Catalonia's oldest trick: everything charred tastes better dragged through romesco

Every late winter, Catalonia throws festivals for charred spring onions — whole towns eating them straight off the fire, dunked in a smoky capsicum-and-almond sauce called romesco. That sauce is the discovery here. It's a blender job — charred capsicum, toasted almonds, bread, garlic, smoked paprika, good oil — and it makes a seared steak taste like it came off a grill house pass. The BBQ steak brings the beefy backbone, the spring onions char in the same pan, and the whole plate costs twenty minutes of actual work.

50 mins 4 servings Prep 20 minsCook 30 minsMain CourseSpanish

Ingredients

  • 380g Your Farmer grass-fed BBQ steak
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to finish
  • Salt, to season
  • 2 red capsicums (or 200g jarred roasted capsicum, drained)
  • 50g roasted almonds
  • 1 thick slice day-old sourdough (about 40g), torn
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
  • 80ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 bunches spring onions, trimmed

Instructions

For the romesco

Char the capsicums in a dry grill pan over high heat (or directly over a gas flame), turning until blackened all over, 10–12 minutes. Cover in a bowl for 10 minutes, then peel away the skin and discard the seeds.

2 red capsicums

Toast the almonds and torn bread in the dry pan for 2–3 minutes until golden and fragrant.

50g almonds1 slice sourdough

Blitz the capsicum, almonds, bread, garlic, paprika and vinegar to a coarse paste, then stream in the extra virgin olive oil with the motor running. Season with salt — it should be thick, rusty-red and a little rough.

2 cloves garlic1 tsp smoked paprika1 tbsp sherry vinegar80ml olive oil

For the steak and spring onions

Heat the grill pan over high heat until smoking. Rub the steak with the oil, season generously with salt, and cook for 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare to medium. Rest for 5 minutes.

380g BBQ steak1 tbsp olive oil

While the steak rests, char the spring onions in the same pan for 2–3 minutes, turning, until blackened in spots and just softened.

2 bunches spring onions

Spread a thick swoosh of romesco across a warm platter, slice the steak across the grain and lay it over the sauce, pile the charred spring onions on top, and finish with the resting juices and a thread of olive oil.

Appears in

Pack A & Pack C shares — BBQ Steak (~380g)

Your Farmer CSA grass-fed beef share — vacuum-sealed steaks, roasts, mince and sausages, paddock-to-plate NSW & ACT delivery
CSA Grass Fed Beef Share
From $176.67

Char Speaks to Char

Romesco was built by Catalan fishermen and farmers as a sauce for whatever came off the fire, and its logic is simple: smoke answers smoke. Charred capsicum and smoked paprika in the sauce, hard sear on the steak, blackened edges on the spring onions — every element on the plate speaks the same language. The BBQ steak is the right beef for the conversation. Cut from the oyster blade on the shoulder, it has a bigger, beefier voice than the polite premium steaks, so it meets a bold sauce as an equal instead of disappearing under it. The steak technique itself is the standard one done properly: smoking-hot pan, dry seasoned surface, patience between turns, and a five-minute rest before the knife. Your Farmer® beef is grass-fed on pasture for its whole life, which is exactly the depth of flavour a sauce this assertive deserves — you'll find this cut in every Pack A and Pack C box of the grass-fed beef CSA share.

Swaps and Variations

Jarred roasted capsicum is the honest shortcut — 200g drained, straight into the blender, and the sauce loses very little. Hazelnuts are as traditional as almonds in romesco; a mix of the two is arguably the classic. The sauce is just as good under lamb loin chops or a pile of roasted vegetables, which is worth remembering when you double the batch. If sauce-making for steak is becoming a habit, the scotch fillet with compound butter is the make-ahead version of the same instinct, and the BBQ steak on its own lets you run this plate more often than the share schedule allows.

Storage and Leftovers

Romesco keeps 5 days covered in the fridge, and it's one of the most useful things you can have sitting there — spoon it over fried eggs, roast potatoes, grilled vegetables or tomorrow's sandwich. Bring it to room temperature before serving; cold dulls it. The cooked steak keeps 3 days, and cold sliced steak with a smear of day-three romesco between good bread is the kind of leftover lunch that makes you glad you doubled the sauce.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use jarred roasted capsicum for the romesco?

Yes — about 200g, drained well. You lose a little smokiness, which a pinch more smoked paprika covers. It turns the sauce into a 5-minute job.

What texture should romesco be?

Thick and slightly coarse — closer to a rough pesto than a smooth puree. The bread and almonds should still give it body and a little grit. If it's runny, add more bread; if it's stiff, a splash of water.

What can I use instead of almonds?

Hazelnuts are equally traditional, and a half-and-half mix is the classic in parts of Catalonia. For a nut-free version, use double the bread plus a tablespoon of sunflower seeds.

What else does romesco go with?

Nearly anything grilled or roasted: lamb chops, chicken, fish, roast potatoes, fried eggs, charred broccoli. Doubling the batch is the standard move.

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