Flank Steak Stir Fry, My New BFF

I'm crazily gathering recipes that are fast and easy and can be thrown together even when you have the coordination and where with all of a zombie which I understand is about to be the new norm for me with a newborn.

This one is modified from The Pioneer Woman and really aside from from a few tweaks the main difference is that I dump everything into a giant ziploc first (a step that can even be done several hours ahead) and then from the bag straight into a heated wok. Then while it's cooking all you have to do is cook the rice and dinner is DONE.

I realize I'm probably butchering wok cooking here by dumping everything in at once but I promise you it's still delicious and as long as you let everything rest a couple of minutes with the heat off after cooking the steak will be tender and delicious.

The secret is to reserve some of the chopped green onions and cilantro for garnish (though I doubt I'll remember to do this once sleep deprivation kicks in.)

Flank Steak Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (I've used regular and it was fine just don't add additional salt)
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, optional
2 whole peeled garlic cloves
good pinch red pepper flakes
1 to 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed of excess fat and sliced against the grain into thin slices (I like to then take the slices and cut them into 2 inch pieces but it's up to you)
5 green onions cut into 1/2 inch pieces plus 2 green onions, chopped and reserved for garnish
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
Optional (or use all!) veg: 8 oz snow peas, 1 red bell pepper cut into slivers, 2 carrots sliced into thin rounds, 16 oz frozen broccoli, 1/2 small sweet onion cut into thin strips
2-3 tablespoons canola oil or peanut or olive oil
Rice, cooked according to package, to serve alongside (my recipe is 1 cup rice to 1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken stock, brought to a boil then reduced to low with lid on for 12 min but follow whatever yours says for the amount you want)
Wok or a large dutch oven or cast iron pan for frying

How To:
Add the soy sauce through the sesame oil to a large ziploc. Gently smush around while holding the top (you can seal and shake it if it helps) to mix everything together and help dissolve the cornstarch and brown sugar. You can also mix this up in a small bowl first but this saves a step and washing it up by doing it right in the bag. Win-win.

Add the ginger (if using) and the garlic, red pepper flakes, steak, 1/2 inch pieces of green onions, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and the veggies of your choice. Smush everything around, seal and refrigerate if not making right away or simply seal and set aside while you prepare your wok.

Add the oil to the wok and turn it around carefully so that the sides get coated. Put over medium high heat and let get nice and hot for a couple of minutes. Carefully add the stir fry - the contents of the entire bag - to the wok using a wooden spoon to spread everything out as much as possible so it cooks evenly.

(FYI now is also the time to start your rice in another pot.)

Lower the heat slightly and cook, stirring every so often to keep everything from sticking as well as cooking evenly, for 4-5 minutes until the steak is cooked through and veggies have softened. This might take a little longer if you've opted for all the veggies as well as the full 1 1/2 pounds of steak as opposed to a pound.

Turn the heat off and let the stir fry rest for a couple of minutes. Serve over rice with chopped green onion and cilantro.

Have some steak, Baby. Smothered in The Pioneer Woman's Creamy Onion & Blue Cheese Sauce.

I'm on the Pioneer Woman diet. At the rate I've been cooking her recipes, I'll be ready for slaughter by Mother's Day. I'm gonna make a damn fine marbled ham.

I'll post all of the recipes soon but this onion blue cheese sauce begged to go first. Not gonna lie - you need to love you some blue cheese. Also not gonna lie - your whole household better love blue cheese because its scent will linger like a ghost until the next morning. This was no problem for me though - I could bathe in the stuff. Kidding.

The only changes I made were to use half and half instead of heavy cream which I'm SURE would be even richer and more ridiculous, to go a little lighter on the Worchestershire sauce and to boil it for several minutes to thicken it in light of not having used the heavy cream.

But I'll post it just as she makes it because I personally don't want to mess with a tall redhead nicknamed The Pioneer Woman.

Pioneer Woman's Creamy Onion Blue Cheese Sauce
* From Ree Drummond via Food Network

Ingredients
4 rib eye steaks (about 5 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stick softened butter
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 cup heavy cream 
3 to 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Directions
Preheat the grill to a high heat or light your outdoor grill.

Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper and smear both sides of the steaks with 1/2 stick of the butter.

Grill the steaks until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes per side, and then remove from the heat and keep warm. (You can also saute them in a skillet over medium-high heat if you prefer.)

Melt the remaining 1/2 stick of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and then saute the onions until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Pour in the cream, a dash of salt and pepper and the Worcestershire sauce. Let it bubble up, then add the blue cheese and stir together to melt, adding more pepper or Worcestershire sauce as you wish.

Place the steaks on plates and spoon the sauce over the top.

Take a bite. And the world at long last will make sense.

Drunken Irish Filets over Creamy Gorgonzola Grits

I have been dying to make 'drunk and dirty tenderloin' ever since I saw the recipe in an old book last year. The only problem is you need an entire filet of beef to marinate. And since my husband and I have been in perpetual house hunting mode it's hard to motivate oneself to go out and splurge on a $100 slab of beef. Then the damnest thing happened. The lovely people of Omaha Steaks contacted me asking if I'd care to review their products. Well, hell yes!

As a blogger you get the weirdest offers for free stuff to 'review.' I'm ashamed to say I've turned most of them down because I can't find it in my heart to say 'hey y'all - so and so's BBQ sauce is top notch!' if I've never actually used it before or don't believe in it.

Well the good news is Omaha Steaks and I have a little history. In high school I won a writing contest with a story about a horse we had rescued and the prize, among other things, was a delivery of tender-as-butter filet mignons from Omaha Steaks. I was hooked. And it so happens I send Omaha Steaks to friends and family every year at Christmas so I can stand proud in recommending them to my lovely readers out there. They are great gift for people who love good food but don't love to cook as they have entire meal packages including chocolate cake, twice baked potatoes, appetizers, etc. You just throw everything in the oven or on the grill and you have a party. In fact they're tagline says it perfectly - "Mix with Company." Love it.

Okay so back to that recipe I was telling you about. Well it was every bit as delicious as I hoped although the soy did make the beef appear a little parched in the photo (the end product was more delicious than the picture implies.) If you ever make this with individual steaks like I did and not an entire filet cut your marinating time to 4 hours max as the exposed surface of 'cut' meat will drink in the soy very quickly. The only changes I made were to use fresh ginger, since I was only marinating a short time, and to sub Jameson Irish Whiskey for the bourbon in the recipe. It's smooth as butter and is my marinade liquor of choice. And it's almost St. Patty's day so this is what you should be drinking and cooking with and filling your bathtub with anyway.

So thank you again Omaha Steaks! I was going to just blog about the filets but after making their pork chops last night I think you'll hear a little more about them in the coming weeks...

Drunken Irish Filets
Serves 2, easily doubled

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce (suggest lite soy if marinating longer than 3 hours)
1/4 cup Whiskey (Jameson)
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
2 garlic cloves , minced
2 beef filets

Directions:
Mix the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl until the brown sugar has dissolved and everything has made friends. Transfer to a large ziploc, add the steaks in and seal. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Remove from the marinade and pat off excess moisture.

Grill to your liking and serve with Gorgonzola grits. See below.

Creamy Gorgonzola Grits:
Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of a small/medium pot
1/2 cup chopped shallots
3/4 cup instant 'quick cook' grits
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
pinch fresh grated nutmeg
3/4-1 cup gorgonzola
1 tablespoon butter, optional
1/2 cup chopped green onions, divided

Directions:
Heat the olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper and sauté until translucent. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, stir in the grits along with a pinch of salt. Reduce heat slightly to an active simmer and stir constantly until grits are to the consistency you like (about 4-5 minutes.) Reduce heat to low and stir in the thyme, garlic powder, nutmeg, gorgonzola, butter and 1/4 cup of green onions. Taste for seasoning - I find I usually need to add quite a bit more salt but it depends on the stock you used, etc.

Serve the grits as a 'bed' for the steaks and garnish with additional green onion and more gorgonzola if desired.

All I Want for Valentines is Buffalo-Blue-Cheese-Crusted-Filet Mignon.

Clearly I was influenced by all the buffalo chicken wing Super Bowl recipes on TV recently. Because I had filets, blue cheese (is it okay that I spell it 'blue' because Wikipedia told me it was) and Panko bread crumbs. And this is what came out. Coincidentally I just secured my husband for another couple years. Until he meets the master-of-chocolate-super-hussie. Then I'm toast.

Buffalo Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon
Serves 2. Unless you don't mind yourself makin' weird, 'private moment' faces in front of company. Then by all means double or triple it!

Ingredients:
2 best quality beef fillets, set out of the fridge for 30 minutes to knock the chill off
salt and pepper
olive oil/butter is optional for the steak fanatics

'Crust':
1/4 cup blue cheese
1 oz cream cheese
2 teaspoons white wine or vermouth
small pinch fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon (or more) Franks Red Hot Sauce
2 teaspoons chopped chives or green onions, plus extra for garnish
1 cup panko in a wide bowl for coating

How To:
Preheat the oven to 400.

Combine the blue cheese, cream cheese, wine or vermouth, pepper, hot sauce, and green onions together in a small bowl with a fork until well blended. Use your hands to pat them into 2 patties. Carefully press them - one side, then the other - firmly but gently into the panko crumbs. Do what it takes to make them adhere. Fight stubborn with stubborn - but not to the point that you obliterate your patties. Keep a cool head.

Place the patties on a small baking sheet lined with aluminum foil sprayed with nonstick spray. Set aside while you sear the filets.

Meanwhile, pat any extra moisture off the fillets with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a small pan over medium heat (enough to get a good sear.) Add enough olive oil JUST to lightly coat the bottom. You can add a small bit of butter if you're a steak purist. Let the oil heat through 1 minute. Add the steaks (if the oil doesn't hiss a little, remove them immediately and wait until the oil heats up more.) Cook for about 3-4 minutes, until the first side has a nice dark crust on it and the steaks easily move when you try and pick them up. Flip to the other side and cook the same way - just until you get that crust. Remove and transfer to a small baking sheet and put in the preheated oven for 6 minutes (8 minutes for well done.) Remove, tint lightly with more foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, drizzle a small bit of olive oil over the top of the blue cheese patties. Put in the oven for 6-8 minutes (also at 400) until the tops are light golden and the patty has 'melted' a bit but not oozed completely lifelessly all over the damn place. See photo above for reference.

Use a spatula to carefully place on top of each fillet and serve. Garnish with additional green onions.

*Notice how many times I spelled 'fillet' differently? Wikipedia was no help on this one therefore I felt it my duty to cover it both ways. Or so I tell myself...

The New York Madame (New York Strip with a Fried Egg and Goat Cheese)

This is what happens when I skip lunch. I didn't intend to skip lunch (after all, this is me we're talking about.) It just happened. We went out to run a few errands and ended up staying out all day. I kept thinking we'd make it back in time for me to heat up some roasted tomato soup but by the time we got home it was dinner. And I was starving.

Now that I've justified this somewhat over-the-top-man-feast, I feel slightly better. Oh wait - did I mention I served it with fried onion rings and garlicky sauteed collard greens? Hmm. I should really go and exercise. But not before I tell you that my husband declared this his favorite meal of all time. I also have to mention that I can't help eating it without singing the lyrics to "Big Poppa" - "A t-bone steak, cheese, eggs and Welch's Grape..."

Forgive me - I'm a child of the 90's. RIP Biggie!

The New York Madame (New York Strips with a Fried Egg and Goat Cheese)
* Heavily inspired by/subconsciously lifted from Giada DeLaurentiis.
* Serves 2 very hungry people who may or may not have skipped lunch.

Ingredients:
2 NY strips with plenty of marbling around the edges
mustard powder
fennel seeds
fresh thyme
ground nutmeg
salt and pepper
2 eggs
2 oz goat cheese, divided
fresh chopped herbs - cilantro and basil, or flat leaf parsley

Instructions:
Pull your steaks out a half hour before you're ready to grill them. Season them on both sides with liberal amounts of mustard powder, fennel seeds, fresh thyme leaves, and just a teensy pinch of nutmeg. Cover with plastic wrap and let come to room temp for about 20-25 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400. Add about a teaspoon of olive oil to a large rimmed skillet and put over medium high heat, letting heat through and tilting to coat the bottom of the pan (you just need a thin layer.)

Season the steaks on both sides with fresh cracked pepper and kosher or sea salt. Add to the pan and let sear - not touching them - for 3-4 minutes until you have good browning and the steaks lift easily (release from the pan) when you try and pick them up with tongs. Flip and cook another 3 minutes or until you have equally grand bronzing, then carefully and quickly transfer to a greased rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes (less for medium rare, longer for medium well, depending on the thickness of your steaks.)

While the steaks bake in the oven, remove the goat cheese from the fridge and set aside. Pour off all the excess oil from the pan you seared the steaks in but enough to leave a thin coat and put back over medium heat (you can also give a spritz of nonstick spray to ensure the eggs don't stick.) Carefully crack the eggs into the pan, giving each its own space, and fry for about 2-3 minutes, until just sunny side up and fried only on the bottom. You want to cook the eggs less than you would for your usual sunny side up eggs, only because you're going to put them on top of hot steaks and they'll continue to cook because of this. Also you want your yolks runny here - that's the beauty of it - and once they're cooked - there's no more golden liquid to be had.

Take the pan off the heat and set the eggs aside while you retrieve the steaks.

Pull the steaks from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and smear with goat cheese - about an ounce per steak or to taste, then cover each with a sunny side up egg. Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper, then top the entire 'madame' with fresh minced herbs - any kind you like. Basil, parsley, and/or cilantro are wonderful here.

Eat up!

Gorgeously Green Tomatillo Cream Sauce for Beef, Chicken or your Chip Bowl

I made this up a few years ago to serve with Filet Mignon on Christmas Eve because I needed a backup for my mushroom mascarpone sauce (one of my nephews detests mushrooms.) I was panicked looking around my sister's pantry for something to make a sauce out of when I came across a huge can of tomatillos. I pretended I hadn't seen the expiration date (the tomatillos were as old as Jesus) and went with it.

The weird thing is this sauce is delicious served warm as an accompaniment to grilled or roasted meat as well as cold, straight from the fridge, as a dip for tortillas chips. But no matter how you prefer to eat it, it tastes even better when made ahead and chilled for a few hours (or even overnight.)

Pretty. Versatile. Improves with age. If this recipe were a woman I'd have to kill her.

Tomatillo Cream Sauce:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper, for seasoning
1 (28 oz) can tomatillos, well drained
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1/2 cup sour cream
2 heaping tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:
Add the olive oil or butter to a medium heavy bottomed dutch oven and put over medium heat. Let heat through for 1-2 minutes until warm and add the chopped onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add in the tomatillos and cook them in the onions, stirring occasionally for 12-15 minutes until the 1 or 2 of the tomatillos 'bursts' releasing its seeds into the pan OR until some of the onions begin to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan. You don't want them to start burning but some good browned bits are lovely. Add in the coriander, garlic powder, and white wine or vermouth and bring to a boil over high heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture, being sure to scrape up any sticky or browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let boil away stirring occasionally until the majority of the wine has evaporated and the mixture is beginning to thicken - about 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes before adding to your blender to puree. Blend until the tomatillos and onions are all broken down, then add the sour cream, herbs and salt and blend again.

Taste to see if you need more salt or pepper, make any adjustments, blend again and serve. Sauce can made ahead and stored up to 3 days in the fridge in a tightly sealed container. Either serve cold if using for dip or reheat as a sauce over a low flame on the stove.

Beer Marinated Flank Steak Fajitas, Courtesy of Hearst Ranch

Do you ever see a recipe you'd love to make then get busy and forget all about it? That happens to me more than I like to admit (especially with the amount of cookbooks I own. If I don't stop you will soon see me on an episode of Hoarders.)

Anyway this recipe from Epicurious was one of those I had forgotten about. Luckily I stumbled across it again just about the time Hearst Ranch sent me these lovely Grass Fed Flank steaks via the wonderful folks at Foodie Blogroll. If you love browsing food blogs or particularly if you blog yourself be sure check out their site. It is - in the words of Rachel Zoe - 'major.'

I had never been sent a product to review before and for the record did not get paid and was told to write honestly about my feelings - good or bad. Maybe I got lucky this time but goodness gracious these were neither good or bad - they were fantastic! I know flank steaks can get a bad wrap if not prepared correctly so I did a bit of reading up before making them finding tips from such wonderful blogs as One Perfect Bite.

It seems the key with flank steak is to cook it quickly either in a searing hot skillet for just a couple minutes per side or on the grill. Another trick is to only cook them to medium rare but to be honest I went a little further than that (if Kris sees blood on his plate, it's game over) and they were still great. Just be sure to let them rest before slicing against the grain on the diagonal and you'll have yourself some delicious meat to stuff into a piping hot tortilla.

Beer Marinated Flank Steak with Jalapeno and Green Onions
* Lightly adapted from Epicurious
* You can buy grass fed steaks online from Hearst Ranch
* If you'd like more kick, leave the seeds in both peppers before chopping
* Be sure to until your flank steak - you can see I forgot this step in the above marinating photo;)

Ingredients:
Flank steak, as much as you need (this marinade should hold up to 2 1/2 pounds)

1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 fat green onions, sliced thinly
4 fat garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped (one seeded and the other with seeds and all)
1 12-ounce bottle dark beer (actually a good quality light beer will do also in a pinch)
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk up the oregano, cumin, salt, oil, green onions, garlic, and jalapenoes. Carefully pour in the beer and Worcestershire sauce and gently stir again to mix.

Transfer the marinade to shallow, rimmed Pyrex or ceramic baking dish. Add the steak (if it's been tied, untie it so it lies flat) making sure it is well covered by the mixture (a large ziploc will also work.) Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, turning the steak over to the other side midway.)

Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and let come closer to room temperature. Preheat a gas grill to medium heat. While it's heating, remove the steak from the marinade, scrape off any stragglers, and dab both sides onto a stack of paper or kitchen towels to dry. Season lightly with salt and pepper on both sides and add to the grill, away from direct flame for 3 minutes. Turn to the other side, shut the lid, and cook for 4 minutes (if your steak is particularly thick you may want to open the door and let cook with the door open another 1-2 minutes.)

Remove to a baking sheet or cutting board, cover lightly with foil and let rest for ten minutes before slicing. Remember to cut against the striation patterns in the meat.

Hook 'Em Horns!

Sure Fire Steak Marinade

One of the conundrums of being a home cook is wanting to find more 'easy' recipes then being leery of them if they seem too easy. At least that's the vicious vortex I'm forever finding myself in the middle of. The truth is 'less is more' recipes give me the sweats.

This marinade is an exception. Any cut of steak is better for having taken a long relaxing soak in it. In fact you could probably do away with the red pepper flakes and rosemary as you don't really notice them in the end product. I however am too paranoid to leave them out, convinced they perform some sort of magical ritual together in the oven.

You'll want to marinate your steaks for at least 7 hours in the fridge, flipping them over halfway through for even soakage, then removing them 45 minutes before you're set to grill. Don't be alarmed when the marinade becomes a little pastey in parts. Just scrape any solidified clumps off the steaks and dab them with a paper towel before grilling.

Sure Fire Steak Marinade
* Adapted from All Recipes
* This marinade will hold up to 4 filets or 3 NY strips/Ribeyes or 2 Porterhouses

Ingredients:
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted then cooled
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like)
1 (3 inch) sprig of rosemary

Directions:
Combine all in a medium bowl with a whisk or fork then carefully pour into a large sealable plastic bag. Add your steaks turning them over a few times to be sure they're all anointed. Chill for at least 7 hours, turning over half way, then remove 45 minutes before grilling. Right before you grill, remove the steaks from the marinade dabbing them thoroughly with a paper or kitchen towel. No need to season further with salt but you can sprinkle with pepper if you like.

Pour Some Tequila on Me Fajitas

The name says it all. If you were looking for something to grill up for the 4th, I humbly suggest this. This marinade would make roadkill taste good.

Pour Some Tequila on Me Fajitas

Tequila Marinade:
1/2 cup tequila
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons double concentrated tomato paste
couple pinches fresh cracked pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 jalapano, sliced (seeds and all)
1 lemongrass stalk, thinly sliced (the tender inner part only - you'll know b/c it's the only 'cuttable' part after peeling)
5-6 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
1 teaspoon dried thyme, rubbed between your fingers
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
goat cheese or sharp cheddar
flour tortillas
chopped cilantro, onion, green onion, tomatoes, or any additions you like

Instructions:
Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour it and the steak into a large sealable plastic bag. Marinate for 4-5 hours, removing from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to take the chill off. Use a pair of tongs or a fork to remove the steak from the marinade and gently set it on some paper towels flipping over once to remove any excess. Discard any garlic or lemongrass if it's still sticking to it. Season both sides lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a grill pan over medium flame on your stove (of course you can grill them on a proper grill if you like) letting it heat through for a few minutes. Spray with nonstick spray and add the steak, distributing it as evenly as possible (with a long piece of skirt steak, I put it in a 'u' shape to utilize as much surface area as possible.) Cook for about 4 minutes the first side or until you get a nice sear. Flip to the other side and after it's been on for one minute, reduce the heat and let cook about 5-6 minutes for medium well. Remove to a plate or baking sheet and tent with foil to let rest for ten minutes before slicing.

Cut against the grain (skirt steak has those signature striations - go against the flow with your knife) and spoon into warm tortillas along with whatever toppings you like. I have to admit - I never would have thought it - but these are FANTASTIC with goat cheese. It's the tang, y'all. And I loved the flavor of the meat so, so much that's all I wanted on it.

Southwestern Filet Mignon over Coriander Futuccini Alfredo

As promised - my Valentine's Day dinner - a little late...

This meal is a knockout. Filet Mignon is a treat and what I was going for on Valentine's Day but this marinade would probably be even better with a skirt or flank steak.

These two dishes - the steak and pasta - are wonderfully compatible in that they cook at the same time. Just have the pasta water boiling and ready, then wait to add the pasta to it when you put the steaks in the oven. Even if the steaks need longer than the time the pasta takes to cook, you can drain the pasta once al dente, saving a little pasta water to revive it later, and return it to the same pot mixing in the butter and parmesan to melt. Put the lid on while you wait for the steak and all will be forgiven.

I had never eaten steak over pasta before, finding the idea up until now somewhat disloyal both to steakhouses and Italians, but this is a perfect example of why rules are made to be broken.

One last nerdy tidbit - did you know that coriander and cilantro are the same thing? I'd like to say I had always known this, but truth be told, I only learned this about five years ago. Cilantro are actually the leaves of the coriander plant while 'coriander' is what the seeds or fruit are referred to as in the spice aisle (either as whole seeds or ground.)

The funny thing is that when I was little, I used to get so mad when my mom would put cilantro in her guacamole or salsa (my older siblings loved it!) Well who could blame them? Looking back I can't imagine having any emotions towards this hypnotic herb besides love and affection. See why I included it on Valentine's Day? You can keep your caviar and lobster, thank you.

Southwestern Steak Marinade Recipe and Instructions:
2 nice sized Filet Mignon OR a 1 1/2 pounds flank or skirt steak or steak of your preference

Marinade:
2 obese garlic cloves, chopped, or 4 small
2 tablespoon chipotle puree
large handful of cilantro - stalks and all - chopped
2 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
zest of 1 small lime
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
3 tablespoons orange juice
fresh cracked pepper
2 tablespoons minced shallots

Mix the marinade together. Place fillets inside a large ziploc. Pour the marinade over and smush around to make sure all sides are coated. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, removing at least a half hour before cooking.

To cook, heat your oven to 375. Grease a stovetop grill and place it over medium heat, letting heat up for a few minutes or until it feels hot when you hold your hand within a couple inches from it. Remove the steaks from the marinade, scraping off any big bits of garlic/cilantro/shallot/etc. Season both sides WELL with kosher or sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Add the steaks to the grill, cooking about 3 minutes per side or just until you get really nice marks and the steak pulls away easily from the grill with tongs.

Transfer to a small, greased baking sheet and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until cooked medium. If your steaks are particularly large, you may need to keep them in for 15-18 minutes to reach medium. And of course - if they're small, try putting them in for less to begin - you can always return them to the oven but once they're cooked - they're cooked.

Remove the steaks and cover loosely with foil for 10 minutes to let the juices redistribute. Slice on the bias and serve in a fan over your pasta. Garnish with additional fresh cilantro and the spiced pine nuts, recipe below.

Coriander Futuccini Alfredo with Spiced Pine Nuts
Ingredients:
1/2 pound fettucini or linguini
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, or up to 1/2 teaspoon if you really want that punch
good grating fresh cracked pepper - at least 1/3 teaspoon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
pinch salt
splash pasta water
handful freshly chopped cilantro

Instructions:
Heat a medium lidded pot of water over high heat. Let reach a boil - it will bubble away until you're ready to add the pasta. Once ready, add a small handful of kosher or sea salt. Let return to a boil then add the pasta, cooking for just 7 minutes or until al dente. Syphon off 1/3 cup of pasta water for later, then drain the pasta in a colander. Return the pasta to the pot and immediately stir in the coriander , pepper, butter, and Parmesan. If serving right away, add in a small bit of salt, a splash of the reserved pasta water and fresh cilantro. If not serving right away, cover with the lid and hold off adding these last ingredients until just before serving.

Spiced Pine Nuts:
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted at 350 for 5 minutes or JUST until golden brown. As soon as removed from the oven, toss with 1/4 a teaspoon olive oil, tiny pinch salt, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, and 1/8 teaspoon coriander. Set aside until you're ready for them.

Happy Birthday Dad! (Filets with Salsa Verde and Garlicy Grilled Potato Wedges)

Today is my dad's birthday. And while he wasn't quite the culinary influence in my life that my mom was, I give him due credit in fulfilling another part of my foodie development. The man LOVES food - particularly meat and potatoes - but surprisingly enough has an appreciation for the more sophisticated side of food. I recall a time in college when he dropped by me and my girlfriends' house with a basket of goodies from Central Market (the other Whole Foods of Austin, TX.)

That basket was filled with a high quality balsamic vinegar and other epicurean goodies that I had absolutely no appreciation for at the time. I remember thinking - what the hell am I going to do with this? Well, a good ten years later, I now know what to do, and am dually and belatedly, appreciative. And now, when I find myself lost in a grocery store or a gourmet market in Manhattan, completely seduced by the plethora of options and possibilities around me, I know who to blame.

Happy Birthday Dad!!! I love you!!!

(ps - the pic above is my hubby - not my dad:)

Filets with Salsa Verde and Garlicy Grilled Potato Wedges
Serves 4.

4 fillet mignon, or NY Strip steaks
salt and pepper

Salsa Verde:
large handful fresh, washed cilantro
8-10 fresh mint leaves
small handful fresh washed flat leaf parsley
zest of 1/2 lemon
good pinch salt
small pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil

Potato wedges:
3 Russet Potatoes, cut in half, length-wise, then each half cut into quarters length wise (so you have 8 'wedges' per potato)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 scant teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

lots of aluminum foil

1. Prepare the salsa verde by putting all of the ingredients into a blender or processor and pulsing until the herbs are set aside. Taste for salt and pepper, adjusting if necessary. Transfer to a small serving bowl with a spoon and have ready, standing by.

2. Grease the grates of your grill with peanut oil or vegetable oil (you can use a paper towel doused with oil to wipe down the grates.) Preheat the grill to medium high heat - about 400. Meanwhile, place the potato wedges into a large bowl and add the seasonings - the garlic cloves through the red pepper flakes.

3. Prepare the potato 'tray' overlapping two long sheets of aluminum foil by about 3 inches on the overlap. Dump the potatoes onto the center, making sure they all lay flat and do not overlap with one another and also that you leave an even border around them of at least 2 inches. Add a top layer of foil directly over the center, then fold over the edges to crimp and seal.

3. Transfer the potatoes to the center of the grill and shut the top for 15 minutes.

4. After the potatoes have been cooking 15 minutes, open the grill and flip them carefully and quickly. Immediately season the steaks on both side with salt and pepper, and grill about 5-6 minutes per side for medium/well for thinner steaks or 7-8 for thicker steaks (obviously less time if you like rarer and maybe more for well.)

5. At this point you can check the potatoes by removing them carefully with tongs and using the tongs or mitts to open a side and check them for doneness. (They should cook for a total of about 40 minutes.) If they're still pale - they'll need more time, and if they're a little blackened - that's okay, though ideally they'll be a deep golden brown on both sides.

6. As soon as the steaks come off the grill, anoint them with a couple spoonfuls of salsa verde, and serve.

London Broil, Texas-Style with a Warm Peach, Tomato and Okra Salad

I haven't forgotten about you. You are very much in my thoughts. I've just been swamped with work (about to leave for a month-long shoot) AND moving apartments. In fact, I've been putting off posting because I am so eager to get into my new kitchen! I'll write more details when and if we move in - I don't want to jinx it.

In the meantime, here's a recipe that very well could become a summer entertaining staple at our house. The intense marinade makes even the lowly London broil take on a regal, 'look at me' character And when paired with the accompanying warm summer salad - well, you are literally eating summer with a knife and fork.

Enjoy the early days of summer (like a love affair - always the best part) and fingers crossed that my next post is from our new home!

London Broil, Texas-Style (in Cilantro Jalapeno Marinade)

Ingredients:
1 lb London broil, cut into 4 steaks

1 jalapeno, roughly chopped (it's up to you wether or not to remove the seeds and ribs - I usually keep them in and it's not too hot)
2 cups fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:
Add the jalapeno through the vinegar to a blender or food processor. Blend until well broken down, then add the oil and blend until well incorporated.

Place your steaks in a large ziploc bag or in a rimmed baking dish. Pour the marinade over and toss the steaks around to make sure they're well coated. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or preferably overnight.

Take the steaks out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Just before grilling, remove from the marinade, gently patting dry with a paper towel (you don't need to literally dry them - just give get off any excess and remove any outstanding herbs if grilling indoors as they will burn and result in the fire department paying you a visit:)

Season LIGHTLY with salt and pepper (this is optional - they'll have enough flavor but I'm a creature of habit.)

Preheat your grill pan to medium high, letting heat up for a few minutes, then add the steaks. After getting a nice sear (about 1 minute), reduce heat slightly and cook another 3-4 minutes (for medium) before flipping and cooking another 3 -4 minutes.

Remember to let your steaks rest a good 5 minutes, tented with foil to keep them warm, before slicing.

Warm Peach, Tomato, and Okra Salad with Toasted Pepitas

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen whole okra
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 peaches, just ripe, quartered
2 ripe vine tomatoes, de-stemmed and quartered
1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons pepitas (I use the ones that are roasted and salted)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Add the okra (no need to thaw) to a large rimmed baking sheet or glass baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and the red pepper flakes. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix around until all okras are anointed.

Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the tomatoes and peaches, sprinkling over the ground coriander. Add the rest of the olive oil and mix around, redistributing the veggies evenly throughout the pan. Return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes. Remove scattering over the fresh herbs and pepitas. Serve piping hot or at room temp.

Chinese Takeout From Your Own Kitchen

You know how sometimes a chef on a cooking show will say to you, completely stone faced, "You can make this dish faster than you can call in for takeout!" (Yes, Rachael Ray, I mean YOU.)

Normally, I want to pick up my TV and throw it across the room when I hear things like this, simply for the reason that yes, if you had a sous chef (or a team of them behind the scenes at the Food Network kitchen) doing all the chopping and assembling, then perhaps this could be kind of close to being true. You'd still have to clean up though, and there's no magic button for that.

I guess my point is, if you're really not in the mood to cook, nothing beats the luxury of picking up your phone and dialing your favorite tried and true takeout (or here in NY) delivery place. It's man's greatest achievement as far as I'm concerned.

That said, there is also something wonderful about having your own 'takeout' dishes you can make at home. Maybe not faster than it takes to call in a delivery order, but still pretty quick, and without the random but inevitable pitfalls of takeout (i.e. that annoying little voice in the back of your mind that tells you that meat in your Cashew chicken is in fact deep fried...the occasional underdone turkey burger...or even God forbid, the little black hair in your Spinach salad.)

This is one of those meals. You can use any cut of steak you like, but for me, you know which one I'm using - the grand petite fillet. Once seared, rolled in Hoisin sauce, and baked off, the meat becomes tender and slightly caramelized from the sweet sauce and reminds me of my favorite childhood Chinese takeout dish - pork spare ribs.

The vegetables are the perfect foil for the slightly sweet meat - super fresh tasting with a little kick from the fresh ginger and red pepper flakes. And while 3 garlic cloves may seem like a lot, I promise you they just cook down and blend in with all the other flavors - elevating them slightly but without taking the limelight, much like the most talented of supporting actors.

If you're on the low carb thing, just prepare the beef sans the hoisin sauce, maybe sprinkling over a little garlic powder with the salt and pepper before searing.

Hoisin Glazed Fillets with Ginger Garlic Vegetables

Equipment:
1 small baking sheet, covered in foil and sprayed with nonstick spray, for easier clean up
1 large rimmed skillet, to sear the beef and cook the vegetables in
cutting board for the vegetables
sharp knife
small bowl for holding the Hoisin sauce

Ingredients:
2 fillet mignon steaks
tongs, for handling meat
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce (you can eyeball this - no need to dirty a measuring cup)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup broccoli florets, frozen or fresh
10 oz Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
pinch red pepper flakes
1 bunch fresh green onions, rinsed and cut into 1 inch pieces, green and white parts separated
1 small piece of fresh ginger, (about 1/2 inch), peeled and sliced into paper thin slices
1/2 cup vermouth or white wine

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375.

Meanwhile, season your fillets with salt and pepper. Heat up your large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, allow to heat through for 1 minute, then add your steaks. Cook for about 2 minutes per side (more for larger steaks) until seared and golden brown. Remove the pan from heat and using tongs, dunk the steaks in the Hoisin sauce one at a time. Be sure to coat them on all side, then transfer the steaks to your awaiting baking sheet.

Put in the oven for 6-8 minutes for medium rare. Once it's cooked to your liking, you can shut the heat off, leaving the steaks inside. This will keep them warm while you finish the vegetables.

Using the same pan, add the rest of the olive oil and bring back up to medium heat. Add the broccoli, mushrooms, white parts of the green onions, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have begun to soften and cook down - about 7 minutes. Add the white wine and the green pieces of the green onions, and raise the heat slightly allowing the liquid to simmer. Cook until the majority of the liquid has evaporate. Taste for salt and serve as a bed for the steak.

Giada's Petite Fillets with Gorgonzola, Shallot & Porcini Sauce

I have a weakness for beef tenderloin. I know there are those who say a New York strip is king, others who swear by the mighty Porterhouse or praise the magical marbling of a rib eye, but fillet is the cut for me.

The fact is, I crave protein more than I do pastas and starches, and there's only so much salmon and chicken a person can eat. Which is why fillets find their way onto my skillet more often than a recession should allow. Velvety tender and buttery despite the absence of fat, there are any number of ways to cook with it.

This particular recipe is from Giada DeLaurentiis. I've adjusted some of the ratios here (Porcinis are too expensive and assertive in my opinion to use an entire cup of them) and swapped out light mayo instead of regular, but Giada gets all the credit for this one. If you've never cooked with dried Porcinis, don't let their scent sway you from trying them. They may smell a bit like dirty socks dry, but I promise I'd never serve you anything that actually tastes like dirty socks. Just remember to rinse them well after rehydrating and before chopping.

Giada's Petite Fillets with Gorgonzola, Shallot & Porcini Sauce

Ingredients:
3 ounces (about 3 tablespoons) Gorgonzola
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or basil or tarragon or a combo there of)

1 scant tablespoons olive oil
2 (4 to 6-ounce) petite filet of beef
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large or 2 small shallots, sliced (about 3 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 handful dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water from the kettle for 10 minutes, drained, rinsed and rough chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine



Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the Gorgonzola, mayonnaise, and mustard in a food processor and combine until smooth (or just whisk vigorously in a small bowl and set aside.)

Sprinkle both sides of the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe medium skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place the filet in the pan. Cook until browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer the steak (reserving your skillet and juices!) to a small baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray and transfer to the oven and bake until a meat thermometer reads 130 degrees F. for medium-rare, about 6-8 minutes, or 8-10 for medium. Remove the beef from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the shallots to your same skillet over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and saute for 3 minutes before adding the mushrooms and cooking another 5 minutes. Add the white wine and continue to cook until the majority of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 more minutes. Add the Gorgonzola mixture along with the fresh herbs and gently stir to combine. Taste for salt and pepper (you can thin the sauce out if necessary with a slash of more white wine, chicken stock or half and half), turn heat to lowest setting while you slice the beef.

Plate the beef in a fan on individual plates and pour over a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce. Reserve leftover sauce (if any) for another use, such as roast beef (or leftover tenderloin) sandwiches.

Herb Coated New York Strips with Home Made Cheese Fries

A true meat and potatoes meal, with a slightly zen twist. Fresh herbs and lemon zest lighten up the heavy meatiness of the New York Strip in this dish. I grew up with mostly dried herbs - I think most people in suburban America did. But as an adult, I have become addicted to the taste of fresh herbs and the liveliness they add to almost anything, including fresh flat leaf parsley which I wouldn't even touch a few years ago.

Since I was roasting the potatoes for quite a while, I did use dried chives so they wouldn't burn, but you could snip over some fresh after they've had their cheese bath.

Herb Coated New York Strips
Serves 2

quick note - these are great on an outdoor grill but in the winter work well indoors on a grill pan over the stove

1 New York Strip steak - large enough for two - nice and red with respectable marbling
small handful fresh washed Italian (flat leaf, not curly) parsley, minced
4 basil leaves, minced
pinch of fresh rosemary leaves, minced (about 1/4 teaspoon)
a sprig of fresh mint, leaves removed and minced
zest of 1/2 a lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher or sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper

In a small bowl, mix your minced herbs with the lemon zest and olive oil. Place your steak on a small, foil lined baking sheet and spread the herb mixture over, coating every nook and cranny of the steak including both sides. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Oil your grill grates with peanut oil if outside, or spray an indoor grill pan with nonstick spray if cooking indoors. Turn grill onto medium high heat, or your stove top to medium high letting the pan get nice and hot.

Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper, and grill about 8 minutes per side, lowering heat to medium after the first few minutes (always takes a bit longer on an indoor grill pan for me - closer to 11 each side for medium well.) Remove and let rest for ten minutes before splitting with a loved one.


Home Made Cheese Fries
Serves 2 plus second helpings.

2 small Russet Potatoes, washed, dried and cut into wedges
3-4 tablespoons olive oil - enough to give all the wedges a good coating as well as the bottom of your pan
Sea salt and pepper, for seasoning
2 teaspoons dried chives
1/2 cup shredded white or regular sharp cheddar
1 teaspoon fresh or dried chives for garnishing

Preheat your oven to 400. Add your potato wedges to your largest rimmed baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper. Douse them in the olive oil - you want to make sure they're all coated in it, but not swimming. Space them out on the pan so that they each have their own breathing room - at least 3/4 of an inch from one another - or they won't crisp. There should be some extra oil on the bottom of the pan but not a swimming pool. Sprinkle over the 2 teaspoons of dried chives and put in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the sheet and check one of the bottoms of the wedges to see if it's turned golden brown. If it has, carefully flip all of them over, rotate the sheet, and put it back in the oven for another 20 minutes lowering the oven to 375. If it's not golden yet - put it back in for another 5 or so minutes, until they cooperate, before proceeding with the flipping. You will know when the potatoes are ready - or better yet if you don't taste one. If they're not that perfect crunchy on the outside and soft as cake on the inside then keep baking them. The thing with potatoes is, you can't rush them. Sadly, they call the shots.

Once they're cooked and golden, remove them from the oven and place a nice handful into oven proof bowls. Top with your shredded cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Carefully remove and top with extra chives (you could also sprinkle over some cooked bacon if you feel like celebrating.)

Parmesan Crusted, Stuffed and Chicken-Fried Filet Mignon

It may have been snowing all day here yesterday in NY, but my kitchen was filled with the flavors of summer. We had (deep breath here...) Parmesan Crusted, goat cheese, basil, sundried tomato and lemon stuffed fillet mignon for dinner. As I write this, I wish I'd made extra so I could have it for lunch today...it was dreamy.

I know - I know - not exactly light fare. But I told you, I was already getting bored with all that healthy stuff. And now that we've covered a few healthful recipes for the New Year, we can get back to having fun! In moderation, of course...

By the way, I overheard a debate over the definition of 'chicken fried' versus 'country fried' recently, and felt a little embarrassed I didn't have my facts down on the subject, being a Texan and all. Here's a little lesson on the topic, from Wikipedia:

Chicken fried steak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chicken fried steak (also known as country fried steak) is a piece of beef steak (tenderized cube steak) coated with seasoned flour and pan fried. It is associated with Southern U.S. cuisine and hospitality. Its name is likely due to chicken fried steak's similarity in preparation to fried chicken, though the dish is also similar to the classic Viennese dish Wiener Schnitzel, a tenderized veal cutlet, coated with flour, eggs and breadcrumbs and fried.

History:
The precise origins of the dish are unclear but many sources attribute its development to German and Austrian immigrants to Texas in the nineteenth century who brought recipes from Europe to the USA: Wiener Schnitzel.[1] The German preparation, of course, is different but the similarities are obvious. Lamesa, the seat of Dawson County on the Texas South Plains, claims to be the birthplace of chicken fried steak, as does Bandera, TX.[2]
Chicken fried steak is among numerous popular dishes which make up the official state meal of Oklahoma.[3][4]

Apparently, the only difference between chicken fried and country fried is that in 'country frying', no egg wash is used. Another food geek nugget - did you know that chicken fried chicken is just fried chicken off the bone, versus 'fried chicken' that still has its little limbs? And of course, there's always DEEP frying, but that's another subject all together.

These would actually be great for company, as you can bread them earlier in the day and keep them in the fridge before frying up. Just be sure to remove them about a half hour or so before cooking so that the filling gets nice and molten when cooked.

Parmesan Crusted, Stuffed and Chicken Fried Filet Mignon
Serves 3.

Ingredients:
3 small filet mignon steaks, a good half inch thick or a little over
3 oz goat cheese mixed with 1 heaping tablespoon cream cheese
3 large basil leaves, minced
3 large sundried tomatoes, minced
zest of one small lemon (half a teaspoon or so)
salt and pepper
3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs mixed with 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan and 1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
Olive oil
Egg wash - one egg beaten with half a cup of milk or half and half
couple tablespoons flour for dredging

Make your cheese stuffing by combining the goat cheese, cream cheese, lemon zest, sundried tomatoes, basil and a pinch of salt together with a fork. Set aside.

With a pairing knife, cut a slit in each filet, going along length-wise and stopping 1/4 inch before you cut through the other side. You want to make little 'pockets' to hold as much of the filling as possible. Stuff with the filling - as much as you can without it falling out when pick them up - about a tablespoon and a half - depending on the size of your fillets.

Continue the breading process by sprinkling some flour over your steaks, then rolling them around in it for a bit to give the entire exterior a light coating. If you're cooking right away, preheat your oven to 350 and heat up large nonstick skillet over medium high heat with a tablespoon of oil and enough olive oil to coat the entire bottom of the pan.

Set up your panko/parmesan/pepper bowl next to your egg wash bowl. When your oil is hot, begin breading by giving each fillet a quick dip in the egg wash (coating all sides) then the panko mixture, pressing in to get a good coating. (If you're not making right away, you can put them on a small cookie sheet sprinkled with more of the panko coating to rest on, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

Add the steaks to your pan, getting a nice sear on each side - about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Using tongs, GENTLY stand them on end to sear the narrow edges, turning as needed.

Transfer (careful not to squeeze out the cheese) to an aluminum lined baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for ten minutes (when clear juices begin to run out - it's time to take them out!)

Tip 1: You want your oil HOT, so give it a few minutes to heat up before adding the steaks. If it's not hot enough - you'll know. You won't get that hissing sound, and the meat will kind of sit there, soaking up all the oil getting weighed down and soggy, versus 'crisping' and getting that nice brown crust you want.

Tip 2: If making ahead, cover a small cookie sheet with two layers of foil. The first will hold the steaks in the fridge (which you discard after frying.) After frying, just put the steaks back on the same cookie sheet to put in the oven. Less washing up!

Cookbook Therapy and Chocolate Steaks

I've mentioned the frightening number of cookbooks I own before. I have to be honest - they are an obsession of mine. I literally think of them as my 'jewels.' They take me to places and moments and memories I long for, and oddly, even to dinners and gatherings that haven't yet taken place. They are magical.

Thank the Lord we have a loft in our apartment (once slated for guests and/or a reading room but whose destiny has since turned into housing my cookbook library as well as seasonal decorations.)

When I am stressed or life worn or feeling fragile - I read cookbooks. When I am beaten down by long work hours and my attention span has been reduced to that of a guinea pig's and I can't fathom opening an actual book - I read cookbooks. When the city has gotten to me (don't get me wrong - I love New York more than I thought I could love a city, but occasionally we fight - such as when the hot water goes out and we have to track down our shady landlord which sometimes takes days... or the time I woke up early one Sunday morning and sprinted out to grab a cappucino, only to discover a massive pile of human poo in our entry way...)

The reasons go on. When I am posessed by the need to throw a party - I read cookbooks. You get my point - cookbooks are there for me from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. They reset my equilibrium when it needs resetting and kickstart my imagination when it begins winding up like an old clock.

So it's no surprise that for my birthday - I recieved a cookbook or two. And it's also no surprise that they came from some of the extraordinary cooks in my life - my sister Jennifer and my mother in law Charlotte.

For this post, I'm going to talk about one of the books from Charlotte called W.I.N.O.S. (are you trying to tell me something, Charlotte?;) W.I.N.O.S. (aka - Women in need of Sanity) features recipes that use chocolate or wine among the ingredients. And even though I'd just had steak a few nights before - guess which recipe first caught my eye?

New York strips with chocolate merlot sauce (I am my father's daughter, after all.) Now first off, don't geek out over the thought of this combination. After all, chocolate is a common ingredient in a classic chicken mole, as well as in some chili recipes. It's not really THAT crazy.

However, I knew when I set out to make this that a) I would make a few changes and b) the entire concept of putting chocolate into a sauce might not turn out to be quite the party I had hoped. And while I won't pretend this recipe is for everyone, I found it very tasty and unusual in a good way. As did Kris.

So, when your hormones are pumping on all cylinders and/or you want to try something unusual and new, I suggest - Steak AND Chocolate!

SPICY GRILLED NEW YORK STRIP WITH CHOCOLATE MERLOT SAUCE:
for 2

Sauce:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion (preferably Vidalia), thinly sliced
2 tspns minced garlic
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Merlot
1 T Garam Masala *
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tspn chopped fresh rosemary + sprigs for garnish

* Garam Masala is a traditional Indian spice mixture made up of ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, caraway, and mace or nutmeg. It's literal translation is 'hot' or 'warm spice' and it is an incredible thing to have in your pantry arsenal as its an instant shortcut to TONS of flavor. You can find it in most grocery stores in the spice section, or order it online from high end specialty stores, such as Dean and Deluca.

Steaks:
2 best quality New York strip steaks
2 T garam masala*
2 tspns fennel seeds
1/4 tspn kosher salt


Remove steaks from the fridge and unwrap the butcher paper. Sprinkle the garam masala powder, fennel seeds, and salt even over each steak, then rub the seasonings into the meat (ALL sides, especially into the fat and any nooks and crannies.) Let steaks sit at room temperature while you prepare the sauce.

To get the sauce going, heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, letting it warm through, then toss in the onions, garlic, and jalapeno. Saute, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened and become transluscent. Add the Merlot, quickly bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until liquid has reduced by half. Stir in the garam masala and chocolate, until chocolate has melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in the chopped rosemary and reduce heat to low just to keep the sauce warm until you're ready to serve.

Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat (you can also 'grill' your steaks on an indoor grill pan set over your stove top on medium-high heat. Adjust grilling time as needed.) Using tongs, carefully place your steaks onto your grill, at an angle so you get those pretty grill marks. Leave them alone with the grill open for 4-5 minutes for medium, 6-7 minutes for well done. Carefully flip them, then shut the grill for 2-3 minutes. Open the grill for one more minute, then remove steaks to an aluminum lined baking sheet to rest. DO NOT cut into your steaks for at least 10 minutes, as they will continue to cook and juices will re-distribute.

When ready to serve, place each strip in the center of your plate, top with chocolate merlot sauce, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Two People and Half a Cow

Now there are about 1001 things I love about living in this city, but I have to say the best is living just around the corner from Murray's Cheese and from two of the city's best butcher shops - Faicco's and Florence Meat Market.

Faicco's on Bleecker is not unlike stepping into a butcher shop in Italy, complete with flirtatious Italian men behind the counter who act like they'd slice up their co worker up for you if you asked them to.

Florence is even more old world, or old school - so tiny you can barely squeeze yourself past the chopping block by the front door. Plus there's sawdust on the floor to make it even more of an experience.

Going there on Christmas Eve to pick up my Prime Rib, I got a little emotional. I was the youngest person in there by about thirty years and I got the distinct impression that the other customers had been going there for at least that long. People were coming in left and right handing the owner and two ladies behind the counter bottles of Christmas wine and liquor wrapped in festive ribbons. While I waited, I studied the many newspaper articles and awards on the wall behind me. Apparently they shipped their prime rib all over the world. And I was lucky enough to just walk a block to pick one up.

But back to the beef. Let's get something straight. On the phone, I had asked them for the smallest Prime Rib roast I could get (it was just for Kris and I) that would still be considered a roast. "No problem," they'd said. We'll have a nice two rib roast for you."

Well, as I stood there waiting for my petite two ribber, I noticed one of the butchers wrapping up what was no less than half of a small cow with butcher paper. "Wow," I thought to myself. "That's a lot of meat."

Imagine my surprise when they handed it over to me, along with the price written write on it - $82. The whole staff beamed proudly and expectedly at me, and in a very Seinfeld moment, I handed over my credit card and paid then ducked out the door, too embarrased to protest the size and price, with them still smiling excitedly at me.

Kris wasn't too thrilled about our new 'investment', but it was Christmas so by default he wasn't allowed to say anything.

On Christmas day, I set out 'the cow' on my new butcher block (thanks dad!) to come to room temperature. After the turkey debacle on Thanksgiving, nothing was going to ruin this wonderful, once a year holiday treat.

Meanwhile, I made up the marinade. I had researched about 400 rubs and marinades for Prime Rib - from the kosher salt crust you break off before eating to the traditional horseradish and garlic to the simplest (and some say the best) salt and pepper. I went with none and all of them, creating my own. And since I don't usually measure as I cook, here's what I recall it being to the best of my knowledge:

Alisa's Cow Rub:

2 cloves garlic, chopped and smashed to a pasty constistency
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tsps sugar
1 tsp hot English dry mustard (Coleman's)
2 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 tspn prepared horseradish
1 very large (nearly small onion sized) shallot, minced (my guess is 3 tablespoons, give our take)
3-4 tablespoons olive oil (enough to make a spreadable mixture of it all but not too much that it won't stick to meat)
few grounds of fresh cracked pepper

Smear mixture ALL over prime rib, including bones and fat, nooks and crannies.

Allow meat to 'marinate' at least one hour with its new dress clothes on (if longer just stick it in fridge removing at least one hour before roasting again.)

Now it was time to roast this mythical, massive thing. The marinade smelled so good it had already filled up the whole house with a sweet yet savory rosemary perfume. All I had to do was salt it by liberally sprinkling a tablespoon and a half of kosher over my former farm resident.

I put it in the oven and let it go for twenty minutes at at 425 then reduced it to 350 for an hour and checked it. Though the crust was lovely and golden, it was still pretty much rare flesh internally at that point so I put it back in for another 45 minutes, until the outer pieces were medium and the inner medium rare (I understand cooking any part of a prime rib to medium makes us unworthy of eating prime rib in some circles, but at $82, we were going to eat it any damn way we pleased.)

Finally, I pulled it out and let it rest for twenty minutes while I sauteed my blanched asparagus and re-heated my roast potatoes (which will be featured in another post.)

At last we set down to eat. I'm not sure if it was the marinade or the cut of beef or both, but Lordie oh Lordie this was the most incredible Prime Rib ever.

Merry Christmas indeed.