Steak Nite

After reading Nicks last entry of “go-to” Steak Nites it reminded me of one of my favorites- skirt steak marinated in salsa verde served with pasta carbonara.  I recently served this to some friends of ours for their first Steak Nite (the two newest members of the Steak Nite family) .  The meal has such huge flavors with the tanginess of the marinated steak and the richness of the pasta, that I usually offer two totally different varietals of wine…one to try and hold up against the steak and another to refresh the palette.  In this last meeting we chose a very nice Reisling from Washington state which was a great quencher next to the salsa,  while our friends brought a perfectly suitable Malbec from Argentina that held up great to the juiciness of the steak.  Tasty combination’s contributing to a memorable evening definitely makes this one of my go-to Steak Nites, and will hopefully help continue the Steak Nite tradition…

Salsa Verde Marinated Skirt Steak:

2 pound skirt steak

Salsa Verde:

1/4 cup fresh italian parsley

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

4 cloves garlic

2 shallots

1 lemon juiced

1 lime juiced

2 tbls sherry vinegar

EVOO

salt and pepper

combine ingredients of salsa verde into food processor and drizzle olive oil until desired consistency.  reserving about half of salsa for garnish, marinade steak in ziplock bag with remaining salsa for up to 12 hours.  scrape all excess salsa from steak and cook on hot grill.  serve sliced with salsa verde as garnish

Chef Joseph Bastianich’s: Linguine alla Carbonara

6 ounces slab bacon

2 tbls EVOO

2 large yellow onions

3 egg yolks

1 c grated parmigiano-reggiano

ground black pepper

1 1/2 c hot chicken stock

cut bacon into large pieces and brown in tbls of EVOO, leaving outside crispy and center moist, remove bacon from pan.  cook diced onions in bacon drippings and extra oil, if needed, until onions are still crunchy and transparent.  add stock, bring to boil and adjust heat to simmer, cooking liquid til reduced by half.

meanwhile, stir fresh linguini into boiling salted water and cook til al dente.  drain pasta, reserving cup of water, and return to pot.  stir sauce into pasta reducing heat to medium.  remove from heat and add egg yolks one at a time mixing to prevent overcooking of yolks.  add cheese and fresh craked pepper, serve imediately.

Here’s the main dish from Nick’s “go-to” Steak Nite:

Marinated Flank Steak (4-6 servings)

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 chopped garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak

1. In a 1 Gallon Zip-top Bag, add lime juice, Worcestershire, mustard, 1 tablespoon olive oil, sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper. (In truth, I don’t measure this anymore, I just start dumping stuff in)
   
2. Toss the Flank Steak in marinade and gently mush it around till it’s nice and coated; Get as much air out of the bag as possible, seal and Marinate 20-30 minutes in the fridge. I usually cut the flank steak into three pieces before it goes into the bag.  This serves 2 purposes, 1) it makes them a little more manageable and 2) it allows you to cook each piece to a different doneness if your diners have a preference. (My wife prefers hers nuked)
3. Heat a Cast Iron Skillet or Grill Pan over high till screaming hot. Remove steak from marinade; cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Rest, covered, 5 minutes. Flank Steak, with all that marinade, will cause flare-ups on a grill.  So, even though I do indeed cook it on the grill to avoid smoking out the kitchen, I cook it on a grill pan or cast iron skillet.  You don’t get grill marks, but you’re going to slice it up anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.
   
4. After the meat has rested, cut it across the grain into 1/2 to 1 inch wide strips and serve. This will make for tender, fall-apart meat.  ENJOY!
   

Here are a couple options for Side Dishes that I enjoy:

Roasted Red Potatoes (3-4 Servings)

• 1 1/2 pounds small red or white-skinned potatoes (or a mixture)
• 1/8 cup good olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dried Italian Seasoning (or a mixture of parsley, oregano, basil)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil
3. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt, pepper and Italian Seasoning; toss until the potatoes are well coated.
   
4. Roast in the oven for at least 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning.
5. Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve.

Sauteed Spring Veggies (3-4 servings)

This is a fav because you can par-boil the veggies ahead of time (up thru step 2) and then just whip them up before dinner.  And they’re crazy healthy!

• 1/2 lb Asparagus
• 1/2 lb Sugar snap peas
• 1/2 lb Broccoli florets
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring 1 gallon of salted water to a boil.
2. In batches, boil the Asparagus and Broccoli for 2 minutes and the snap peas for 1 minute; Once boiled, cool the vegetables quickly a bowl of ice water; drain and set aside.
3. Heat Olive oil over medium heat, add garlic and vegetables; saute until warmed through (5-7 minutes)
4. Season with salt and pepper; Serve