Entries from May 30th, 2011

Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak

Monday, May 30, 2011

I’ve been making this marinated skirt steak since I was in high school and, truthfully, I have never found a marinade that even comes close to this.  That said, I have to give credit to my little sister, who was more ambitious in the kitchen before I was, for finding this recipe from Martha Stewart.

The recipe is so easy that after making it once, you won’t even need to look at the recipe again or even measure ingredients for that matter-just adjust to your own tastes (for example, I’m a huge garlic lover.  Martha only calls for 2 cloves).  I’m sure this would be great to throw on the grill, but I’ve always just put it under the broiler in my oven and loved it. When you think about it, 5 minutes throwing together the marinade, plus 3 minutes per side in the oven, there’s never really a bad time to make this…so what are you waiting for?

Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak
Recipe modified from Martha Stewart
Serves 4

  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 pound skirt steak
  1. Trim skirt steak of excess fat.  My supermarket is very inconsistent-sometimes very fatty pieces (hidden from view, of course) and sometimes very lean.
  2. Place steak in a shallow Tupperware container, stab it all over with a fork, and add all of the ingredients.  Shake!
  3. According to Martha, you can let it marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes, but I usually throw this all together in 5 minutes or less the night before and then throw it in the fridge overnight.
  4. Set the oven to “Broil” and line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil.  Place the steak on the sheet (I make sure to grab all those garlic slices and roast them too!).  This steak, because it’s so thin, cooks FAST so don’t walk away!  3 minutes per side is all you need for the thickest parts to be medium rare.
  5. Pull the steak out and cover with tinfoil (I promise, it will stay blazing hot) and let it rest for at least 5 minutes.  If you get anxious and don’t let this time pass, you will have a MESS all over your cutting board and your meat won’t be as juicy as it could have been, which is a shame.

Enjoy!  (Also awesome as cold leftovers…some people have to grab an Oreo every time they pass the cupboard…I have to grab a slice of this steak whenever I pass the fridge)

1 comment categories: Meat

Butternut Squash Risotto (an almost no-stir recipe)

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

 

The other day a friend asked me, “is it true that risotto is one of the hardest things to make?”

The question surprised me just a bit for two reasons: 1) I had not heard that said and, likely a result of not having heard this,  2) I had made this dish a few nights before and it was far from the hardest thing I’ve ever made.  This, however, is the perfect example of my cooking philosophy: assume you can make anything you want and 9 times out of 10, it won’t be as hard as you think and it will turn out delicious.  Ignorance is bliss, I guess?  If I had heard that this was a challenging dish to create, I doubt I would have gussied up the courage to do it with so little hesitation, so instead I plunged in head first, pulled it off, and have a new favorite dish which I promise is easy to make for a quick, hearty, weeknight meal with plenty of leftovers.

Butternut Squash Risotto
(an almost no-stir recipe)
Recipes from Cook’s Illustrated Sept 2005 and May 2010 issues, combined and slightly modified
Serves 6 as a side dish (or 2 as a main dish plus a week of side dish serving sized leftovers)

**Note: This recipe was the inaugural use of my Le Creuset and I highly recommend utilizing yours, if you have one, for this recipe.  Cooks Illustrated mentions it as a key component to the success of the recipe.

[Cook's Illustrated Note:] This recipe does not employ the traditional risotto method; the rice is mainly stirred for 3 minutes toward the end of cooking instead of constantly throughout. This more hands-off method does require precise timing, so we strongly recommend using a timer. The consistency of risotto is largely a matter of personal taste; if you prefer a looser texture, add extra broth in step 4.  To make this dish vegetarian, vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth, but the resulting risotto will have more pronounced sweetness.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 butternut squash (medium, about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded (fibers and seeds reserved), and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
  • 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • Table salt
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups Arborio rice
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
  • Ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add about 3 1/2 cups squash in even layer and cook without stirring until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender and browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer squash to bowl and set aside.
  2. Return skillet to medium heat; add reserved squash fibers and seeds and any leftover diced squash. Cook, stirring frequently to break up fibers, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to large saucepan and add chicken broth and water; cover saucepan and bring mixture to simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain bare simmer.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. When butter has melted, add onion and ¾ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened but not browned, 4 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir 5 cups strained hot broth mixture into rice; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and rice is just al dente, 16 to 19 minutes, stirring twice during cooking.
  5. Stir in about 1/2 cup hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth 2 or 3 more times, until rice is al dente and to your desired texture (some like it looser, others thicker). Off heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, Parmesan, sage, and nutmeg; gently fold in remaining cooked squash. If desired, add up to 1/4 cup additional hot broth to loosen texture of risotto. Serve immediately with some Parmesan sprinkled over top.

I saved the leftover squash-infused broth (I had maybe 1 1/2 cups left) and as I heated up the leftovers, I splashed a bit of the broth in the pan to help loosen up the texture again.  Anyone who knows me and my eating habits knows that I can’t stand leftovers, but I have been eating this risotto for a week now!  Reheats easily and the flavors meld over time in the fridge.

2 comments categories: Comfort Food, Savory