

Tony Jackman is Galliova Food Champion 2021. His book, foodSTUFF, is available in the DM Shop or, if sold out, directly from him. Buy it here. 

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks. Share your versions of his recipes with him on Instagram and he’ll see them and respond.

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