Monday July 5, 2010
I took the day off. So, I had time to cook more. I didn’t use the time wisely, but it was there. Oops.
Mexican Flank Steak with Jicama-orange salad
Weber’s big book of BBQ, pg 119
For the Rub:
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
1 Flank Steak, 1 ½ to 2 pounds, about ¾ inch thick.
For the Dressing:
2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T granulated sugar
1 tsp minced Serrano chile, with seeds
1 small red onion, cut cross-wise into ½ inch slices
2 cups jicama, cut into matchsticks
4 oranges, peeled and sectioned
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
To make a rub: in a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients.
Trim the steak of any surface fat. Press the rub into both sides of the steak. Cover the steak with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours.
To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
Lightly brush or spray the onion slices with olive oil. Grill over Direct Medium heat until well marked and tender, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once during grilling time.
Remove from the grill and chop into ½ inch pieces.
Place the onion in a medium bowl and add the jicama and orange segments. Pour in the dressing, toss with two forks, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Serve at room temperature.
Allow the steak to stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling. Brush or spray both sides of the steak with oil and season with salt. Grill over Direct Medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 145˚ for medium rare, 8 to 10 minutes. Turning once halfway trough grilling time. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into diagonal slices.
How I did it: I didn’t make the salad because a woodpecker ate the oranges off my trees, so no comment there.
I got distracted (that would be going to Mac’s and drinking) and didn’t get the rub on the meat to let it marinate (season?) long enough. I used a skirt steak because the market didn't have a flank steak. It is really important to let it marinate for more than three hours. The meat was not as tasty as I would have liked. I’ll try the rub on other meats and see if it’s the rub or that I didn’t let it marinate long enough.
I served it with Charro beans and Mexican Rice.I love these beans. Pinto beans don’t sit well with me, so next time I’ll try it with cannellini or great northern beans.
Charro Beans with Blackened Tomatoes
Tacos by Mark Miller, pg 36
1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over
3 cloves garlic
1 small white onion, halved
6 ½ cups water
2 T olive oil (preferably Spanish)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, dry roasted*
1 pound tomatoes, blackened** and cut into ¼ inch dice
1 tsp tomato paste
¼ tsp chipotle puree***
½ tsp smoked salt
¼ tsp dried Mexican oregano, toasted and ground
1 T chopped fresh cilantro leaves
soft yellow corn tortillas for serving
To cook the beans: In a large pot, simmer the beans, garlic, ½ onion and the water over medium-low heat, partially covered until the beans are very soft and almost falling apart. After the beans are cooked, drain the liquid and return the liquid to a sauce pan. Simmer to reduce until it is thickened, about 10 minutes.
While the chiles and tomatoes are blackening (see notes below), chop the ½ onion into ¼ inch dice. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onions until they begin to carmelize, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Don’t let the garlic brown.
Return the beans to a large pot, add the onions and garlic, chiles, tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle puree, smoked salt, oregano, cilantro and the thickened bean liquid. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
NOTES:
You can find smoked salt at Cost Plus Word Market.
*dry roast the jalapenos in a small pan on the stove. Char the skin on all sides. Set aside to cool before chopping.
** Blacken the tomatoes under the broiler. They get very soft, so place a piece of foil or cookie sheet on the rack below them. Turn the tomatoes to char the skin on all sides. Set aside and allow to cool before seeding and chopping.
***chipotle puree can be made by pureeing canned chipotles in adobo sauce. I bought a small can, pureed the entire thing, keep a small bit in the refrigerator (about 1 tsp, covered with olive oil) and froze the rest. I defrost it enough to break of a bit to replenish the puree in the refrigerator, then return it to the freezer.
How I did it: I used two cans of undrained pinto beans, added the onion and garlic to that and cooked until the liquid was reduced and thick. They weren’t falling apart, so I mashed them with a potato masher. I followed the rest of the recipe. I didn’t serve with tortillas.
These are really good beans!
I tried to make Mexican Rice but I forgot the garlic and my rice is always to sticky and soft. Any ideas?
I was winging it. I didn’t have cumin seeds, so I added powdered cumin. I forgot the garlic. I used fresh tomatoes. I didn’t add chile powder. I could really use a good recipe for Mexican Rice. I used water but a friend said I should use chicken broth.
Mexican Rice (work in progress)Home recipe
1 cup long grain white rice
2 Cups water (broth?)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced
1 T cumin seeds
1 T coriander seeds
1 tsp salt
1 T olive oil
½ cup corn, canned or frozen (optional)
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. In the mean time, toast the cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a dry skill. When toasty and fragrant, cool slightly and run through a spice mill until powdered. Add to the onions and garlic.
Add the rice to the onions and garlic, sauté for a minute until it glistens with oil (you might need to add a bit more oil to the pan). Add the two cups water and bring to a boil. When nearly all the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes, add the tomato. Cook until all the water is absorbed, total 15-20 minutes. Add corn. Cover until heated through. Add salt, ½ tsp at a time, check seasonings.
Pace Hot Picante sauce can fix this if it’s not to your liking.
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