Sukade is best known in the Netherlands as grandma's classic stew meat, lovingly cooked for hours in the pan. But Klauwe van de Kok is here to show you how to serve a deliciously tender "steak" with chutney using sukade on your KLAUWE. Impress Your Friends!

The secret to sukade on the grill lies in a good (quality) butcher. Traditional sukade, as we know it from grandma's kitchen, is unprocessed. It’s a tender cut of beef but contains a tough tendon. The long stewing process makes even the tendon soft. However, we're going to grill the sukade, so we’ll have the butcher remove the tendon entirely! We’ll also have the outer white fat layer trimmed off. A good butcher will know exactly what you mean and will gladly prepare it for you.

Ingredients

General:

  • Preparation time: 30 minutes
  • Cooking time: approximately 30 minutes, depending on temperature

Ingredients for Chutney

  • 1200 gr. pickled pearl onions
  • 450 gr. white raisins
  • 8 tablespoons honey
  • 8 cloves
  • 40 juniper berries
  • 380 ml white port
  • 380 ml dry white wine

Ingredients for Herb Oil:

  • 500 ml olive oil
  • 1/2 garlic bulb (several cloves)
  • 1 onion
  • 1 red chili pepper
  • 30 gr. fresh thyme
  • 15 gr. fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt (Fleur de sel)

Instructions

Preparation of Herb Oil:

Clean the onion, half garlic bulb (all 6-7 cloves!), and the red pepper, and cut them into large pieces. (Remove the seeds from the red pepper and discard them.) Strip the leaves from the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Combine all ingredients (including 500 ml of olive oil and the salt) in a tall measuring cup and blend until smooth with an immersion blender. Your herb oil is ready, and you'll have enough for the future. Store the oil in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can pour the herb oil back into the 500 ml olive oil bottle for convenience.

Preparation of Chutney:

Place all the chutney ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer gently until all the liquid has evaporated, then remove the cloves and juniper berries. Done! Set the chutney aside and let it cool to room temperature (do not refrigerate).

Preparing your Sukade:

As mentioned, it's essential to buy your sukade from a good (quality) butcher. The butcher should remove the tendon from the sukade. If there’s still a white fat layer, have that trimmed off too. (Some butchers might say it adds flavor, but trust Klauwe van de Kok—remove it!)

When you have the sukade in your kitchen, let it come to room temperature before grilling. Putting the sukade directly from the fridge onto the grill will shock it, which won’t do your dish any favors.

Once the sukade is at room temperature and you’re close to grilling time, coat both sides of the sukade with the herb oil. Be generous but don’t let the sukade swim in the oil. (You could apply more oil while grilling, but one good coating should suffice.)

What to do with your KLAUWE:

Fire up your KLAUWE and set the temperature to around 150 degrees Celsius (a bit higher is okay too). When lighting your KLAUWE, start with plenty of oxygen by opening the rear vent and fully opening the front vent. If the fire isn’t catching well, you can briefly open the rear vent more. Eventually, the rear vent should be closed, and the front vent nearly closed. Keep the lid vent halfway open. (Adjust the air vents to control the temperature: more air means more heat and vice versa; it’s all about finding the balance.)

Grill without the water ring and water pan. Set the coal basket on the third level (from the bottom) and place your grill grate on the fourth level. Put the lid on and let the temperature rise to about 150 degrees Celsius. Once the flames die down, place the grill grate so it can preheat.

And then, the moment supreme:

When the coals are glowing nicely and there’s a slight flame over them, it’s time to sear the sukade. Place the sukade on the grill and cover your KLAUWE. Keep an eye on the time. The sukade only needs a few minutes per side. The exact time depends on your KLAUWE’s temperature and the thickness of your sukade, but start with 4-5 minutes per side. (It’s better to undercook than overcook. If it’s not quite right, you can always grill it a bit longer, but you can’t reverse overcooking.)

Alternative Method (Bistecca alla Fiorentina):

After searing one side on high direct heat for a few minutes until it’s nicely browned, flip the sukade and sear the other side. Then, place the sukade over the indirect heat zone and insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Depending on your desired doneness (rare, medium rare, etc.), leave the sukade on the grill for a while longer or remove it.

Resting:

This step is crucial: let your sukade rest! Simply take it off the grill and wrap it entirely in aluminum foil. Set it aside for 15 minutes. The foil will keep the meat warm, and resting will improve the meat’s texture and allow it to finish cooking gently. (Wondering why resting meat is important? Read more about it here.)

Only AFTER these 15 minutes should you start slicing your sukade.

Serving Your Sukade:

Once you’ve sliced the sukade into thin pieces, it’s time to bring out the chutney you made. Serve the slices of sukade with a generous spoonful of chutney on the side.

The once humble sukade is now tender like a steak! Grandma would be proud!

Bon appétit and don’t forget: Eat with your KLAUWE and Impress Your Friends!