FLANK STEAK CARNITAS

Posted in Beef by sallybr

FELIZ CINCO DE MAYO!

Carnitas are a favorite in our home… All you need is to place some over a tortilla, add a few toppings and call it a day. Those who prefer a low-carb path can grab a hearty leaf of Romaine lettuce instead of tortilla, and enjoy it while apologizing to the Taco Gods that will certainly frown upon such heresy. In this preparation, we put the pressure cooker to play, giving the flank steak a very pleasant texture. I’ve made it three times already, after seeing the original post from Kalyn. My recipe is a slight modification of hers, with a little additional step at the end.

PRESSURE COOKER FLANK STEAK CARNITAS
(slightly modified from Kalyn’s recipe)

1 T olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 flank steak, about 1.5 pounds
1 cup salsa verde (like Herdez)
1/2 cup tomato salsa (like La Victoria)

Heat the oil in the pressure cooker, add the minced shallot and cook 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the ground cumin and chili powder and cook about a minute more.

Cut the steak lengthwise and then again crosswise. Add the steak pieces to the pressure cooker with the red and green salsa, lock the lid in place, and cook at high pressure for 45 minutes. Shut down the burner and let the pan cool for 15 minutes, then do a quick release of steam under the kitchen faucet, and open the pan.

Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat, leaving the sauce in the pressure cooker. Let the meat cool for a few minutes on the cutting board, then use two forks to shred the meat apart. Right before serving, place it on a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add small amounts of the sauce left behind in the pressure cooker. You can add as much liquid as you feel like it, but allow the pieces of meat to get a bit browned in the pan first.

Use it to top tortillas with all your favorite additions, guacamole, shredded cheese, shredded avocado. Or enjoy it with white rice and beans.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: We are not big on cooking with ready-made sauces but make an exception to bottled salsas, because there are so many great brands out there. We love La Victoria, although it is not the easiest one to find. Leftovers go in mini-muffin pans straight to the freezer, and then inside a plastic bag. They do get a bit watery in the freezing-thawing process, but we mainly use them as addition to guacamole or stir-fries, so that’s not too serious a problem. Sometimes I defrost them over a small sieve, so that the excess water drips away.

This is one example of a recipe I would never try if it did not come from Kalyn’s site. I can see myself twisting the nose at something made opening two different bottled products… but she raved about it, and I totally trust her. Indeed, it is a big winner. I don’t know what happens in the mixture of the green and red salsa, but you definitely end up with something that is more than the sum of its parts. In a very good way…

You can make the flank steak in the pressure cooker, in the instant-pot, or in a slow-cooker. Stop by Kalyn’s site to get specific instructions for each method. It is a great way to tame the fibrous texture of this meat, and give it a lot of spice without making it overly hot. I suppose you could go for a very hot salsa if you so desire… I’ve been in a more mellow phase lately. Such is life.

ONE YEAR AGO: Sesame and Poppy Seed Sourdough

TWO YEARS AGO: Pecan-Crusted Chicken from Southern at Heart

THREE YEARS AGO: Lamb Shanks en Papillote with Cauliflower-Celeriac Purée

FOUR YEARS AGO: Chestnut Brownies and a Blog Award!

FIVE YEARS AGO: Quinoa with Cider-Glazed Carrots

SIX YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday: Heirloom Tomatoes Steal the Show

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Pain de Provence

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Golspie Loaf, from the Scottish Highlands

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13Sep2017

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE TIMES FOUR

Posted in Air-Frying, Beef, Incredibly simple, Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

Every once in a while I like to group very simple recipes in a single post, like I did last February and again in June. Today’s post has three really simple recipes and one slightly more involved, but still uncomplicated enough to justify hanging out with the others. A meaty main dish, a cute skewer-salad, a side dish, and oh-so-very-trendy kale chips. Yeap, I am jumping on that bandwagon, and you should too because when my beloved loses all self-control next to a bowl of kale, it means a lot. Seriously, it was a scene never before witnessed in gastronomic history.

POUNDED FLANK STEAK

This non-recipe was in a recent issue of Bon Appetit. Get a flank steak, lay it over a cutting board, place a saran-wrap over it. Pound it with gusto with the flat side of a meat mallet. With gusto. You want to really get at the fibers and tenderize them. Try to go for less than 1/2 inch width all over. Season with salt and pepper, give it a very light coating (or spray) with olive oil. Grill to your desired degree of doneness. It will be medium-rare very quickly, a couple of minutes per side on a super hot grill. In fact Bon Appetit called it “minute steak” for good reason. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

We loved it so much I made it three times within a ten-day period. Very good paired with a red cabbage-cucumber salsa, but I need to tweak that recipe a little before sharing with you.

WATERMELON-FETA SKEWERS

Cut seedless watermelon into cubes. Do the same to the best quality you can find feta cheese. If you find real Greek feta, go for it. Place in wooden skewers cubes of feta and watermelon separated by pieces of fresh mint leaves. Make a simple dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, a touch of balsamic vinegar, or, if feeling particularly trendy, add a bit of pomegranate molasses. Whisk all together and drizzle over the skewers, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper (keep in mind that feta is very salty).

Only two pointers for success: use good quality feta (repeating this point because it is really important), and do not skip the mint. It offers the exact right counterpart to all other flavors. Great also as a little appetizer for a dinner party. Can be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge for a couple of hours.

TOMATILLO RICE

TOMATILLO RICE
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

for the tomatillo sauce:
8 large tomatillos cut in half
2 medium shallots peeled
1/2 Serrano pepper, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock or water
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
juice of half a lemon

for the rice:
1 cup rice, rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt

Place the tomatillos, cut side down, shallots and Serrano pepper on a baking sheet and roast at 425 F until soft and the tomatillo skin is starting to get brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer everything to a blender shallots to a blender, add half a cup of chicken stock or water, a bunch of fresh cilantro leaves and the juice of half a lemon. Process until smooth. Adjust seasoning. Sauce is perfect over fajitas, or seafood. To make rice, you only need 1/2 cup of it.

Sautee one cup of rice on a little bit of olive oil, add 1/2 cup of tomatillo sauce and 1 + 1/2 cups of water. Cover and cook for about 18 minutes, until done. Leave it covered for 10 minutes, fluff with a fork, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

This rice is addictive.

I could easily eat it every day for a year.

Yes, that’s how much I love it.

KALE CHIPS

Remove the stems from a bunch of fresh kale, cut the leaves in large pieces. Wash and dry them well, a salad spinner is the best way to approach it. Add very little olive oil to the leaves, massaging them briefly. Add them to the basket of an air-fryer at 390 F, and fry until done, shaking the pan every couple of minutes. It will take less than 10 minutes to finish. Season with salt, pepper, and spices of your choice if so desired. No air-fryer? No problem. The hot oven works the same way, only a bit slower. Also, make sure to have all leaves as a single layer. As to the seasoning, cumin and paprika go very well with kale, on my next batch I will try nutritional yeast, as I heard it gives it a very intriguing flavor. And of course, it would take the trendy quotient of this dish to the highest possible level. I don’t do trendy often. But sometimes, when that special mood strikes…

Phil went absolutely crazy for these chips. He showed up at the kitchen as I was preparing dinner, and mumbled his usual “hummm… kale.” Not the yummy-anticipating-hummmm… it was the “how-to-escape-this-hummm….”. So yes, I was unprepared to have to fight for the last four chips sitting at the bottom of the bowl. Go figure.

I hope you enjoyed these four simple recipes, and give some (or all) a try, even if kale might not be your thing, or watermelon in a savory dish a bit too much of a stretch for your taste buds. Sometimes it’s fun to try something different, especially when the preparation is so simple.

ONE YEAR AGO: Going naked, and my husband loved it

TWO YEARS AGO: Cream Cheese Mini-Pancakes with Smoked Salmon

THREE YEARS AGO: Star-Shaped Chocolate Brioche Bread

FOUR YEARS AGO: Blueberry-Banana Bread

FIVE YEARS AGO: Into the Light Again

SIX YEARS AGO: Five Grain Sourdough Bread

SEVEN YEARS AGO: The Nano-Kitchen

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Kaiser Rolls

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14Jul2010

ANCHO-CHILE MARINADE: PLEASED TO MEAT YOU!

Posted in Beef by sallybr

This marinade rocks…and roll, hootchie koo! And it has all sorts of cool moves on the dance floor… In a single week, I made it twice, once for butterflied leg of lamb, and again a few days later for flank steak. Published in the June issue of Bon Appetit, it was just what the author promised: “this smoky grilled meat will be a delicious addition to your barbecue repertoire”.

GRILLED FLANK STEAK WITH ANCHO-CHILE MARINADE
(adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2010)

1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
4 Tbs fresh oregano leaves
2 Tbs ancho chile powder
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 green onions
1 Tbs brown sugar
2 + 1/2 tsp salt
2 + 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 flank steak

Add the wine, oil, garlic, oregano, ancho chile powder, lemon juice, green onions, salt and pepper into a blender. Blend the mixture until smooth. Marvel at its color, and take a deep breath to indulge in the aroma…

Make very shallow diamond-shaped cuts on the surface of the flank steak. Transfer the marinade to a large dish that can hold the meat, place the meat inside and rub the marinade all over. Let it sit in the fridge from 2 to 12 hours.

Prepare a hot grill, cook the meat until medium-rare (5 minutes per side maximum). Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing it thinly.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Ancho chile powder might be my new found love in the kitchen. Smoky, funky and hot, but very pleasantly so. The brown sugar promotes a beautiful browning on the surface, and I’ve often been including it in my marinades these summer days. This ancho-chile version might go equally well on salmon, chicken, or even prawns. If you’re cooking a butterflied leg of lamb, allow the meat to marinade for a full 24 hours before grilling.

The flank steak? What a joy it is to eat! A succulent piece of tender, flavorful beef! We enjoyed ours with some simple zucchini sticks: this recipe without the yogurt sauce.

It was a tasty meal in less than 20 minutes, and my name isn’t even Ray! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: The Handmade Loaf