It's been a while since I last blogged and man am I rusty. Plus my husband is sitting behind me trying to read what I'm writing and that really bugs me. So excuse me while I get rid of him....I really don't like people watching over my shoulder. It stifles my creative juices (and makes me a wee bit self-conscious). So on to the recipe.
This recipe comes from Michael Chiarello who hosts the Food Network show "Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello." He owns restaurants in Napa, CA and has a food line called Napa Style. He is also a good friend of my favorite makeup Goddess, Leslie Blodgett! Michael focuses on fresh foods grown locally so you have the best choice of flavors. I would like to mention that almost all the produce I used came from my garden in keeping with the spirit of the chef who created it.
As you can see from the picture above, this is a robust and hearty recipe. The recipe says it makes 4 servings, but I found it made more like 6. I could only finish 1 serving. The flavors are rich and spicy, so I wouldn't recommend it for the faint of heart. You would think with the jalapenos that they would add the spice, but the 3 tablespoons of raw minced garlic really gives it a kick. I also would not recommend it for those who want a real quick meal. The veggies need to be charred on the barbecue and then peeled with can take quite a bit of prep time especially the first time you make it. But if you like a lot of flavor and want to really show off, then this meal is for you! By the way, my hubby loved it and ate 2 1/2 servings. So he gives it the thumbs up.
Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Cruda
Ingredients:
· 5-6 vine-ripened tomatoes (a few more if using romas)
· 1 large red bell pepper
· 2 jalapeno chiles
· 6-7 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing bread
· gray salt and freshly ground pepper
· wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
· 1 onion, sliced into thick rings
· 3 tbsp. minced garlic
· 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
· 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
· gray salt and cracked black pepper
· 1 flank steak, about 1 lb.
· 3-4 oz. Gorgonzola, crumbled
· 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, divided
· 6 large slices bread, cut from a good, crusty loaf
Directions:
Prepare the grill and let it burn down to medium coals. If using a gas grill, preheat to medium. Core the tomatoes and cut an X through the skin on the bottom of each. In a bowl, toss the tomatoes, onion rings, bell pepper, and chiles with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
Secure the chilies with metal or soaked wooden skewers so they won't fall through the grill grate. Place the tomatoes on the grill, X-side down and away from direct heat, with the other vegetables. Cover the grill and cook, turning the bell pepper and chiles to char evenly all over, until the tomatoes have softened but are still firm enough to stand on their own and the bell pepper and chilies are blistered, about 15 minutes.
Put the pepper and chiles in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam and loosen the skins. Let the tomatoes cool to room temperature.
In a large, shallow bowl, combine 4 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, vinegar, oregano. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Peel the grilled vegetables. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and squeeze out the seeds into a mesh sieve suspended over a bowl to catch the juices. Finely chop the tomatoes.
Return the tomato pulp and any juices from the chopping board to the bowl holding the tomato juices. Seed the bell pepper and cut the bell pepper and onions into small dice. Seed and chop the chiles. Mash the chiles and taste to determine their heat.
Add all vegetables with garlic olive oil mixture. Mix well before topping the flank steak.
Brush both sides with 1 tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 5 minutes for medium-rare and 6 minutes for medium on both sides (to cook indoors try a cast iron, skillet or bistecca pan).
A minute before removing steak from the heat, top with oregano and Gorgonzola. Transfer to a cutting board, drizzle with another 1 tablespoon olive oil, and crumble the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano over the top. Let rest for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the bread on both sides until brown and crunchy on the outside but still soft within.
Carve the meat on the diagonal into thin slices and arrange on a platter or plates, on top of crusty bread. Top with about 1/4 cup of the Salsa Cruda, per slice of bread drizzled over each portion. Serve immediately.
Servings: 6
The recipe calls for 5-6 vine-ripened tomatoes. I used romas which were a little on the small side, so I used 9 total. It says to put the tomatoes on the grill, X-side down, but the way romas are shaped, that was a little hard to do. If yours won't stay, don't worry about it. Just remember to turn them. It also says to use skewers for the jalapenos. I used Anaheim peppers which are a slightly larger and milder version of jalapenos and they were big enough to put on the grill by themselves so I didn't need the skewers. If you do use wood skewers, do make sure you soak them because they will catch on fire. The recipe also calls for gray salt. Michael Chiarello really LOVES gray salt. It's a bit pricey so if you don't have it, just substitute it with sea salt or as a last result, table salt.
It originally called for 4 oz. of Gorgonzola cheese (you'll find it near cumbled blue or feta cheese), but you can get away with 3 oz. Gorgonzola is Italy's version of blue cheese and very yummy. You add this to the top of the flank steak a minute before taking off the grill. It will not be all melty when you take off the grill. I recommend a large spatula to remove it so you don't dump the Gorgonzola into the flames.
For the bread, I made a loaf of Italian bread which is probably the size of the average grocery store loaf of French bread which you can use also. Cut the slices on as much of an angle that you can with a serrated bread knife to make the slices as large as possible. Don't make them too thin (about 1" thick) or they will get too soggy. Grill them till you have the grill marks, but still soft in the center. When you slice the steak, use the same knife and technique you used for the bread and cut against the grain. With skirt and flank steak, you always cut against the grain. Plate as directed and enjoy!
