STT 33: Grilled Bavette Steak with Smokey Spring Onion Salsa & Green Couscous

A low lift, yet bougie Father’s Day lunch: bavette, charred summer asparagus, carbs, and a herby dressing in 10 simple ingredients.

Father’s Day is coming up next weekend, and it feels BIG, for obvious reasons. Jake, my husband, is celebrating his first one. Officially part of the club. Which is wild. Because honestly, we still feel like kids ourselves most of the time. As someone who has always fought fiercely to be independent, I am, at heart, a little selfish. I love me time, spontaneity, doing exactly as I please, when I please. Some days I can’t believe they let us leave the hospital with a whole small human. No handbook, six hours of NCT classes, and just… go on then. Raise a person.

There’s this surreal moment that new parenthood keeps handing us — that strange mix of awe and total disbelief. Like we’re still figuring out our own lives, and now there’s this small person watching us do it. The first few weeks have been full of wonder, yes, but also a lot of whispered “what the fuck?” at 3am.

Jake, however, has taken to it all with a kind of calm I genuinely admire. He’s tested every baby-soothing method under the sun (how did people raise babies before TikTok and ChatGPT?). His Paddington Bear voice is uncannily good (The paddington box set is sitting in our amazon basket now too). And she, bless, has been a dream — letting us sleep for stretches that feel borderline criminal.

My parents are flying in on Monday, our first grandparent visit, and I’m so looking forward to it. We’re all figuring it out together, really. Jake’s not a cook. This is the man who once called me to ask how to cook pasta, while I was prepping dinner on a superyacht in the med… while holding the packet with instructions in his hand. But listen, he makes a mean scrambled egg and has promised to get more hands-on in the kitchen now. Thankfully, my freezer-stocking spree in the final weeks of pregnancy is paying off. He shines in other areas.

Which brings me to this recipe - one for a breezy weekend. Where everyone’s milling around, someone’s cracking a beer open, and the vibe is casual but celebratory. It’s not fussy: no basting, no thermometers, no sides (unless you want them). Just a quick herby couscous, a fast grill of steak and veg, and a meal that feels a bit special without tipping you into “host mode” and a ton of dishes. You can cook it together as a couple, double it for the family, or make it solo and pour yourself a cold drink in the sun. It’s built for an outdoor table.

Let’s talk about the steak

Bavette is one of my favourite cuts of beef. It’s the chefs cut- IYKYK. Often seen on menus these days as an alternative to the holy trinity of sirloin, rump and fillet. It’s sometimes mistakenly called flank steak, but they’re actually distinct — both cut from the abdominal area, but with different grain and texture. Bavette (or bavette d’aloyau in French) is a butcher’s cut: long, flat, and flavourful, with a looser grain and more marbling than true flank. It stays juicy when cooked right and has a deep, almost mineral beefiness that holds its own next to big flavours. It’s also usually about half the price of ribeye, which is reason enough to pick it up these days. This also means you can go for a quality, pasture raised cut from the butcher.

You’ll often see it in restaurants cooked medium-rare and sliced thinly across the grain. It takes really well to marinades but honestly doesn’t need much. Salt, pepper, touch of smoke. Done. I must admit though, it is banging paired with pepper sauce so a classic steaks and chips is an equally good option for the dads next weekend.

The one rule? Don’t overcook it. Medium-rare is your friend here. Give it a proper rest after grilling, then slice it up against the grain.

On the grill (my barbecue is hanging on by a thread)

Let’s address the equipment. I do have a barbecue, technically. It’s a janky knockoff Weber kettle I picked up at Argos for £30 when I moved to London and every time I use it I half-expect it to collapse. The wheels wobble. The lid doesn’t quite sit straight. I think it’s developing a lean. But it gets the job done… kind of. I’m patiently waiting until we find our next home (we’re actively house hunting), at which point I’ll be scouring Facebook Marketplace for my fever dream setup: the Ferrari of BBQs, the Big Green Egg.

I’m South African, so cooking over fire (we call it a braai) is something I grew up with. Whole summers were built around it. Everyone would bring their own meat and drinks, and the host would sort out salads and sides. Theres something very communal and primal about gathering to cook over a fire. It’s still my favourite kind of meal.

These days, though, with the wobbly BBQ, and two flights of stairs between our flat and the communal garden, I’m lazily reaching for the grill pan. Cast iron, from TK Maxx. Not fancy, but it doesnt need to be. It gets screaming hot and gives great sear marks - thats really all you need. Just please don’t use nonstick—it can’t take the heat (it ruins the coating) and Teflon tends to release weird chemicals when you push it that high. A good grill pan will last forever if you season it and don’t try to scrub it too aggressively with soap

If you do want to barbecue this, go for it. I’d say wood over charcoal if you can. Charcoal’s tricky here in the UK- most of the easily grabbed at the supermarket options lights slow, burns quick, and doesn’t hold heat like it should. Namibian hardwood charcoal is a great option if you can find it (Amazon has it), or just go gas. It’s fast, predictable, and means you’re not still fiddling with damp kindling when the meat’s gone cold.

Built for beer

This bowl is basically carbs, protein, and veg in one hit. You don’t need sides. But if you’re feeding more people, or just want to linger longer at the table, you could add a big leafy green salad and some proper bread and butter. I’d go focaccia or something crusty with real chew. And for snacks, look back at Season to Taste 30 (the Summer Aperitivo Party edition) for ideas or keep it simple with posh crisps, olives, M&S honey roasted cashews, and my cherry chili spritz make a solid spread.

Thanks for reading

Jess x

Grilled Bavette Steak with Smokey Spring Onion Salsa & Green Couscous

A vibrant, herb-packed grain bowl with smoky grilled asparagus, charred spring onions, and juicy bavette steak. Finished with optional feta for creaminess.

Serves 6 • Time: 10 mins prep, 20 mins cooking