Recipe: Steak and Onions has never looked this sophisticated - or tasty

Rafael Tonon, head chef at Mr Busby’s, Dalwood Estate.

One of my favourite steak dishes to prepare. It’s simple, pairs perfectly with a glass of Hunter Valley red and looks impressive on the plate. Use a high quality Wagyu beef.

Serves 4

4 x 200g Wagyu flank; 6 ea cocktail onions; 500ml champagne vinegar; 300g caster sugar; 1 bay leaf; 6 ea peppercorns; 4 ea shallots springs (large ones are better); 6 ea brown onions; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.

Pickled cocktail onions

Start this recipe a day ahead to allow onions to pickle. Peel onions and cut them in half. Sprinkle them with table salt and place them in a bowl and set aside for one hour. Meanwhile, combine vinegar and sugar with the bay leaf and peppercorns in a small sauce pan and on a medium heat cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Keep it warm. After one hour of being salted, wash cocktail onions thoroughly and pat them dry. Place them in a jar or container and pour the hot liquid over it and set aside. To serve, in a frying pan over high heat, spray a little canola oil and add onions flesh side down and let them brown, almost blackened. Once cool, peel layers of onions, it should resemble flower petals.

Onion Puree

Peel onions and halve them, then cut each half in 4-5 “wedge” shape pieces. Heat a pot over high heat and when very hot add vegetable oil and onion wedges. Keep cooking for 6-8 min stirring occasionally. When the bottom of the pot starts browning, add a little hot water to deglaze and stir. Repeat that process at least another 3 times or until all onions are a light brown colour. Turn heat to medium to low and cook for a further 3-4 min or until cooked through and soft. Turn off heat, add brown sugar and season to taste. Let it cool slightly but place onions in a blender while still warm and blend it until smooth/puree consistency. You might need to add a little warm water in this process to reach desired consistency.

Burnt shallots

Simply coat them with olive oil and season to taste and cook over BBQ until blackened on one side, and turn it once only until blackened on other side. Set aside.

Steak

Take steaks out of fridge for at least 30 min before grilling. Season both sides with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook over BBQ for approx. 3 min each side or to desired temperature. Let it rest for 8-10 min on a tray covered with foil. To serve, place a dollop of puree on the side of plate, slice steak then fan it on the plate, garnish with pickled onion petals, burnt shallots, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt.

Weekender is giving away a weekly prize to one lucky reader to coincide with our month-long recipe series from Mr Busby’s head chef Rafael Tonon.

Mr Busby’s, at Dalwood Estate, is a Brazilian-inspired, family-friendly restaurant offering a leisurely lunch or breakfast. Everything is made from scratch using seasonal, local produce and quality ingredients carefully selected by Tonon.

The Brazilian-born-chef has called Australia home for the past 16 years and has worked at some of our most celebrated restaurants. Most recently, he was the executive chef at the Publica Group in Sydney. He’s also worked under Pete Evans at Hugo’s; for well-known Italian chef Massimo Mele’s catering business; and had brief stints at Sydney restaurants Fei Jei (Cantonese) and Barrio Chino (Mexican).

Taking its cue from its sister restaurant, MEET in Newcastle, meat at Mr Busby’s is slow-cooked over aromatic wood and charcoal on the kitchen’s bespoke barbecue rotisserie. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 4pm.

Week one’s giveaway is brunch for you and two friends at Mr Busby’s, located at the historic Dalwood Estate on the banks of the picturesque Hunter River.