Anticucho-Marinated T-bone

Ingredients

• 2 T-bone steaks, about 450 g (1 lb) each and 3 cm (1¼ in) thick
• 1 tbsp oil, for the grate

Anticucho marinade

• 3 tbsp ají panca paste (or 2 tbsp ancho chili powder plus 1 tsp smoked paprika; less fruity)
• 60 ml (¼ cup) red wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp oil

To serve

• Boiled potatoes or choclo (Peruvian corn), if available
• Salsa criolla (thinly sliced red onion with lime juice, salt and chopped chilli)

Steps

1. Whisk the ají panca paste, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and oil in a bowl until smooth. Spoon 1 tbsp into a clean cup and set aside for brushing later.
2. Rub the marinade all over the steaks, working it into the sides and around the bone. Marinate in the fridge for 4 hours, or up to 12 hours, turning once.
3. Make the salsa criolla: toss the onion with 2 tbsp lime juice, a pinch of salt and chilli, and leave it for 15 minutes.
4. Take the steaks out 30 minutes before cooking and wipe off the excess marinade, which would burn before the meat is ready. Leave a thin coat.
5. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high and oil the grate. Place the steaks over direct heat and cook for 4–5 minutes per side, turning once, until the surface is dark mahogany with a few charred patches.
6. Move to a cooler part of the grill if the marinade begins to scorch. Cook to 52–54°C (125–130°F) in the centre for medium-rare, brushing with the reserved marinade in the last minute for a shiny finish.
7. Rest for 8 minutes, then cut the meat off the bone and slice it. Serve with the salsa criolla and potatoes.

Notes

• Ají panca: sold in jars in Latin groceries and online; it is smoky and fruity, not hot.
• Anticuchos: traditionally this marinade is used on beef heart skewers; it also suits sirloin cubes.
• Finish: only brush with the marinade you set aside in step 1; the rest has touched raw meat.
• Make ahead: mix the marinade up to 3 days ahead, or marinate the steaks the night before, so dinner is just grilling.
• Chef's touch: rest the steaks on a wire rack, not a plate, so the crust stays crisp instead of steaming in its own juices.