Presa Ibérica with Café de Paris Butter

35 mins

4 people

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

35 mins

First time I tried Café de Paris butter, I was a commis chef in a busy banqueting hotel in Harrogate. It simply blew my head off. The complexity of flavours, its silky richness and how well it paired with a grilled steak, made this dish one of those dishes that sticks in your mind forever. You hardly see Café de Paris butter served in many restaurants these days. Perhaps it is better that way, so it keeps its retro status. Making Café de Paris butter at home is so easy and it will pair well with your favourite steak. The butter can be made in advance and it is typically flavoured with a mixture of herbs, spices, and other condiments such as mustard, anchovies and Worcestershire sauce. On this recipe, I use presa ibérica, a shoulder cut from the Iberian black pig fed on a diet of grass and acorns. Presa pairs incredibly well with the butter and breaks the norm of using beef.

Ingredients
Method

400g presa iberica, trimmed and all sinew removed
Oil for frying
Sea salt flakes
For the Café de Paris butter:
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 brown anchovies, drained and finely chopped
1 tsp of baby capers, rinsed and drained
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Zest and juice of half a lemon
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp curry powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp of finely chopped thyme
1 tsp of finely chopped tarragon
1 tbsp of finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Start by making the Café de Paris butter. Use a food processor to beat the butter for 3 to 4 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the garlic, shallots, anchovies, mustard, capers, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest and spices. Blend until well combined. Stir in the finely chopped thyme, tarragon and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the butter mixture along the centre of a piece of grease proof paper to form a log. Roll up and twist ends to secure. Place in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm.
To cook the presa ibérica, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium sized frying pan and fry the presa for about 5 minutes on each side. You might need to turn it on its side, if the piece is too thick. Presa should be served medium rare. Once cooked, allow the piece to rest for 2 minutes on a wooden board before slicing.
Pre-heat your grill on the high setting. To serve the dish, slice the presa ibérica and arrange on a warm plate. Season the presa slices with sea salt flakes. Slice from the Café de Paris butter log some thin butter slices and place over the presa. Place the plate under the hot grill until the butter melts. Serve with a lamb’s lettuce salad and some skinny fries.

Ingredients

400g presa iberica, trimmed and all sinew removed
Oil for frying
Sea salt flakes
For the Café de Paris butter:
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 brown anchovies, drained and finely chopped
1 tsp of baby capers, rinsed and drained
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Zest and juice of half a lemon
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp curry powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp of finely chopped thyme
1 tsp of finely chopped tarragon
1 tbsp of finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Start by making the Café de Paris butter. Use a food processor to beat the butter for 3 to 4 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the garlic, shallots, anchovies, mustard, capers, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest and spices. Blend until well combined. Stir in the finely chopped thyme, tarragon and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the butter mixture along the centre of a piece of grease proof paper to form a log. Roll up and twist ends to secure. Place in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm.
To cook the presa ibérica, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium sized frying pan and fry the presa for about 5 minutes on each side. You might need to turn it on its side, if the piece is too thick. Presa should be served medium rare. Once cooked, allow the piece to rest for 2 minutes on a wooden board before slicing.
Pre-heat your grill on the high setting. To serve the dish, slice the presa ibérica and arrange on a warm plate. Season the presa slices with sea salt flakes. Slice from the Café de Paris butter log some thin butter slices and place over the presa. Place the plate under the hot grill until the butter melts. Serve with a lamb’s lettuce salad and some skinny fries.

Add To Basket

El Angel Smoked Paprika Dulce Can
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£2.00
Añana Salt Flakes
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£3.50
Arroyabe Cantabrico Anchovies in Olive Oil
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£3.75
Presa Iberica
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£36.50

Chef's Profile

Javier De La Hormaza

Javier is a Basque born, trained chef and hospitality professional, owner of Basco Fine Foods, a Spanish food and drink importer based in Yorkshire. He regularly runs client food and drink events around the country and he is a course tutor at Hartingtons of Bakewell cookery school. Javier's passion lies on bringing quality Spanish ingredients and recipes to as many people as possible.

Twitter: @bascofinefoods
Instagram: @mrbasco