Fresh and Frugal: Skirt Steak with Chimichurri

My parents were in town last week, and I wanted to treat them to some great food! During my regular market trip, I stopped by the Mint Creek Farm stall to check out their selection and prices. I had ribeye on the brain, but at $29/pound, it was outside my price range for four people on a regular weeknight. Sustainably-raised beef is pricey. So how can a steak-lover answer a craving without bombing their budget? Two ways: choose a cheaper cut, and shrink portion sizes. Scanning the list, I decided on just under a pound of skirt steak.

What's wrong with cheap meat? First of all, meat can be bought so cheaply at your local supermarket because of how it's raised: in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Animals are packed very tightly into these facilities, with barely any room to move, and are fed a diet of mostly grain. These conditions lead the animals to a much higher-than-normal susceptibility to disease and infection, and so farmers routinely mix antibiotics into their feed. Aside from the fact that this is a sad life for animals, these practices are also detrimental both to the environment and to the nutritional quality of the meat. For a deeper look into these issues, I highly recommend In Defense of Food and The Omnivore's Dilemma, both by Michael Pollan, and Food Matters, by Mark Bittman.



Tips for successfully serving smaller portions:

Don't overcook. Always important, but especially so with grass-fed meats, which are leaner and slightly tougher than their conventionally raised counterparts.

Season well. With salt and pepper, of course, but also with herbs, spices, butter, or sauces. Depending on the cut and preparation, adding something extra can really highlight the unique deliciousness of the meat.

Serve great sides, and lots of 'em. Nothing would be worse than getting to the end of your meal and worrying that your guests are still hungry!



I used this recipe for chimichurri from the new Bon Appetit Grilling Book (which would be a GREAT Father's Day gift if you don't already have one!), and since we are without a grill, I arranged the steak on a rack set on a baking sheet, sprinkled it with salt and pepper, and broiled it on high for 2 minutes on each side. It was perfect.

Balsamic Spinach Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

We've still got a couple of weeks until the glorious return of the farmers' markets to the fair city of Chicago, which means there's still time for a couple more wintry recipes! This juicy pork tenderloin is stuffed with a vitamin- and flavor-packed sauteed spinach mixture, seared, and finished in the oven. It's a perfect dinner for a rainy April weeknight. Soon it will be time for spring peas, asparagus, and rhubarb. But for now, let's use up the root vegetables and apples and enjoy where we are!





Balsamic Spinach Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin, thin end trimmed
olive oil
salt and pepper

For the stuffing:
3 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
5 ounces fresh spinach
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (*Roast some sweet potatoes and apples while you prepare the pork.)

Saute bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Reduce heat to low and add shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Add spinach along with a splash of water and saute until wilted. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook a couple of minutes to mellow. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Butterfly the pork tenderloin by using a sharp knife to cut into the long side. Stop before you have completely separated the top and bottom halves. Open it up so that it lays flat, cover with plastic wrap, and use the flat side of a meat tenderizer to pound it to between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Remove the plastic wrap and season the inside with salt and pepper. Cut three 10-inch pieces of butcher's twine and evenly space them under the flattened tenderloin. Arrange the spinach filling along the middle of the tenderloin, and carefully roll it up. Arrange it seam-side down, and secure with the butcher's twine.

Preheat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, and add 2-3 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the rolled-up tenderloin seam-side down, and sear all sides for 3-5 minutes, until well browned. Make sure to leave it for at least 3 minutes without moving when you begin the sear, to prevent it from falling apart. Once the tenderloin is browned on all sides, transfer to the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking through.

Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Mrs. Rossitano's Spaghetti and Meatballs

Little by little, I have somehow become a person who watches TV. It started with The Office, and then 30 Rock, and it just started snowballing. Parks and Rec, Up All Night, this new show Awake which is on right after the NBC comedies (and we haven't been able to turn off - so good!). Modern Family, Once Upon a Time, Smash! Oh, and GCB. Hi-larious. I tell myself it's OK because 1) I'm not flipping channels out of boredom and watching whatever's on, 2) I don't watch trashy reality TV (not until the Real Housewives of Disney becomes a reality, at least), and 3) I multitask. While the TV is on, I iron, I knit, I fold laundry, I flip through magazines looking for recipes. And once in a while, something happens that totally vindicates my decision to be a TV-watcher.



"This shouldn't work! How they met is disgusting! Their age difference is just weird! They shouldn't go together! But you know what else shouldn't go together? Veal, fennel, lemon, cheese and pork! that's right! Your meatballs! Lynn and Frank are just as good as your meatballs." -Liz Lemon

If you can watch that and not want to eat spaghetti and meatballs, you're a stronger person than I. So I wrote myself a little list, and the next time I was at the grocery store, I picked up ingredients to recreate Mrs. Rossitano's meatballs.



"These meatballs are good! Like, IKEA good! Is there parmesan in this? And lemon! And a little fennel?" Yes! It's all in there! And it is exactly as good as Liz Lemon makes it sound.



Mrs. Rossitano's Spaghetti and Meatballs
adapted from Cook's Illustrated



2 slices bread, torn into pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk, or 6 tablespoons plain yogurt thinned with 2 tablespoons milk
8 ounces ground pork
8 ounces ground veal
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons lemon zest (from one lemon)
vegetable oil

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can or 1 quart tomatoes, crushed
dried or fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

1 pound spaghetti

In a small bowl, combine bread and buttermilk. Allow to soak for 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine pork, veal, Parmesan, egg yolk, salt, pepper, fennel seeds and lemon zest, and the bread/buttermilk mixture. Mix with your hands until well incorporated. With wet hands to prevent sticking, gently shape into approximate 1 1/2 inch balls, about 15-20 meatballs total. Be careful not to pack them too densely. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the meatballs and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate and discard remaining oil.

Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the starchy pasta water.

In the same pan you used for the meatballs, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute garlic until golden but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Season sauce with basil, salt and pepper. Nestle meatballs in sauce and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove meatballs to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Toss pasta with sauce in the pan, thinning sauce with pasta water if necessary. Top each serving of spaghetti with several meatballs, and serve with grated Parmesan for passing. If you're feeling fancy (or you have fresh basil on hand), garnish with basil chiffonade.

Steak 'n' Bacon Tacos

As I was standing in the kitchen beginning to prepare this dinner, the Coppertop Guy munched on some tortilla chips and asked me,

"Can you think of a savory food that would not taste better with bacon?"

I thought for a second, and said that I couldn't think of one.  And then he proposed that we add bacon to our dinner.  Our dinner of steak tacos.  It's your week, baby, why not?

This is a great way to use leftover chicken or steak.  Just cut it into small pieces, add some Mexican flavor, and you've got yourself some fantastic tacos.

I love to heat tortillas over an open burner.  You have to be quick, or you'll burn your fingers, but they get all scorched and hot and delicious that way.  Keep flipping every 5-10 seconds or they'll burn, and when they get blistered and hot, transfer them to a foil packet to keep them warm.

Steak Tacos

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 already-cooked lean steak, cut into small cubes
1/2 small can fire-roasted green chilies
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a skillet over low heat.  Add cubed steak, chilies, and spices and toss until steak is warmed through.  You want to cook it as little as possible so it still retains its color and flavor.  Fill warmed soft corn tortillas with steak, and top with your favorite toppings.  If you're the birthday boy, that means sauteed red peppers, shredded cheddar cheese, and bacon.

Let the birth-week begin!

This weekend was flawless.  Sunny, not too hot, and filled with lots of friends and food.  On Saturday, we watched the series premiere of The Pioneer Woman on the Food Network!  It was all I could have dreamed.  The horses, the cowboy hats and boots, the cute kids, the food!  Ah!  Then we ran some errands, and made a couple of additions to our deck garden  A yellow hibiscus (which I didn't even know existed until I saw it at the store) and a pink phlox.  They add a lot more visual interest and color, and even though they're late-comers, they're perennials, so we'll get to enjoy them for several summers to come.

 

 I also harvested my garden's first tomatoes!  Tiny sweet pear-shaped yellow heirlooms.  

And on Saturday night, we began the 7 nights of feasting to celebrate my husband's birthday!  First on the menu: broiled steaks, cheesy mashed potatoes, and green beans.

I was being cheap, so I got these bottom round steaks that were on sale.  A little tough, but still pretty good!  I wish that ribeyes had been on sale, though.  I really do.

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Fair warning: these are not low-fat.

2 pounds russet potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into chunks
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup half and half
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling on top
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 pieces of bacon, cooked until crispy, chopped into bits

In a large pot, cover potatoes with at least an inch of water.  Bring to a boil, and boil for 5-10 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted into a potato comes out very easily.  Drain, and return to the pot over low heat.  Mash with a potato masher.  Add butter, half and half, and sour cream, salt and pepper, and continue to mash together.  Add cheese and keep on mashing.  When it's all combined and melty, serve alongside steaks and green beans topped with more cheese and bacon.

Serves 4.