Braised Short Ribs with Autumn Root Vegetable Puree

This was the main course in my dinner for the "Better With You" cast. I have been wanting to make braised short ribs for ages, but most of the time I cook for just me and it seemed ridiculous to make such a large amount of food for one person. This is great for a group and another dish where the flavors get better with time so it's best to prep it early. I'm not a fan of mashed potatoes, but I wanted something interesting for the short ribs to sit on. The root vegetable puree is very simple and sort of luxurious feeling with a healthy pat of butter. The slight sweetness of the puree compliments the sauce of the short ribs well. I was especially excited about this dish because it gave me a chance to use my new dutch oven...it's really the simple things in life that bring me the most pleasure :)


Braised Short Ribs
(Adapted from Gourmet, October 1995)

Makes 12 servings

*Note, I made such a large quantity I used two dutch ovens and split the ingredients evenly between them.

7 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 1-rib pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/4 cups dry red wine
56 ounces canned whole tomatoes, including liquid, coarsely pureed in a blender
2 1/4 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Nine 3-by 1-inch strips fresh orange zest
3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
15 ounces pearl onions, boiled and peeled
2 pounds baby carrots
Freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a dutch oven (or similar heavy kettle, at least 5.5 quarts) over medium heat until the oil is hot, but not smoking. Brown the short ribs in batches then transfer the ribs to a large bowl using tongs.

Add the chopped onions to the pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add wine, tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce, orange zest, rosemary and salt and bring to a boil. Add the ribs including any juices that have accumulated in the bowl and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.

Add the pearl onions, and carrots, stirring and pushing down to make sure they are covered by liquid. Simmer, covered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Transfer the meat, pearl onions, and carrots to a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Discard the zest and boil the braising liquid, stirring ocassionally until it has reduced to about 5 cups. Return the meat and vegetables to the pot and cook over low heat until heated through.

Serve stew sprinkled with parsley.

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Autumn Root Vegetable Puree
(Adapted from Frank Stitt)

Makes 12 servings

6 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
Kosher salt to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

In a large sauce pan or dutch oven, combine the turnips, carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. Add a few good pinches of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 30-40 minutes.

Drain the vegetables and return them to the pot to dry out over medium heat for 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree. Add the butter and salt to taste.

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Fried Rice with Beef

In the last week I have cooked little to not at all. Luckily, I have a few saved recipes to share. I made this several weeks ago, but I'm just now getting around to sharing it. After a long week at work, I like to treat myself to a little takeout, but sometimes I prefer to recreate takeout classics at home. It's much cheaper and I control exactly what goes into my food. This time I chose to use some grass fed beef from the farmers market and a farm fresh egg. Since I prepped all my ingredients the previous night, this meal was a cinch and came together super fast. I preferred to top my portion with a fried egg so that creamy yolk could get all mixed up with the rice, but subsequent servings had an egg scrambled in. This is just one of a million ways to serve fried rice. I'm thinking my next version will have some more seasonal vegetables...



Fried Rice with Beef
(Adapted from Sea Salt with Food)



Makes 4 servings

200 grams ground chuck
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups cold cooked rice
Soy sauce to taste
Oyster sauce to taste
4 Eggs
1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt to taste
Ground black pepper

In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook until the beef is cooked through, season lightly with salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beef from the pan and set aside.

Add the yellow onion and garlic to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions have softened slightly, but still have some bite. Add the rice to the pan and stir to combine. Add soy sauce and oyster sauce and adjust the seasonings to taste. Add the beef back to the pan and stir to combine. Season with salt as needed and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

In a small frying pan, fry the eggs. Alternately, you can scramble the eggs and stir them in to the rice. Serve the rice topped with a fried egg and Top each serving with some of the scallions.

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Beef Bulgogi

Why, yes, I did just make chicken bulgogi and I have done an easy beef bulgogi before, but I have had bulgogi on the mind lately. While at the Korean market a few weeks ago, I picked up some amazingly thin slices of beef and froze them for a later time. I couldn't stop thinking about them and when I came across another recipe using the bulgogi, I couldn't pass it up. Once again this was so simple and I was able to use some of the ingredients I purchased a few weeks ago for the chicken bulgogi. In particular, the gochujang was easy to add to this and once again provided that sweet and spicy bite that I crave in food like this. I had a real reason for making more bulgogi and I'll share it with you soon.





Beef Bulgogi
(Adapted from Savory Sweet Life)



Makes 2-3 servings

3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablepoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 of a small yellow onion, halved and sliced
1 teaspoon gochujang
Canola oil for cooking
1/2 pound thinly sliced rib-eye or Angus beef*

*You can find thinly sliced beef at an Asian market. If you don't have access to one, place the beef in the freezer for about 20 minutes before slicing and then cut against the grain.

Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl except beef and onions. When most of the sugar has dissolved, add beef and onion slices to the bowl and massage the marinade with your hands into each slice of beef. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Pan fry, place a few slices of beef in single layers and completely flat on a hot oiled frying pan and fry each side until cooked. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan. You will probably need to do this in batches. Serve warm over rice or noodles.

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Patty Melts

After the Albondigas, I had just a bit of beef leftover. I am by no means a vegetarian, but I noticed I have been eating a lot of vegetarian meals lately. This week I have turned into a complete carnivore! I remembered this recipe that I came across recently so instead of re-freezing the meat, I used it up in these simple sandwiches. I used to think I hated things like rye bread, but I picked up some onion rye at TJs and really enjoyed it with these sandwiches. You really can't go wrong with sweet onions and nutty cheese. I think next time I will make the patties a little flatter, but this is a really good meal after say, a night of drinking (just saying!). I think the only only thing that would make this sandwich better is some sort of spread. If you decide to try it, let me know what you come up with!






Patty Melts
(From Serious Eats who adapted from Saveur)

Makes 2 sandwiches

8 ounces ground beef
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 slices rye bread
4 slices Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons Canola oil
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Salt and black pepper

Divide the meat into two balls. Form each one into a 1/4-inch patty that is just slightly larger than the slices of bread. Season each patty generously with salt and pepper.

Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a small skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until browned, about 10 minutes or so. Set aside.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. When it's hot, add the burger patties. Cook for about 2 minutes per side. They should be well browned, but still slightly medium or medium-rare inside. Set aside.

Top two of the slices of bread each with some onions, a slice of cheese, cooked patty, another slice of cheese and finally a slice of bread. Slather each sandwich on top and bottom with the butter.

Wipe out the skillet. Then turn the heat to medium. Add the sandwiches. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes a side, or until the bread is golden browned and the cheese has melted.Slice in half diagonally and serve.
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Vaca Frita and Croquetas de Jamon

One of the first things I decided on making when Raul and I chose a Cuban theme for the party was vaca frita. Vaca frita literally means fried cow. Basically what it is is steak that has been boiled with flavorful spices and then fried to tasty deliciousness. Well since I was serving some other heavy foods at the party, I wanted to find a way to lighten things up. Luckily this had already been done for me. Although this recipe takes some time, most of it is inactive time and you can get to work on the other things you will be serving with this. In my case, it was cilantro rice and Cuban-style beans which were really a great accompaniment to this meat.



As you can tell, this menu was pretty meat heavy, but there were some vegetarian options including the recipes I shared yesterday. Another meat option I served were ham croquetas. A few months ago I made coxinha which I guess are technically Brazilian, but I wanted to make something similar, but with less work. I found this easy recipe for croquetas so I cooked some up. They were so good and crispy on the outside and creamy and full of hammy tastiness on the inside. One of the best things is that you can make the mix the night before and then fry them up on the day of the party.



Vaca Frita
(Adapted from Bitchin Camero)

Makes 10-12 servings

4 pounds flank steak, cubed
8 cups of water
2 1/2 tablespoons salt
3 bay leaves
5 medium-sized yellow onions, three halved, two chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 3 large oranges
Juice of 3 large limes
Salt to taste

Place the steak, water, onion halves, bay leaf and salt in a large pot and set over medium-high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer the steak for 45 minutes – 1 hour, or until tender.

Remove the steak with a slotted spoon and let cool to room temperature. (Run the remaining liquid through a fine mesh sieve and use as a base for soups, or freeze.) Use 2 forks or your hands to pull the steak apart until it resembles pulled pork. Mix the orange and lime juice together in a small bowl or measuring cup.

Preheat your oven’s broiler. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and saute until soft and beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the shredded steak and half of orange/lime juice.

Saute for 2 – 3 minutes, then taste and add more orange/lime juice and salt to taste. (I used all of the remaining juice and just a pinch more salt. It is very important to taste for salt because you may not need it)

Spread the contents of the skillet onto a cookie sheet and place under the broiler until the beef and onions crisp and brown, about 10-20 minutes, you may need to stir half way through cooking. Remove and serve with rice and beans if desired.

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Croquetas de Jamon
(From For the Love of Food)

Makes 24-30 croquetas

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 a small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 cups (12 ozs.) smoked or baked ham, minced and then ground to paste with a food processor
1 fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon white wine
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 eggs, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups fine plain bread crumbs
3 tablespoons flour

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it’s soft. Add the 1/4 cup of flour to the butter and onions and whisk in the pan. Gradually add the evaporated milk; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally or until the mixture comes just to a boil and is thick and creamy. Add the ground ham, parsley, wine, pepper and nutmeg; mix well. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes over low heat. Taste the ham mixture. It should be salty enough, but if not, add some salt to taste.

Pour the ham mixture into an 8 inch square baking pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let cool in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes so that it will solidify a bit and be easier to work with. This can also be done overnight.

Beat the eggs with water in a small mixing bowl until frothy. Combine the bread crumbs and flour and place in a second wide bowl or plate. Divide the ham mixture in the pan by cutting it into thirds crosswise and in eights lengthwise. Shape into logs that are about 1 1/2 inches long and 3/4-inch wide.

Dip the croquetas into egg and water mixture and then roll in the crumb mixture until evenly coated. Place croquetas back in the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In the mean time, heat the oil in a large cast iron pan so the heat is at 177°C (350°F). Fry croquetas for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve the croquetas warm.

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Kafta Beef Kabobs

Alright, so the beef kabobs won as the first recipe featured from my 24, 24, 24 dinner. It is easy to see why. Although it can be hard to want to taste all your food after all that prep, I couldn't resist trying a bite of these because they just smelled so good. As you will come to see over the next few days, many (or maybe all) of my recipes for this dinner were from fellow food bloggers. I tend to trust bloggers more than what the recipe sites say and another benefit is that they usually include step-by-step instructions and/or photos. I am hoping that once I get settled in to my new place, I will be able to show more step-by-step pictures of my cooking. Anyway, on to the kabobs. This recipe will easily feed about 20 people depending on how you roll them and though it takes some time (for me, it was a 2am prep), they are super simple to make. One of the keys to making this easier is to wet your hands every two or three times you roll a kabob. The flavor is outstanding. I was definitely generous in my amounts of spices and I think it paid off. This is definitely something you should taste as you go so my recommendation would be to break off a bit of the meat and cook it and see if it has the flavors you want before cooking up the rest of the batch. I spent quite a bit of time researching recipes I wanted to make for my party, but I am curious to know what some of your favorite party appetizers are. Leave them in the comments!


Kafta Beef Kabobs
(From My Last Bite and Simply Heaven)

2 pounds ground beef
1 bunch of parsley finely chopped washed and well drained
1 onion finely chopped
4-5 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2-2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (you can use cayenne)
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Mix all ingredients, work it like dough. Roll out and make sure press a little tight so it can stick to the skewer. Wet your hands in between rolling. Grill on a preheated grill until cooked through.

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Steak "Frites"

Since I have been eating a little better lately, I thought it would be nice to give myself a little treat. Last week hottie grassfed beef guy was at the farmers market and he sold me on some flat iron steak. I have never cooked with flat iron, but hottie (I promise to get his real name one of these days) suggested that since it is a tender cut, all it really needed was a little salt and pepper and a quick cook. When it came time to think about what to serve the steak with, I quickly remembered these oven fries I saw on Joy the Baker. It was the perfect way to use some of my herbes de Provence that I recently purchased from Cube. This was a fantastically delicious Sunday lunch and with a little planning, it didn't take too long to prepare. I did the butter first so that it would have time to set up, then I made the fries and when there were about ten minutes left, I cooked the steak. I tried to up the "restaurant quality" of the picture by sprinkling my plate with parsley...whadya think? Anyway, I absolutely loved this. The herbed butter was so good over the steak and the fries had a nice mellow flavor. It's safe to say I will be making all of these things again. Maybe as a seduction dinner (salad boy!). Ha!



Compound Butter

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (can use salted butter) and cut into chunks
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (if using salted butter, omit this)
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice


In a small bowl, mix together the butter, parsley, thyme, and salt. Mix well and add the lemon juice. Mix again and place back in the refrigerator for the butter to harden.


Oven Baked Fries
(Adapted from Joy the Baker)

1 medium sized Russet potato, peeled
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1/2 Kosher sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray before you add the potatoes.

Slice cleaned potatoes lengthwise into 1/3-inch thick slices, then slice those slices into smaller potato strips. Place on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the potatoes in the oil to coat. Place in oven for 25- 35 minutes, removing the tray every 10 minutes to toss and stir the potatoes, then returning to the oven. Cook until browned.

Remove from the oven and immediately add salt and Herbes de Provence. Toss and serve.

Steak

1 flat iron steak fillet (6 ounces)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black better

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat. Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper. Cook the steak for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until the steak reaches your desired done-ness.

Smothered Flatty Patties

I have been thinking of making this recipe for a long time. I found it courtesy of Paula who always seems to know what I am in the mood for. Well last night after a week of being pretty good, I felt like being a little naughty. I was in a really feisty mood all day so once I got home, I put on some tunes and danced around my kitchen...no joke! A couple of weeks ago, Raul and I payed a visit to the hottie that sells the grassfed beef. I swear, sometimes I think we just go to the farmers market to scope out the cutie vendors. Anyway, I think this type of meat is actually a better deal than the stuff at the grocery store. We both got some of this chuck and Raul got a couple of fillets for an excellent price! This is a simple and quick recipe. I served it with a spinach salad and was eating in no time. It's a beautiful day here in La La Land. I hope you are all enjoying your weekend.


Flatty Patty Smothered Burgers
(Adapted from It's All Gouda)

Makes about 4 patties

1/4 pound (approx) ground grassfed chuck
Montreal steak seasoning
1/2 onion, sliced
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons Pub cheese
Extra virgin olive oil

In a large skillet, heat a bit of oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and season with a bit of salt. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the onions until caramelized, stirring often. Once the onions are done, remove from heat, cover and set aside.

To make the patties, season the meat with the steak seasoning. Divide the meat into egg sized balls and using wet hands, flatten to patties as thin as possible with no holes. Cook on a grill, grill pan, or skillet for about 3 minutes on each side.

Heat the pub cheese in the microwave for about 30 seconds until softened. Top each burger with a bit of cheese and then some of the onions.

Beef Bulgogi

I get so many recipes from other blogs and websites that once in a while, I like to go through my books to find something I have missed. This is one of those recipes that I think I saw a while ago and just tucked it away for another time. Raulito and I went to the farmers market all excited to get some grass fed beef and guess what? The meat man wasn't there!!! It was kind of annoying but since I had already worked this dish into my week's meals so I decided to get some beef at TJ's. Ok, let's talk about the bulgogi. It's really, freakin' delicious. The recipe calls for the meat to be served in lettuce cups, but lettuce cups aren't exactly practical for my work lunches. Thank goodness I had some rice (which is actually another suggestion in the book). The rice was a nice bed for the meat and sauces and it was a lovely combo of spicy, salty, and sweet. I am not a fan of bell peppers so I left them off. I garnished with some chopped cilantro. If you like bell peppers, go ahead and throw them in!


Beef Bulgogi
(Adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast)

3/4 pound rib-eye steak, trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Dash of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 red onion, halved and cut into 1-inch wedges
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Cooked rice for serving

Freeze the beef for 20 minutes; transfer to a clean work surface. Slice diagonally (across the grain) into 1/8-inch thick strips. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Place the onions in a small bowl; toss with half the soy marinade. Toss the steak in the remaining marinade; let stand for 15 minutes.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened; about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of vegetable oil over high heat. Cook half the meat, turning often until browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the onions. Add the remaining meat and cook until browned. Add the onions and first batch of meat and any accumulated juices to the pan. Cook, tossing until heated through, about 1 minute. Serve over cooked rice.

Beef and Orange Stir-Fry

Last week I was excited to see a new vendor at the farmers market who was selling grass fed beef. I don't eat a lot of beef, but on the occasions I do, I like it to be grass fed, etc. Just trying to do my part to save the world. I realized I hadn't cooked anything from Everyday Food lately, so a quick browse through the Fall section of the book brought me to this recipe. This past weekend, armed with my list and my cash, I went to the market in search of grass fed beef. Turns out it just wasn't my week to find it at the farmers market, but I had already bought the rest of the ingredients for the recipe, so I picked up some organic, "vegetarian" fed rib eye at the grocery store. As usual, I halved the recipe, but only used a quarter of the soy sauce. It was good, but I felt like it was missing something so I ended up adding about 2 teaspoons of honey to the leftovers. I think ginger would be good in here too. To make it a little healthier I served it with brown rice and to trim the fat even more, try using a leaner cut of beef than rib eye.



Beef and Orange Stir-Fry
(Adapted From Everyday Food)

2 oranges
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 lb trimmed boneless rib eye, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
2 scallions, sliced

Into a small bowl, finely grate zest and squeeze juice from 1/2 orange. Add garlic, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes and set aside.

With a sharp paring knife, peel remaining 2 oranges. Slice oranges crosswise 1/2 inch thick, then halve slices; push out, and discard any seeds. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss meat with cornstarch until coated. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Working in batches (adding more oil if needed), brown beef on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Pour juice mixture into skillet, and boil until syrupy, about 1 minute. Return beef to skillet; add orange slices and scallions. Toss until coated and heated through. Serve hot with rice.

Steak Sandwiches

I wanted to make something special to go with my leftover steak. I decided to go with a steak sandwich. To go on top of my steak, I caramelized some red onions I also had some nutty Gruyere leftover so I thought that would be awesome melted over the steak. This was so great, kind of like a modern version of a Philly steak sandwich. I think next time I will add some arugula or spinach or other greens just to have some more *green*.

Steak Sandwich

1 Ciabatta roll
Cooked steak, sliced
2 tablespoons Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat a broiler

In a medium skillet heat oil and cook onions until caramelized, season with salt and pepper.

In a small food processor, mix together mayonnaise, parsley, and horseradish.

Split ciabatta in half, lay the sliced steak over the bread and top with the shredded cheese. Lay each of the sandwich face side up on a baking sheet and place under the broiler until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.

Spread mayonnaise over the top half of bread. Top the cheese with onions and close the sandwich. Serve immediately.

Grilled Steak with Cebolitas

When I was in my second year of college, I discovered Food Network and more importantly, Emeril Lagasse. I was obsessed with his shows. I literally used to make sure my classes were done by 5PM so I could race home and catch his shows. It wasn't just Emeril. At this time, I discovered Julia Child (who's repeats they used to show at around 2AM just when I was returning home from fraternity parties), Two Fat Ladies (who's dvds are coming out soon!), Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence, and Wolfgang Puck (who I saw at the farmers market a few months ago and almost crapped my pants!!!). Anyway, last year before I started food blogging, I found this great recipe of Emeril's for a grilled flank steak. I am not the hugest steak eater, but I love this marinade so much. It is so flavorful and the steak can be used in so many dishes it is definitely a keeper. I always make sure to marinate the steak overnight to get as much of the flavor into the meat as possible. I had a little mishap when I was making this and spilled my original batch of marinade all over my kitchen. I didn't have enough limes to use the second time around, so I replaced one of them with a lemon and it still turned out great.

PS, Totally un-food related, check out this clip of the lovely and insanely talented Adele on Conan. I had the greatest pleasure of seeing her perform back in May and I am hoping to see her again next month although there may be a scheduling conflict. She is really an artist that everyone should get to know and love.

Grilled Steak with Cebolitas
(From Emeril Lagasse)

1 Angus beef boneless Sirloin fillet
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus kosher salt, for seasoning

1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bunch green onions, plus 1/4 cup chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Lime wedges, for serving

Combine flank steak, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, 2 tablespoons lime juice, cilantro, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup chopped green onions in a large zip-top plastic bag. Allow steak to marinate at room temperature for 45 minutes, turning occasionally. Alternatively, marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Remove steak from marinade bag and remove as much of the marinade as possible. Discard remaining marinade. Place the steak on the preheated grill and cook steak for 2 1/2 minutes, then rotate on same side 45 degrees (to create grill marks) and grill for another 2 1/2 minutes. Flip steak and cook for an additional 5 minutes on the other side, rotating 45 degrees after 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from grill pan and allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes under a foil tent.

Meanwhile, trim the root ends of the green onions and toss with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and salt, to season. Place the green onions on the grill and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, (depending on the size of the onions), or until softened and slightly charred. Remove the onions from the grill and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice.
Slice the steak against the grain as thinly as possible and divide evenly between 4 plates. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Top each steak with several grilled onions. Garnish each plate with fresh cilantro sprigs and a lime wedge.

Pan-Seared Steak with Salsa Verde

I didn't grow up a steak person. In fact, the first time I ever had steak was when I was 13 years old and visiting Paris for the first time. I don't think I had it again until college. There was even a time a few years ago where I gave up all meat except for seafood for nearly two years! That ended when I realized I was getting intense cravings for bacon. Now I make no secret about my love for bacon. While I enjoy the occasional burger (hello Chaya!), I have never been a big steak eater. Last summer I found a recipe for an awesome marinated steak from Emeril (which I am sure I will be grilling up at some point this summer) but for this week I wanted to continue to explore the "Everyday Food For One". Most of these recipes have yielded about 2 servings for me, either because I have doubled them or the chicken or steak I have cooked with has been rather large for a weeknight dinner.

Pan-Seared Steak with Salsa Verde
(adapted from Everyday Food)

1/3 c Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp small capers, rinsed
1 tbsp minced shallot (about 1/2 of a large shallot)
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 Angus beef boneless Sirloin fillet (about 6 oz - but I think an actual serving is 4 oz)
4 oz Trader Joes mixed organic greens

For the salsa verde: In a small bowl, mix together parsley, capers, shallot, vinegar, mustard, and 1 tbsp water. Taste and season with salt (if necessary) and pepper and set aside.

In a small skillet, heat 2 tsp oil of medium-high heat. Season steak generously with salt and pepper. Cook turning once, until well browned. About 4 minutes on each side for medium well. Remove steak from pan and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring 1 inch salted water to a boil over high heat. Add greens and cook for about 4 minutes until tender. Drain and serve alongside steak and salsa.