Espetadas are a traditional dish from Madeira made by skewering chunks of beef onto bay branches and cooking them over open flames. A streamlined version uses pulverized dried bay leaves mixed with garlic and olive oil to season beef sirloin or flat iron steak. The recipe incorporates cherry tomatoes and a Madeira reduction sauce to enhance the dish's flavors. Fresh bay leaves can't replace dried leaves, and maintaining fat on the beef is crucial for flavor and charring, while inexpensive Madeira suffices for the sauce.
On the Portuguese island of Madeira, espetadas are made by threading chunks of beef onto fresh-cut branches of bay and cooking the skewers over the embers of a fire, infusing the meat with unique menthol notes.
In this streamlined take on espetadas, dried bay leaves are pulverized in a spice grinder to create a seasoned salt mixed with garlic and olive oil for marinating the meat.
Flat iron steak or beef sirloin tips are ideal for their tender texture and rich flavor while using inexpensive Madeira for the sauce optimizes the dish.
Using fresh bay leaves will not yield the necessary fine powder for the spice blend, making dried bay leaves essential for the recipe's success.
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