BEER-MARINATED GRILLED SKIRT STEAK

Posted in Beef by sallybr

When grilling meat, I normally follow the Brazilian rule of using only salt as seasoning. We are all about the flavor of the beef, preferring not to mask it with spices and rubs. But, I thought that Marcella’s take on skirt steak was too tempting to pass. She marinates the meat in beer and soy sauce, and also adds orange slices to the party. I normally reach for lemons or limes, but whenever I use oranges in cooking I am surprised by how much I enjoy their subtle citric tone, a tad less aggressive. We both loved the flavor they imparted to the meat… the beer definitely comes through loud and clear. I marinated the meat from early morning to dinner time.

BEER-MARINATED GRILLED SKIRT STEAK
(adapted from Mexican Made Easy)

1 orange, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, smashed
2 + 1/2 pounds skirt steak
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 cup light-colored beer (preferably lager style)
1/2 cup soy sauce
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In a wide, shallow glass baking dish, scatter half of the orange slices, half of the onion slices and the garlic on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the steak all over with salt and pepper and put in the dish on top of the orange and onion slices. Scatter the remaining orange, onion and garlic over the steak and pour in the beer and soy sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

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Prepare a grill on medium-high heat. Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the steak to your taste, about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second for medium-rare.
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Let the meat rest, tented with foil, for 10 minutes before slicing it.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here
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Comments: Skirt-steak is one of the busy cook’s best friend! Less than 10 minutes on the grill and you are on your way for a tasty dinner. Now, if not only you are very busy but you also don’t have a functional kitchen, this type of meal will be a life-saver. I like to wrap the meat in large butter lettuce leaves, top with salsa and/or guacamole, but this time I made it even simpler and only added fresh, juicy tomatoes, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of grated Cotija cheese, just to keep it on the Mexican environment… 😉 Of course, corn or flour tortillas, fajita-style are the most authentic way to go.

The same marinade worked great on chicken thighs, as you may remember from a recent post. I marinated the chicken the whole day in the beer-soy-oranges, roasted low and slow with the skin side down, then flipped the pieces to have the skin up, and finished them off under the broiler.

ONE YEAR AGO: Secret Recipe Club: Corn Chowda

TWO YEARS AGO: Page-A-Day Calendar (Pits and Chief 5 minutes of fame…)

THREE YEARS AGO: Home Sweet Home (our beloved Pits in one of his last photos)

FOUR YEARS AGO: Marbled Rye

29Aug2013

TLAYUDA, A MEXICAN PIZZA

Posted in Pizzas & Small Dishes by sallybr

Every once in a while a photo makes no justice to the dish. Case in point: tlayuda. But this recipe turned out soooo delicious that I must share right now, I don’t want to wait until I make it again. It is tastier than you would imagine from its simple ingredients put together. Very quick to prepare, perfect to make a weeknight feel special… The recipe was recently featured by Marcela Valladolid in her show Mexican Made Easy. It comes from the Oaxaca region in Mexico and her description of the place made me want to buy a ticket and fly there. Tlayudas are a typical street food, and everybody loves them. I can tell you, the combination of refried beans with the Oaxaca cheese, the lettuce and Mexican crema is spectacular! The chorizo adds a lot to it, but if you are vegetarian, simply omit it, the tlayuda can shine on its own without it. Avocados on the side (or sliced on top) would be amazing too…

TLAYUDA
(adapted from Marcela Valladolid)

for topping:
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 ounces raw pork chorizo
One 16-ounce canned refried pinto beans

for tortilla base:
2 cups instant corn masa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 + ¼ cup water
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

for final assembly:
1/2 cup Oaxaca cheese
Iceberg lettuce, shredded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crumbled queso fresco
Mexican crema

For the chorizo and bean topping: In a large heavy saute pan, heat 1 tablespoons oil on medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve. Heat the beans on low heat or in a microwave until very hot and easy to spread. Reserve, keeping warm.

For the tortillas: Combine the corn masa, 1 cup of water and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand to form a soft dough, about 2 minutes. If the dough feels dry, add more water (one tablespoon at a time). You may not need to use the full amount of water left.

Heat a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy skillet. Place a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface. Put half of the dough onto the parchment paper and place another piece of parchment paper on top. Using a rolling-pin, roll out the dough until it is 1/4-inch thick and 10 inches in diameter. Drizzle the oil into the hot skillet and place the rolled out masa dough into the skillet to cook for about 2 minutes. Turn over to cook on the other side.

Spread 1/2 cup of the warm refried beans onto the cooked side of dough. Add 1/4 cup Oaxaca cheese and 1/2 cup cooked chorizo. Continue to cook for until the cheese is melted, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pizza from the pan onto a round serving platter. Top with the iceberg lettuce. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco and a drizzle of Mexican crema. Cut into wedges and serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining half of dough and toppings.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The recipe makes two 10-inch discs. I did not use the full amount of the dough, and instead made two 8-inch discs. They were perfect for our dinner, with a little slice leftover. If you make the full recipe, it could be a wonderful appetizer for a get-together, cutting each tlayuda in squares. That is exactly the suggestion for serving as published in the FoodTV website, by the way.

The only challenging part of making tlayuda is transferring the rolled out dough to the hot skillet. My first production reminded me of a book I was quite fond of growing up, Le Petit Prince, by Saint-Exupéry. Quite a popular book in Brazil at the time. Yes, that was more or less the shape of my first tlayuda.

Undeterred, I moved on to the second pizza, and managed to get a round enough shape to justify the name. Oh, well. Taste is more important than looks, and even the elephant-shaped concoction was devoured with gusto. Plus, cutting the odd-shaped tlayuda in 4 pieces is a nice way to exercise your brains. And knife skills.

The dough is of course quite similar to a tortilla, but thicker and absolutely perfect for a pizza-like base. I will definitely keep this recipe in mind to improvise with other types of toppings, including options traditionally associated with Italian pizza.

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“Voici mon secret. Il est très simple: on ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur.

L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.”

― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le Petit Prince

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ONE YEAR AGO: Paradise Revisited

TWO YEARS AGO: Feijoada, the Ultimate Brazilian Feast

THREE YEARS AGO: Vegetable Milhojas

FOUR YEARS AGO: Italian Bread

20Jul2013

CLASSIC SHRIMP GOBERNADOR TACOS

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

Another great recipe coming straight from the adorable Marcela Valladolid, these tacos can be prepared very quickly. Plus, if you make the shrimp filling the day before, the meal will be ready in less than 15 minutes. I tried hard to find the specific origin for Gobernador Tacos, no luck. Then, a dear friend sent me a link with the whole story behind it. (Thank you, Dr. G!). These tacos are very popular in Baja California. I can guarantee they will be equally popular in your home! 😉

CLASSIC SHRIMP GOBERNADOR TACOS
(adapted from Marcela Valladolid)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
2 tomatoes, seeded. chopped
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, chopped
1 cup canned tomato puree
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 corn tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
Lime wedges and hot sauce for serving

In a large heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the minced shallot and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bell pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, oregano, bay leaf, and smoked paprika. Cook for another couple of minutes, remove the pan from the heat and reserve. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
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Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Lay 2 tortillas, flat on the bottom of the pan, side by side. Put a small mound of cheese on 1 side of each tortilla. Wait until the cheese melts slightly, and then add about 2 tablespoons of the shrimp mixture to each tortilla. Fold the tortillas over into half-moon shapes and cook to melt the cheese completely, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and shrimp mixture. Arrange the tacos on a serving platter and serve with lime wedges and hot sauce on the side.
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ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

The shrimp sauce, so tasty as the taco filling, is equally wonderful as a main dish. Just add a little white rice and some guacamole to complete the meal…

Deliciously messy to eat, this is a great recipe for a warm summer night! One extra tip: do not cut the shrimp too small, keep the pieces in large chunks. If you want to splurge, chunks of lobster tails in these tacos will be absolutely awesome! Expensive, yes, but awesome! 😉

If you like Mexican food, tune into Mexican Made Easy, it’s always fun to watch Marcela preparing classic dishes, often with a healthier approach. Not much else appeals to me in the FoodTV these days, and that’s a little sad.

ONE YEAR AGO: A Walk Towards the Sunset

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen

THREE YEARS AGO: Heavenly Home-made Fromage Blanc

FOUR YEARS AGO: A Perfect Sunday Dinner

15Sep2012

INSPIRED BY MARCELA

Posted in Appetizers, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

The FoodTV Network: Like a broken record, I might normally go on and on complaining about how great it was but no longer is… I must say, though, that the more I watch “Mexican Made Easy”, the more I enjoy the show. Marcela Valladolid is knowledgeable, cooks great food, and is fun to watch. Plus, she’s fit, which is not an easy task when you’re cooking and working with food 24 hours/day. Or close to that. 😉 Apparently she owes her great shape to yoga. On one segment about healthy Mexican recipes, they showed her serene composure during a tough variation of Warrior III, and in an advanced Twisted Pigeon pose. Impressive, to say the least. ANYWAY, back to cooking. In another recent episode she shared a tempting recipe for Chicken Tostadas. I didn’t make it yet, but I prepared one of its components, the tomatillo-avocado salsa. It couldn’t be easier, and it couldn’t be tastier. You absolutely HAVE to make and serve this alongside anything! Ok, maybe not with that slice of chocolate cake… 😉

FRESH TOMATILLO-AVOCADO SALSA
(adapted from Marcela Villadolin)

6 ounces tomatillos, husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped
2 large yellow tomatoes, cored and seeded, coarsely chopped
1 avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 Serrano chile, seeded, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper

Combine the tomatillos, yellow tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, chile, and lemon juice in a blender and puree until smooth. Season the salsa with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours or until ready to use.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

I intend to make her chicken tostadas soon, my problem is the tostada part, as we still don’t have a gas cooktop. But I might improvise and come up with an alternative. Tomatillos are usually cooked before incorporation into salsas and sauces, but in this fresh preparation the trick is to mellow their sharpness down by adding the avocado and using lemon juice instead of lime juice, as most salsas would call for. Simple. Brilliant.

My adaptation was adding some yellow tomatoes because they were looking at me and begging to be consumed. So I did. Next time I might either process a little less, or save a few pieces of diced yellow tomatoes to add at the end and make it a bit more chunky. We served it with grilled steel head trout and steamed rice. Phil thought that a great idea for an appetizer would be a small piece of grilled salmon or trout over a blue tortilla chip, and a dab of tomatillo salsa on top. No doubt in my mind I married a guy with great taste. 😉

On a slight tangent: as I was preparing this post, I got the feed notification of a new article by Kelly, over at Inspired Edibles. She wrote a nice tribute to her yoga instructor, and I invite you to jump over there and read it, very inspring! As a bonus, you’ll also get a recipe for homemade energy bars…
I am all for energy bars these days! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Chocolate Intensity

TWO YEARS AGO: Shrimp in Moroccan-Style Tomato Sauce

THREE YEARS AGO: Golden Zucchini: A Taste of Yellow