Chef turned butcher Darren O’Rourke has spent the past 25 years honing his craft between the kitchen and the butcher’s block.
Driven by a deep curiosity and a passion for challenging what’s considered “normal” in the way we eat — and how we prepare food — he believes cooking and butchery are complementary trades that, when approached thoughtfully, make us better cooks, better butchers and ultimately more conscious consumers.
Darren is also passionate about championing the farmers and producers behind every great meal, seeing them as the true heroes of the trade. He now works with Endeavour Meats, where he creates recipes to inspire a deeper appreciation of food, from paddock to plate.
Chef Darren O’Rourke’s Bavette with Fennel Salad and Kimchi Butter
4
20
minutes10
minutes1
hourBavette is a well-worked, flavourful cut that rewards quick cooking over high heat and careful slicing against the grain. Here it’s paired with a punchy kimchi butter that melts into the meat and a crisp fennel salad dressed with the kimchi brine.
Ingredients
- Kimchi Butter
250 g 250 unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
150 g 150 kimchi, roughly chopped, liquid reserved
- Fennel Salad
1 1 large fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
Reserved kimchi liquid
10 ml 10 white wine vinegar
1/2 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
1/2 1/2 bunch chives, cut into 3cm lengths
- Steak
500 g 500 Five Founders bavette steak
Extra virgin olive oil, to coat
Salt
Method
- Remove bavette from fridge 1 hour before cooking take a moment to note the direction of the grain – you’ll need this when slicing.
- To make the kimchi butter, squeeze as much liquid from the chopped kimchi as possible and reserve the liquid for the salad. Place the butter in a food processor and whip until it changes from yellow to very pale, almost white. Add the kimchi and process until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Roll the butter into a cylinder in cling film and refrigerate until needed.
- Place a heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat and allow to come to temperature.
- Coat the bavette lightly in extra virgin olive oil and season generously with salt. Add to the hot pan and cook, flipping every minute, until a thermometer reads 52°C in the thickest part, about 6-8 minutes total. Add a knob of the kimchi butter to the pan toward the end of cooking and baste the steak with the foaming butter.
- Transfer to a wire rack and rest for 5 minutes. While the steak rests, combine the fennel, reserved kimchi liquid, white wine vinegar, parsley and chives in a bowl. Toss to combine and season to taste.
- Slice the bavette thinly against the grain. Arrange the fennel salad on plates, top with the sliced bavette and finish with a generous slice of kimchi butter to melt over the meat.
Notes
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