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Leftovers Redux – Pastrami Hash with Eggs

Continuing along with my last post’s theme of making use of some leftovers, I needed to find something to do with some of the leftover pastrami I had when I made it myself last week. Too much work and effort went into making it to just let what was left go to waste and Sean and I had eaten quite a bit of it for lunches over the days and needed something different. To the rescue comes breakfast for dinner! Breakfast for dinner is always a family favorite and something Sean has liked since he was a little boy. We do it every few weeks when I have run out of ideas of what to make for dinner that night. It usually involves something like pancakes, bacon, eggs or sausage, but since we had leftover pastrami to work with, what better opportunity was there to make some hash? Has is a great way to use up leftovers and create something new and tasty all at the same time and it gives you a change of pace for breakfast or dinner. I used this basic recipe from Bon Appetit for a pastrami hash with eggs as a template, though you probably don’t really need one when you are making hash.

Pastrami Hash with Eggs

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 4 large), scrubbed, cut into 1-inch pieces

½ pound winter squash (such as acorn, butternut, or kabocha), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

2 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 pound pastrami or any leftover braised meat, cut or shredded into bite-size pieces

4 large eggs

¼ cup sliced chives (optional)

¾ cup sour cream (optional)

Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and the winter squash and season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 25–30 minutes.

Add the leeks and garlic to the hash and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Using the back of a spoon or a spatula, lightly smash the vegetables. Add the pastrami and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is warmed through and the flavors have melded, about 10–12 minutes.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. Carefully crack the eggs into the skillet one at a time and season them with salt and pepper. Cook the eggs until the whites are set and slightly puffed but the yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes.

Divide the hash among shallow bowls and top each bowl with an egg; scatter the chives over the top, if using. Serve with sour cream alongside, if desired.

If you have made corned beef hash before then you can see that this recipe is pretty similar. It would work with just about any type of meat you wanted to use – short ribs, prime rib, steak, turkey, sausage, chicken – and creates some great flavor. I really liked the spices that the pastrami already has and what they lent to the dish to give it even more flavor and it was a great way to use up the leftovers. I used butternut squash with the potatoes and opted for onions instead of leeks since I didn’t have any leeks on hand that day. Sean had his with scrambled eggs while my eggs were over easy and it was tasty to mix in the hash with some of the runny egg. We both loved it and there was a bit of hash leftover that is perfect to use with breakfast with an egg over an English muffin.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

2 Comments

Posted by MikeG on October 8, 2016 in Beef, Breakfast, Brunch, Cooking, Dinner, Eggs, Leftovers, One Pot Meals

Tags: bon appetit, Bon Appetit pastrami hash, pastrami hash, pastrami hash with eggs, pastrami recipes, using leftover pastrami

Goodbye Carnegie Deli, Hello Homemade Pastrami

05 Oct

If you follow the news, at least here in New York, you have probably seen the story regarding the recent announcement from the Carnegie Deli. The deli is something of an institution here in New York and has been open for nearly 80 years but recently announced that they will be closing at the end of 2016. The Carnegie Deli is very famous for the different sandwiches that it offers, especially the pastrami. Pastrami can sometimes be something of an acquired taste and not everyone is a big fan of it. For me personally, pastrami is basically the only type of cold cut meat that I really eat. While you can still get pastrami in any supermarket and from of variety of different sources, there is something about the Carnegie Deli that people are particularly fond of. Personally, I have never been to the Carnegie Deli but they do offer their pastrami for sale in different supermarkets and I have tried it before. It is pretty good but I had always wondered if it could be better. Pastrami was not something I had never really considered making myself, particularly because I do not have a smoker to use, but Shawn had shown an interest recently in trying pastrami and it just so happens, that at this time of year with the Jewish holidays, that brisket is at a pretty good price. I decided I would get adventurous and started looking around for a recipe that would allow me to make it at home but make it in the oven instead of the smoker. I came across this recipe from Food52 that seemed to fit the bill. It is a bit of a process, but it seemed like it was worth a try.

Homemade Pastrami

3 1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns

3 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon allspice berries

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 bay leaf, crushed

1/4 cinnamon stick, crushed

1 1/4 cup kosher salt

2 2/3 tablespoons pink salt (sodium nitrite)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

5 garlic cloves, minced

One 5-pound brisket from the fatty end (point), untrimmed

1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds

1/2 cup shiro dashi

In a small skillet, lightly toast 1/2 teaspoon of the black peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon of the coriander seeds and 1/2 teaspoon of the mustard seeds over medium heat until the spices are fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the spices from the heat and allow them to cool slightly before grinding them in the spice mill.

Put the ground spices in a large pot and add the red pepper flakes, allspice berries, cloves, mace, ginger, crushed bay leaf, crushed cinnamon stick, kosher salt, pink salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, minced garlic and 4 quarts of water. Bring the brine to a simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove the brine from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Transfer the brine to a vessel large enough to hold it and the meat – which will be added later – and refrigerate the brine until it is chilled.

Put the brisket in the brine and weigh it down (with a plate or several tomato cans, for example) to keep it completely submerged. Cover the brisket and refrigerate it for 5 days. Remove the brisket from the brine, rinse it thoroughly, dry it, and place it on a large platter. Discard the brine. In a spice mill, process the remaining black peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and the fennel seeds. Transfer the spices to a small bowl and mix them well. Coat the brisket with the spice mixture and sprinkle the shiro dashi over it. Cover the platter and refrigerate the brisket for about 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 250°. Put the brisket on a rack in a large roasting pan. Add a cup of water to the pan and tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil. Cook the brisket until it reaches 165° on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat, about 3 to 4 hours. If you do not have a meat thermometer, the brisket is ready when the meat is very tender. Let the meat rest for at least 2 hours at room temperature, or cover it and refrigerate it overnight. To serve, transfer the pastrami to a cutting board and cut it against the grain into thin slices. The pastrami will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Okay, this is quite a project to undertake and you not only need to have the time to put into it, and the space in your refrigerator, but you also, if you are like me, are going to need to go out and buy a number of spices. I do not typically have things like allspice berries or ground mace on hand and I certainly do not normally have the pink salt required for preserving meat. Sodium nitrite is used to help prevent the growth of dangerous bacteria and is something of a necessity if you are going to do this recipe. I was able to get some online through Amazon and probably have more than enough now to last me for a lifetime. I also had some difficulty in tracking down the shiro dashi, which they use in this recipe to help add some of the smoky flavor that you would normally get if you cook the pastrami in a smoker. Shiro dashi is a Japanese stock base that does have a bit of a smoky smell to it. I was finally able to track some down at one of the specialty food stores not too far from here. After that, I had to make space in the refrigerator for a container large enough to submerged the brisket to do the brining.

Even after all of that, you still have to wait for five days, the twelve hours of resting with the spices and then the four hours in the oven before the recipe is complete. That being said, I think it was certainly worth the effort put into it. The final product was very tasty. It tasted just as good or better than anything that you might be able to buy at the supermarket. The mix of spices was perfect and the pastrami was cooked perfectly and made for some great sandwiches. Of course, I served the pastrami hot on homemade rye bread with some homemade pickles, a little bit of tomato salad and some homemade ranch coleslaw and with plenty of mustard. It made for an excellent meal and there were plenty of leftovers so that Sean and I have been enjoying it for lunches ever since then and we gave some to my brother and his wife to bring home for them to enjoy. Is it something that I will make often? Not likely since the process is lengthy and brisket is often pretty expensive around here, but it is certainly a recipe that I will keep in mind to have once in a while when I get a craving for some good pastrami.

That is all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

2 Comments

Posted by MikeG on October 5, 2016 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Lunch, Sandwiches, Spices

Tags: Carnegie Deli, Food52, homemade pastrami, homemade pastrami in the oven, pastrami, pastrami in the oven, pastrami recipe

A Perfect Shout Out for Cooler Weather – Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta

28 Sep

As much as summer may be trying to hang on here in the last few days of September, there have been some very cool nights here lately, making it feel much more like fall now. It is nice to have the window open in the evening to feel the cool air instead of the air conditioning. It is also a great sign that cooking more things like soups, stews and braises is right on the horizon. I have already started in on making some fall like dinners when I have had the chance to. One meal I particularly enjoy is short ribs. Unfortunately, as is the case with many of the meats that you find for sale today, short ribs tend to be very expensive, particularly if you are looking to feed several people. I had purchased some as part of a package of fresh meat I had purchased from Bishop Farms at a farmers market not that long ago so I had more than enough on hand to feed the three of us. I had been saving this recipe that I had found from Williams-Sonoma for braised short ribs with a creamy polenta and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to give it a try.

Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 pounds bone in, individual-cut short ribs

4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, diced

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups red wine

3 cups beef stock or broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

1 cup milk

1 1/3 cups quick-cooking polenta

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

Preheat the oven to 325°. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the short ribs with 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt and the pepper. In batches so you can avoid overcrowding, and the short ribs to the pot and cook, turning occasionally, until the short ribs are browned on all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer the short ribs to a separate plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and heat it. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Sprinkle in the all-purpose flour and stir it well. Slowly stir in the red wine, then the beef stock. Stir in the tomato paste, rosemary and bay leaf. Return the short ribs to the pot. The short ribs should be barely covered with liquid. If not, add hot water as needed. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot, place the pot in the oven, and cook the short ribs, moving the position of the ribs every forty-five minutes or so to be sure that they are covered with liquid and are cooking evenly, until the short ribs are very tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Transfer the short ribs to a deep serving platter (do not worry if the meat separates from the bones; this should happen), and tent the platter with aluminum foil to keep the short ribs warm.

Let the cooking liquid stand for five minutes. Skim off the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid and discard the fat. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring, until the liquid is reduced by about one-fourth, about 10 to 12 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Return the short ribs to the pot.

Just before serving, make the polenta: In a heavy saucepan, bring 3 cups of water, the milk and the remaining 2 teaspoons of kosher salt to a boil over high heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, whisking often, until the polenta is thick, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Divide the polenta among warmed serving bowls or plates, top the polenta with the short ribs and the sauce and serve at once.

A meal like this involving short ribs is pretty elegant and since it takes quite a lot of time to cook, it is likely something you are going to want to save to use for a Sunday dinner or another meal on the weekend. The recipe itself is fairly basic but the short ribs take on a great deal of flavor and as the fat in the short ribs starts to break down the meat becomes more tender and succulent. The gravy adds just the right touch to the short ribs and tastes great when served over the polenta. If you did not want to have polenta, you could just as easily substitute mashed potatoes or even rice if you prefer, but the polenta seems to go really well with this type of meal. This is a great one to do when you are having people over as the recipe indicated serves six. I did halve the recipe so it was better suited for just three of us and we still had some leftovers. The leftover short ribs are great to use for a whole bunch of different meals. You can easily remove the meat from the bones and shredded and use the meat for things like tacos or put it back in the sauce and just serve it over rice or pasta. I served this with some Brussels sprouts and some homemade bread to complete the meal.

That is all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

3 Comments

Posted by MikeG on September 28, 2016 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner

Tags: braised short ribs, braised short ribs with creamy polenta, polenta recipe, quick-cooking polenta, short ribs recipe, Sunday dinner ideas, williams-sonoma

A Comfort Food Classic for Cooler Weather – Beef Stroganoff

13 Sep

The weather has started to become noticeably cooler the last few days. While the temperature has stayed in the 70s or so during the day around here, it is going down to fifty at night, making it great to open up the windows and get some fresh air for a change instead of using the air conditioner. Once the weather starts to get this way, I tend to start to think more about making different comfort foods. Comfort foods in the fall naturally seem to gravitate towards things like soups, stews, roasts and the like. I decided yesterday seemed like a good day to try something I have not made a very long time – beef stroganoff. Traditionally, stroganoff is made with beef tenderloin. However, tenderloin is not something I buy usually more than once a year, and even then it is usually around the holidays. There are plenty of good substitutes that you can use to make stroganoff instead of spending a high price you might for tenderloin. You can use sirloin steak, London broil or even stew beef if you cut it thin enough. I decided to try this classic beef stroganoff recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, which simplifies the recipes so that you can make a great meal in about twenty or thirty minutes.

Classic Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and have if small, quartered if medium, cut into sixths if large

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 pound beef (tenderloin, sirloin steak, London broil or stew beef), cut into 1/2-inch long, 1/8-inch wide strips

1/2 cup beef broth

1 tablespoon butter

one small onion, minced (1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup sour cream

8 ounces egg noodles, cooked in salted water, drained, and tossed with 2 tablespoons of butter

Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed large skillet set over medium-high heat until the oil is hot and shimmering, but not smoking, about 2 to 3 minutes; swirl the oil to coat the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat without stirring for about thirty seconds. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and continue to cook them, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer the mushrooms to a medium bowl.

Return the skillet to high heat, and add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil; swirl the oil to coat the pan. Place the beef strips in the skillet. Using tongs, spread the meat into a single layer, making sure that the strips do not touch, and cook the meat without turning until it is well browned on the first side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the beef strips and cooked them on the second side until they are well-browned, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste and transfer the beef to the bowl with the mushrooms.

Add the beef broth to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon; simmer the broth until it is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the beef broth to the bowl with the mushrooms and the beef, scraping the skillet clean with a rubber spatula.

Return the skillet to medium low heat and add the butter; when the butter foams, add the onion, tomato paste and dark brown sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is lightly browned and softened, about 6 to 7 minutes; stir in the flour until it is well incorporated. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and white wine; increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the mixture until it has thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk the liquid from the mushrooms and beef into the sauce and simmer it to incorporate all the liquid. Stir about 1/2 cup of the warm sauce in the pan into the sour cream, then stir this mixture back into the sauce in the pan. Add the mushrooms and beef back into the pan; heat everything to warm it through about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Adjust the seasonings with salt-and-pepper to taste and serve the stroganoff over the buttered egg noodles.

This recipe seemed a bit easier than some of the other side take a look at and allowed you to use more of ingredients you likely have on hand at home. Browning everything in the same pan as you go along with each step helps to build more layers of flavor from the dish. If you do not have any white wine available or do not like to use wine when you are cooking, you can always substitute more chicken broth or water. Mixing the sour cream with the hot sauce before you put it into the pan is a lot like tempering eggs, sour cream is likely to curdle if you edit directly to a hot liquid. To prevent this from happening, mixing it with a little hot liquid before you edit into the pan will help you to create a much better sauce. I thought the flavors of the dish were excellent and the meat came out nice and tender and very tasty. I simply used some stew beef that I had on hand, but I think a sirloin steak would work very well for this particular recipe. Stroganoff is traditionally served with noodles and I roasted some broccoli and cauliflower to go along with it to round out the meal.

That is all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 13, 2016 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner

Tags: beef stroganoff, beef stroganoff recipe, classic beef stroganoff, comfort food dinner, cook's illustrated, Cook's Illustrated classic beef stroganoff

Steak and Summer Go Hand in Hand – Sirloin Steak with Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

13 Aug

There are always some meals that I immediately associate with the summer. Naturally people think a lot about things like hamburgers and hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, watermelon and all of the great summer fruits and vegetables you can get. One of the things I always associate with summer is steak. Even though I made steak throughout the year and I don’t even have a grill to use, the idea of grilling a nice piece of steak is something I love. Since I need to do next best around here, I very often use one of my grill pans when making steak to get that same feeling. As much as I love steak, the price keeps me from buying it too often. Every once in a while I will treat us to a rib eye steak for dinner or a New York strip, but that’s about it and only if they are on sale. When I last went to the farmers’ market here in Monroe, I picked up a meat package from Bishop Farms, a farm out of Fulton, NY that offers some great beef, pork, lamb, chicken and more that are all-natural, no steroids and antibiotics. I had purchased a few things from them before and got a package of ground beef, short ribs, beef kebabs and sirloin steaks that looked awesome. I decided to make one of the sirloin steaks the other night and used this recipe from Martha Stewart to make a quick and easy meal.

Sirloin Steak with Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for serving

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 pounds and 1 inch thick), trimmed and cut into 4 equal portions

1 pound red new potatoes, halved (quartered if large)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Place the mustard mixture in a resealable plastic bag. Add the steaks, and rub the steaks to coat them well. Let the steaks marinate at room temperature for about 10 minutes or refrigerate them for up to 1 day.

On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Roast the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then add the asparagus to the sheet pan and toss them with another tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the asparagus with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables until the potatoes and asparagus are tender, about 15 minutes more.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or grill pan over high heat. Remove the steaks from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Cook the steaks for about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. If the pan darkens quickly, reduce the heat. Let the steaks rest for about 5 minutes. Serve the steaks with the vegetables or slice the steaks into thin slices and serve over the vegetables on a large platter. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

It’s a very simple recipe that comes out nicely. I used Yukon gold potatoes in my recipe because that is what I had on hand to go with the asparagus. I chose to keep the steak as one large steak and then slice it after it rested, but you could certainly do whatever is best for you. The steak was perfectly cooked and the marinade was quite nice with the mustard and garlic. The marinade would be good on other things like chicken or lamb, but I think I might add a touch of soy sauce to it next time to really boost up the flavor. The whole meal only takes about 30 to 40 minutes to cook, which is great for a weeknight and if you have a grill you could easily do it all outside without having to heat up the house.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 13, 2016 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Potatoes, Vegetables

Tags: Bishop Farms, Bishop Farms Fulton NY, Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart sirloin steak, roasted asparagus, roasted potatoes, roasted potatoes and asparagus, sirloin steak, sirloin steak recipe, sirloin steak with roasted potatoes and asparagus

50 Easy Weeknight Summer Dinners, So You Can Relax – Bon Appétit

22 Jul

It’s summer and it’s hot out so avoiding the elaborate dinner becomes almost a necessity for most of us. Bon Appetit is here to help you out with 50 easy weeknight summer dinners so you don’t have to slave in the kitchen to have a good meal. Check it out!

Source: 50 Easy Weeknight Summer Dinners, So You Can Relax – Bon Appétit

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Posted by MikeG on July 22, 2016 in Beef, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Grilling, One Pot Meals, Pasta, Picnic Fare, Pork, Potatoes, Poultry, Produce, Rice, Salad, Sandwiches, Sausage, Seafood, Slow Cooker Meals, Stir Fry, Vegetables

Tags: 50 easy weeknight summer dinners, Bo Appetit 50 easy weeknight summer dinners, bon appetit, dinners to make when it's hot, easy weeknight summer dinners, summertime easy dinners

29 Grilled Steak Recipes – Bon Appétit

19 Jul

If you have plans to break out the grill any time soon and want to go beyond just making hamburgers and hot dogs, you can’t go wrong with making a steak. With so many choices to go with, you could make something different all summer long with these 29 steak recipes for the grill from Bon Appetit. Check it out!

Source: 29 Grilled Steak Recipes – Bon Appétit

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Posted by MikeG on July 19, 2016 in Beef, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Grilling

Tags: 29 grilled steak recipes, 29 steak recipes, bon appetit, Bon Appetit 29 grilled steak recipes, grilled steak recipes, steak on the grill

Whipping Up Some Whiskey Glazed Steak with Grilled Potatoes

07 Jul

If you are a meat-eater then steak is probably at the top of your list of foods that you love to have for dinner. We love steak in our house and while we each seem to have our favorite cuts (Michelle loves New York strip, Sean likes London broil and I like Rib-Eye) just about any type of steak can do really well for a meal if it’s prepared correctly. The big problem with steak of course is that it tends to be very expensive. I try to get it on sale when I can and make the most of some of the less-expensive, lower cuts of meat and make them work, which is why London broil can be such a great choice. If you prepare it right it can be just as tender as any other steak and it costs much less than what you will pay for tenderloin, rib-eye, strip steak or sirloin. Very often when I see steak recipes that I really like I look for ways to adapt it for lesser cuts of beef. That is what I did with this recipe from Guy Fieri of Food Network. The original recipe calls for flat-iron steaks, which can be kind of pricey around here. I decided to give it a try with a London broil I got on sale instead to see how it would come out. Also, since I don’t have a grill to cook everything outside, I had to break out my trust cast-iron grill pan for this one. I think it did just fine.

Whiskey Glazed Steak with Grilled Potatoes

1/2 cup whiskey, such as Jack Daniels ( I used Maker’s Mark myself, but whatever you have is good)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Four 8-ounce flat-iron steaks, filet mignon steaks or other cut of steak ( I used a 2 pound London broil)
1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

If you are cooking on a grill, pre-heat a grill to medium-high heat. Whisk together the whiskey, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil and the garlic. Add the steak, turn a few times to coat the steak with the marinade and let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, quarter each potato lengthwise to form wedges and put them in a medium pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water to cover by 1-inch and add salt until the water tastes like sea water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes well and toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Remove the steak from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Pour the marinade into a small pot and bring it to a boil. Boil the marinade for 2 to 3 minutes until it is slightly reduced, making sure the sugar does not burn, to make a glaze and sauce for the steak.

Grill the steaks until an internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer reads about 130 degrees F, 3 to 4 minutes per side, brushing with the boiled marinade several times in the last few minutes of grilling time. If you are cooking the filet mignon steaks or another cut of steak , you will need to increase your cooking time to account for the thicker cut of the meat. For the London broil, I cooked it for about 6 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer the steak to a large plate to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. While the steaks grill, add the potatoes to the grill and grill until they are well-marked and crispy, turning to grill all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the potato wedges to a bowl.

Toss the grilled potatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the chives, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Remove the garlic cloves from the remaining glaze and serve it drizzled over the steaks with the potatoes on the side.

Since I used my grill pan, I did the steak first and while it rested I put the potatoes on to grill them up. The glaze for the steak is a little on the sweet side and there is definite dominant flavor of the whiskey so if that’s not your thing the glaze might not be for you. However, I loved the flavor it imparted onto the steak and everyone else seem to really enjoy it as well. The potatoes were the big hit, with all of them getting gobbled up right away. The London broil worked out quite well with this dish so I think you could easily substitute in whatever cut of steak you prefer here to fit the recipe. I served it with some fresh green beans, sautéed onions and corn on the cob to round out the meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on July 7, 2016 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Potatoes

Tags: food network, grilled potatoes, Guy Fieri whiskey glazed steak, whiskey glazed flat iron steak, whiskey glazed steak recipe, whiskey glazed steak with grilled potatoes

Cinco de Mayo Taco Recipes – Bon Appétit

05 May

Tacos make a a great dinner any night of the year. They are full of flavor, use fresh ingredients and are pretty easy to make. You can also use any type of protein you like best or go with just vegetables and still have a great dinner. Since today is Cinco de Mayo, it seems like as good a day as any to check out these 25 taco recipes put together by Bon Appetit. You’ll find everything you need to know or want to try right here so you can have a Cinco de Mayo dinner tonight or just have a good taco recipes on hand any time you feel like one. Check it out!

Source: Cinco de Mayo Taco Recipes – Bon Appétit

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Posted by MikeG on May 5, 2016 in Beans, Beef, Breakfast, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Grilling, One Pot Meals, Pork, Potatoes, Poultry, Produce, Rice, Sandwiches, Sausage, Seafood, Turkey, Vegetables

Tags: 25 taco recipes, bon appetit, Bon Appetit 25 taco recipes, Cinco de Mayo recipes, Cinco de Mayo taco recipes, taco recipes, tacos anytime

31 Flavorful Rubs, Brines, and Marinades Slideshow – Bon Appétit

30 Apr

Everyone gets tired of having the same old thing when it comes to chicken, pork chops, steak or fish. A great way to change things up without going crazy is to use a brine, rub or marinade. They can add great flavor to anything you are cooking and make even your most regular meal seem extraordinary. Bon Appetit has put together 31 recipes for different rubs, brines and marinades that you can try. Check it out!

Source: 31 Flavorful Rubs, Brines, and Marinades Slideshow – Bon Appétit