The Power of Sweet & Sour

Straccetti di Manzo e Cipolla in Agro con Patate Dolci Arrostiti
Shredded Vinegar Beef with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Yes, they do say that opposites attract, don't they? Well, whoever "they" may be- they are absolutely right! This simple dish of sweet potatoes, roasted with herbs and garlic, is the perfect accompaniment to the strips of beef that are highly flavored with balsamic vinegar-pickled onions, with thinly sliced red peppers and thyme... what a delicious combination!

So without any further ado, let me fill you in on how to make this- it probably takes less time to prepare it as it will do for me to write it! So hold on to your horses- this is going to be a quick one again!

The first thing I did was to scrub the sweet potato- you can peel them if you prefer- but I just love the earthy flavor of the peel! I then cut it into quarters lengthways as it was a rather small specimen, but if you have larger sized potatoes you can cut them accordingly into nice wedges. I then popped them into my steamer for 5-6 minutes, to pre-cook them a little them before roasting, so that they would be done faster and have a nice soft center whilst being crispy on the outside.

Whilst the potatoes are steaming, slice a minute-steak into thin strips and marinate it in a little olive oil, oregano, thyme and garlic.

Once the potatoes have steamed for 5-6 minutes, drizzle a little olive oil onto them and sprinkle them with a good pinch of Herbs de Provence. Pop them into the oven at a high temperature  (400-450 °) for 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime, turn the heat up high and add the beef and its marinade into your frying pan, along with the red pepper. Once the meat begins to brown, add the pickled onions and a little of the juices from the jar, or alternatively a little balsamic vinegar of your own. Add a couple of twigs of fresh thyme, stir well, add a little honey and remove from the heat- it's time for supper!

Flip the potatoes over one last time to get the surface moistened with the olive oil at the bottom of the tray and sprinkle with coarse pepper, salt and also a little fresh thyme. Turn on the broiler for 1- minutes whilst you dish-up the meat, to add a nice crusty finish.... mmm! I am pretty sure you are going to like this!