• 500 g (1 lb) brown sugar
• 400 g (14 oz) coarse sea salt
• 2 tablespoons malt vinegar
• 400 g (14 oz) centre-cut beef fillet
• 1 small thumb fresh ginger, peeled
• ½ telegraph cucumber
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 6 x 1 cm (½ in) thick slices sourdough bread
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Begin curing beef at least four days before you want to serve it. Put two layers of 45 × 30 cm (18 × 12 in) plastic wrap on a bench. Mix sugar, salt and vinegar together in a bowl and add beef. Rub salt mixture into beef then lay lengthways on the plastic wrap.

Spread all of the salt mixture over beef and roll it up tightly, expelling any air. Ideally, the beef should be evenly covered with salt mixture. Wrap some more plastic wrap around it, place in a container and refrigerate. For the next three days, turn beef over 180° every 12 hours.

Once cured, remove beef from plastic wrap and gently rinse under cold water to remove any excess salt mixture. Pat dry with a towel and refrigerate, covered, for up to two weeks.

The day before you want to serve, finely grate ginger and coarsely grate cucumber, skin and all. Place ginger and cucumber in a bowl with caster sugar. Mix well, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, squeeze liquid from cucumber. Toast bread and rub one side of each slice with raw garlic, then drizzle with a little olive oil. Finely slice beef and lay it on the bread, then dollop some cucumber mixture on top.