Monday, May 28, 2012

I Peru, do you?

This dish is fabulous. We make it for guests, usually, but a week or so ago we made for just us. And it rocks. Amazing flavor, excellent as leftovers the next day.


I will put the recipe here with these caveats:
  • I add peppers. Not green. Yellow and red only.
  • I do saute the pepper and onions on high heat in a cast iron skillet, then add to the grilled beef at the end.
  • I also make the potatoes in the oven. I want them super crispy, which I find not as controllable on the grill
  • Don't go light on the cilantro; it adds a lovely brightness. 
  • Squeezed lime is also nice for a finish

Ingredients

  • 1 skirt steak
  • 2 medium red onions, cut in 1/2 lengthwise
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 4 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Place steak in 1 bowl and onions in another. 2. Using a knife, make a paste by combining garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk together garlic paste, rice vinegar, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of canola oil, cumin, and ground black pepper. Divide marinade between steak and onions. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.
3. Before grilling, allow steak and onions to come to room temperature.
4. Place steak on grill and cook about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Discard marinade. When done, let steak rest before slicing.

***I DO THIS PART IN A CAST IRON SKILLET AND ADD PEPPERS. Place onions face down on grill and cook until slightly soft, about 6 minutes per side. When done, cut onions into wedges*****
***I DO THIS PART IN A 425 OVEN FOR CRISPNESS.Sprinkle paprika over potatoes and toss with remaining canola oil. Place on grill and cook until soft inside, about 6 minutes per side. Season with salt when done******

5. In a large bowl combine steak and juices, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, cilantro, and reserved marinade. Toss gently and reseason with salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Lapse in posting, not enjoyment

Life with a one year old is busy. We eat, but blogging is hard to come by. For our wedding anniversary, I grilled filet mignon. It was sublime. Thick, think steaks. High, high heat. 8 minutes each side. Medium rare inside. Salt-roasted banana fingerlings on the plated side.


Then, more recently, we had the braised short ribs. These puppies were *huge*. Intimidating, even. I braised them in red wine and stock, after having them in a rub of rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper overnight. Their pillow was a soft gorgonzola polenta. Zena was in town for the weekend, so we were able to share that meal, and the consensus was full belly happiness.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Barney Rubble had it right!

OK, so this is maybe the biggest steak I've eaten. I mean, it is large. Bud's Meats calls it a Rib Steak. Around here we just dust with S&P, call it done. Yukon mash. Salad. And finish if off with a lovely red from the Hill Family Vineyards. Delish.



Sunday, July 31, 2011

Tri-Tip

So...this was simply lovely. A 2.5lb tri-tip in the gas smoker marinated in a harissa/olive oil/soy/sugar/thyme mixture that made a tender, scrumptious, beef dinner. Yukon mash on the side with a big salad. Corn on the cob. Rosenblum Cabernet. Peach cobbler for dessert. Heaven.

the preview

lil' G and I prepping

add heat

serve

enjoy

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Red Sauce

  • 2lbs grass fed ground beef
  • 1 large onion
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 T fennel seeds
  • 4-5 T oregano
  • 1 T chili flakes (or more)
  • bay leaves
  • tad of olive oil
  • some red wine
  • some molasses
  • 1 t cinnamon
  • pinch nutmeg
  • 4 cans chunky tomato sauce
  • big squirt of tomato paste from tube
  • salt to taste
Simmer overnight. Let rest on stove entire next day. Eat with anything. 

Before

After 

Monday, July 4, 2011

Flank Steak

This post shoulda/coulda been called Chimichurri Sauce.
But we'll get to that.


Ok, so this dish was actually consumed by me on Friday at a work BBQ.
This recipe below is reprinted without permission from Larissa Ivancamp.
The next picture you will view is not of beef.

the magic

I just really can't raise this roof with this sauce enough. The flavors are sublime. I know, I know. You are thinking you've have chimichurri sauce before. And maybe you have. But it did not taste like this stuff.

I put the 2lb flank in a ziplock bag overnight with about 1/3 of the mixture and saved the rest for slopping on the steak when it came off the grill.


With the 4th of July celebration as my backdrop, I lit a can of coals and commenced grilling, beer in hand. 8 minutes total, with 2 inside the kettle.


The remaining photos tell the rest of the story. Recipe is at the end. Enjoy. And you're welcome.

The drizzle presentation

Happiness

just add corn...
the end.

This makes enough to marinate 2 pounds of beef (London broil or skirt, hanger, or flank steaks) or lamb (loin or blade chops).
Makes about 2 cups

 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 Fresno chile or red jalapeƱo, finely chopped
  • 2 cups minced fresh cilantro
  • 1 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

  • Combine vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic, shallot, and chile in a medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, parsley, and oregano. Using a fork, whisk in oil. Remove 1/2 cup chimichurri to a small bowl, season with salt to taste, and reserve as sauce. Put meat in a glass, stainless-steel, or ceramic dish. Toss with remaining marinade. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
  • Remove meat from marinade, pat dry, and grill.
  • Spoon reserved sauce over grilled meat.