Sirloin steak with pickled mustard seeds and pan-cooked greens

Cover the mustard seeds in plain water and bring to a boil; drain and rinse to purge some bitterness.

More than cover the seeds in rice vinegar, add a handful of sugar and a couple pinches of salt, and bring to a boil.

Dice the shallot and red chili to about the size of the cooked seeds.

Boil the seeds in the vinegar ten minutes at most, until plump but still crunchy; top up with vinegar or water only to keep them submerged.

Add the diced vegetables for the last two minutes or so, then take off the heat.

Taste and add salt; cool in a container and chill in the fridge. Keeps at least a couple of weeks.

Peel and mince garlic and ginger.

Trim the thick stems out of the kale leaves, slice the stems very thinly and set aside separately; hack up the leaves.

Separate the sirloin into its individual muscles along the seams, trimming off the seam fat, gristle and connective tissue.

Heat the widest pan over high flame (medium or medium-high on a powerful electric stove).

Season the steaks with salt, pepper and a little five-spice, drizzle with oil and rub all over.

Put the biggest pieces in first, press for contact, and flip about every 30 seconds; pull pieces as they reach medium-rare by feel against the raw baseline poke, turning the heat down for the last pieces. Rest.

Add more oil and the kale stems, heat about medium, and stir for a couple of minutes until they start to soften.

Stir in the garlic and ginger, then immediately the leaves, pressing them down; add water if needed to keep the aromatics from burning, and the rest of the leaves as they shrink.

Add a little fish sauce and cook about four minutes from when the leaves went in.

Taste, stir in a little honey, and take off the heat.

Slice the rested steak in thin strips at an angle, lay over the hot greens, and top with the cold mustard seeds and a few cilantro leaves.