Shredded beef and rocket salad with tahini yoghurt dressing

This shredded beef salad will be the hero on the table at any entertainment event but also makes for a good and nutritious meal on a regular day. There are three beautiful layers of goodness one complementing the other and you will definitely be going for seconds.

The tahini and yoghurt dressing gives the salad the perfect creaminess and tanginess at the same time. Tahini on its own is quite thin and you can easily pour it out. However as soon as you add another liquid to it, it thickens and you are left struggling to whisk. As you continue to add a bit more liquid though and some whisking power it thins out again. I highly recommend you add the amount of lemon suggested to break up the tahini bitterness but you can play around with the amount of yoghurt to adjust the dressing to the consistency you like.

You can easily prepare the shredded beef and dressing from the day before, so all you have to do is assemble the components together when you need to. The dressing thickens a bit more once placed in the fridge so keep that in mind if you do.

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 2 hrs

Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins

·        500 g chuck steak

·        salt and pepper

·        1 garlic clove, quartered

·        2 fresh springs of oregano

·        1/4 cup lemon juice

·        2 ½ cups warm water

 Dressing 

·        1/3 cup tahini

·        1 tbs olive oil

·        1 tbs pomegranate molasses

·        1/4 cup lemon juice

·        3/4 cup yoghurt, I used natural yoghurt

·        pinch of salt

·        120 g rocket, washed and dried

·        2 tbs olive oil

·        pinch of salt

·        3/4 cup pomegranate seeds 

1.    Preheat the oven to 160°C. Season the steak well with salt and pepper on both sides. Make small cuts in the beef and insert the garlic pieces. Place the meat in a roasting tray and add the rest of the ingredients around it. 

2.    Cover with foil and then place in the oven for 2 hours. Flip the meat over an hour after cooking so the juices can be spread evenly. After that time is over, increase the temperature to 200°C, uncover the pan and let it cook for a further 5 min just enough for the steak to brown on the outside. 

3.    Remove the excess fat and the oregano springs. Use two forks to shred the beef into smaller pieces. Stir the beef pieces in the juices so they don’t dry out.

4.    While the beef is cooking prepare the other components.

Whisk all the ingredients together but add the yoghurt in batches until you get the consistency you like. You might want to add more or less depending on your own preference.

Place the rocket in a bowl, add the pomegranate seeds, olive oil and some salt seasoning. Mix it all together until it is evenly spread. To assemble the salad, place the rocket mixture on the bottom and the meat on top. You may choose to dress the salad yourself or leave it on the side for each individual to add.

I used natural yoghurt but you can use whichever one you like based on the consistency you want the dressing. When pomegranates are not in season I tend to replace them with currants and toasted almonds for a sweet crunch.