Method
Step 1
Preheat oven to 220°C.
Step 2
Place each sliced sweet potato on an individual piece of tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter with chillies, thyme, salt and pepper. Wrap up, place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Step 3
Marinade: mix garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Lay mushrooms and asparagus out on a large plate and drizzle with the marinade. Set aside for a few minutes.
Step 4
Put a dry griddle/frying pan on high heat. On a chopping board rub both sides of each steak with salt, pepper and olive oil. Place steaks in hot pan and sear for 2 to 3 minutes either side for a medium steak, turning only once (using tongs/spoons). Adjust time to suit your preference. When done, remove and set aside on a plate covered with tin foil to rest for about 10 minutes.
Step 5
Add the mushroom and asparagus mixture to the pan and fry on medium heat until tender – about 5 minutes. Toss occasionally.
Step 6
Put a clean pan on medium to high heat. Add the pine nuts to the dry pan and toast for a minute or two until lightly browned. Shake the pan often so that they don’t burn.
Step 7
Using a very sharp knife, slice the steaks against the grain: this means cutting across (and not parallel to) the long parallel muscle fibres in the meat creating short fibres in each piece and delivering tender slices of meat.
Step 8
To serve, divide the mushrooms and asparagus between the plates, top with the steak slices and scatter with toasted pine nuts and parsley. Served the baked sweet potato on the side.