At home dining has seen a big change in the last 12 months. Never before have we been able to eat so well in the comfort of our own homes, and in Leicester one place leading the way is Black Iron at Winstanley House.
Black Iron opened a little over 3 years ago now as the high end restaurant at the spectacular Winstanley House refurbishment of Braunstone Hall. It’s fabulous. One of our go to places in non-pandemic times and it’s fantastic to see how they’ve risen to the challenge of catering for customers in lockdown.
Having had their Christmas Day meal box this year we couldn’t wait to try their Porterhouse Steak Night box, which is one of their current offerings, alongside Sunday lunch and Afternoon tea.
In terms of steak in Leicestershire, Black Iron is right at the top of the list. The Porterhouse offering is unlike anything else we’ve seen in the city’s meal kits, with a whopping 1kg steak as part of the package (intended for 2 to share, of course). The steak comes served with hasselback potatoes, green beans with bacon and a creamy peppercorn sauce. Everything you need to prepare the meal is there for you in the box, including steak salt and garlic butter.
Also within the box you’ll find full instructions for cooking, and it really couldn’t be easier. The hasselbacks are popped in the oven topped with garlic butter, whilst you heat oil to sear the steak. With a steak this size the cooking technique is a little different to what I’d usually do, so the instructions were really helpful. So it was a quick fry of the steak on each side with a skillet/pan, before then putting it into the oven to finish it off for that perfect medium rare finish. With the steak in the oven you then add the green beans and bacon into the frying pan used for the steak to warm them through and achieve that smokey, salty flavour that goes perfectly with the steak.
From start to finish the meal will be on the table in just a fraction over 20 minutes. With minimal work involved there’s plenty of time to pour yourself a nice glass of Malbec.
Not used to cooking a steak this size at home I was a little worried about the timings and achieving the desired medium rare finish, but through following the instructions provided the steak was perfect. Of course the Porterhouse include 2 cuts of meat, the fillet and loin. Both were succulent and tender, with a wonderful flavour from the seasoning provided. The hasselback potatoes, with garlic butter through every slice were a big hit and the wonderful flavoursome green beans and bacon topped off a fabulous meal.
Fancy making a real feast of it? You can also add on an optional starter and dessert. Add on Black Iron’s Salt Beef, horseradish potato salad, pickles and soda bread to start and the sticky toffee pudding with orange jam and clotted cream for dessert (priced at an additional £20 on the package price). Both are served as generous portions, with the horseradish potato salad and pickles perfectly complimenting the tender salt beef. For us, we had to save the sticky toffee pudding for another night given how full we were from the steak, but when we did get to it the following night it certainly didn’t disappoint. The rich toffee sauce soaking into the sponge and offering a delicious dessert option, just as you’d expect to enjoy it in the restaurant.
The Porterhouse Steak Night Box is available every Saturday from Black Iron, priced at £35. Orders should be placed by 5pm Thursday for collection on Saturday. Delivery can also be arranged for those in LE3, LE4, LE6 and LE19.
Find full details of the Steak Night box, as well as Sunday lunch and Afternoon tea boxes on the Winstanley House website.
*We received the Steak Night Box free of charge but were under absolutely no obligation to give a positive review.