Tomato and Steak Crostini

Ingredients

For the Tomato and Steak Crostini:

• 1 baguette
• Good quality olive oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• Grilled Beef Steak, any cut you prefer, fried as you like (recipe below)
• Whipped Soft Goat Cheese (recipe below)
• Grilled Cherry Tomatoes (recipe below)
• Fresh basil leaves for garnish

For the Grilled Beef Steak:

• 1 beef steak, approximately 9 oz. (250g)
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 3 garlic cloves in the shell
• 1 tbsp good quality vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3,5 oz (about 100ml) dry red wine

For the Whipped Soft Goat Cheese:

• 9 oz. (250g) fresh soft goat cheese
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Grilled Cherry Tomatoes:

• 11 oz. (300g) of ripe cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh Greek basil (or any other type of basil)
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For Garnish:

• few sprigs of fresh Greek basil (or any other type of basil)

Instructions

Grilled Beef Steak:

Allow the steak to warm to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before frying. This way you will avoid thermal shock and the meat will cook evenly.
Dry the steak with a paper towel, brush with a small amount of vegetable oil, and sprinkle pepper and salt on both sides. Massage the spices into the meat.
Heat the grill pan over strong heat and put on the steak. Fry as you like:

• bleu – 30 seconds on each side,
• rare – 1 minute on each side,
• medium rare – 1.5 minutes on each side,
• medium – 2-3 minutes on each side,
• medium well – 4-5 minutes on each side,
• well done – 6-8 minutes on each side.

When one side of the steak is ready, turn the meat over. Add rosemary, 3 cloves of garlic in the shell, and 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan.
When the butter melts, start pouring the sauce along with the garlic and rosemary into the meat to give it more flavor.
When the meat is ready, move it to a plate to rest and cool until needed.
Meanwhile, add 3,5 oz (about 100ml) of dry red wine to the pan and reduce the sauce until it thickens.
Pour the sauce through a fine sieve into a small container and leave it in a warm place so that it does not cool down completely.

Whipped Soft Goat Cheese:

Prepare beaten fresh goat cheese. In a small bowl, mash the goat cheese with yogurt, salt, and pepper.
Set aside until needed.

Grilled Cherry Tomatoes:

Heat the grill pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, and put the cherry tomatoes into the pan.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add a few basil sprigs, and cook for a few minutes, shaking the pan until the tomatoes start to burst.
Add the butter and cook a few more minutes, but don’t overcook the tomatoes. They are meant to be slightly ruptured, but not disintegrated.

Tomato and Steak Crostini:

Cut the baguette into slices about 1 inch (2cm) thick and brush with olive oil on both sides.
Place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake in the preheated 356°F (180°C) oven for about 2 minutes on each side.
Remove from oven, let them cool for about 2-3 minutes, and rub each one with a clove of garlic.
When they have cooled, add a tablespoon of whipped fresh goat cheese on top of each.
Slice the slightly cooled steak into ⅛ inch (5-7mm) slices and place it over the goat cheese.
Add the grilled tomatoes on top of each crostini and garnish with a drizzle of the beef reduction and fresh Greek basil sprigs.