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Grilled Steak with Tomatillo Salsa

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Juicy sliced steak served with crispy tomatillo salsa, grilled corn and string beans.

The summer days are skittering towards Labor Day and it’s soon back to school in the Northeast. This time of year always puts a panicked rush in my step to get to the grill while the gettin’ is good. Of course, this is silly, since we dedicated New Englanders are sometimes known to grill in the snow- but you know what I mean.
It’s the long shadows of late summer sunsets, accompanied by the sound of birds and a far off hum of a lawnmower. It’s sitting on a stoop while shucking corn, it’s the smell of charcoal and smoke. Bare legs, sticky fingers, sprinklers, ice pops and bug bites on your ankles.
Of course, all of THAT is even pretty silly, since I write to you from my tiny NYC apartment with not a patch of lawn in sight- but I can conjure up a memory just as good as anyone, and the smell of corn silk is as powerful as Proust’s madeleines to me.
I do have great memories as a kid when the biggest challenge was getting sand out between my toes after the beach, or beating my brother to the last cherry Ice Pop. This summer has come as close as I’ve come in years to those care free days. I’ve spent more time traveling this summer than at home- a total of 10 weeks out of the past 14 have been without boundary, without schedule or demand- with full time enjoyment and exploration. I think that was what I loved best as a kid- exploring.
Some kids play sports and spend their summers in motion. I was more of a dreamer. I would write stories and make them into little books. I was the kid that would spend hours glueing shells that I had collected onto boxes and mirrors. My brother and I would dress up and act out plays we invented, and even as a kid- I cooked and baked.
I hope you try making this tomatillo salsa to go with your steak. It’s super quick to put together and it has a  tangy taste that sets off the fat in the meat perfectly. It’s really more of a relish than a real salsa- no real bite or kick, but rather an accent to the beef.
The summer days are fleeting- but still many delicious days ahead.
Grilled Steak with Tomatillo Salsa
serves 6
 
2# quality steak
1# tomatillos
.5c EVOO
.5c fresh basil, minced
.5c fresh cilantro, minced
.25c white onion, fine diced
juice of 1 plump lemon
Salt to taste
 
For the perfect steak- first season the meat with ground black pepper and allow to come to room temp for about 30 mins.
 
Next: heat your grill and get it HOT. Sear the meat for 1-3 mins on each side to get that heavenly umami flavor. Not sure about the sealing juices thing- there is debate on that- but to be sure- DO NOT press down on your meat as it cooks and DO NOT pierce it with a fork to turn it- use a spatula or tongs.
 
After the sear move the meat to a lower temperature area of the grill and close the lid. Allow it to slowly “bake” for another 5 minutes- longer for medium or well done.
 
Poke the meat for doneness. If it feels springy, it’s still on the rare side. If it yields some but still has some bounce, it’s medium range. If it is so tight it slaps you back when you poke it- you’ve reached well done.
 
Allow the meat to rest for a good 5 mins before slicing.
 
For the salsa, simply combine everything in a bowl and stir together. You can make this earlier in the day and allow it to marinate a bit. Just serve it at room temperature, not too cold or straight from the fridge.
 
 

 

Fresh Tomato Sauce- a love fest for your summer bounty

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To me the best part of August is the crazy bounty of tomatoes. Heaven is a thick slick of warmed by the sun beefsteak tomato on sourdough toast, slathered with a healthy dose of mayonnaise. Just a sprinkling of sea salt and a quick grind of pepper- nirvana.

At the farmers’s market it Union Square, my regular vendor had bags of tomatoes for cheap meant for saucing. I could NOT resist. Perfectly splendid, but not ready for the runway, these babies were mine!

I was tempted to make up a batch of ketchup, or a long slow cooked sauce, but I just love, love this simple sauce. It’s bright and fresh and tastes like summer- cooked down can wait for cooler days.

The first step was to slow roast them on a baking tray for about a half hour. This condenses the flavor just a bit, and also allows the fruit to give up their skins easily. I just make small hash cuts in the tips of the tomatoes and set them onto a lined baking tray. I included a batch of garlic cloves to roast and sweeten at the same time.

All gets roughly smashed into a rough sauce in minutes. The pepper is from the peppercorns I brought back from Thailand, which I also rough crushed right in my hand. The bowls are another score that I slogged back across the globe from Chiang Mai. They are simple enamel bowls that I paid about 90 cents each for, that I think are just gorgeous . May I gush for a second? I am proud of myself for acquiring these- that is bartering for them in Thailand. I went to the massive Worarot Market by myself- and with my meager but enthusiastic Thai- I was able to haggle with the seller (who had a smile for miles) and make my purchase. This was my first foray into that dark warren of stalls and vendors, where few farang venture on their own. It was a rush.

This batch of sauce was more than plenty for my meal- so the rest got put up in serving size containers and frozen for the future- thinking a grilled pizza with this sauce is next in the cue….

Fresh Tomato Sauce
makes about a quart and a half
 
3# ripe tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, still in their papers
.33c olive oil
3T wine vinegar
generous pinch of sugar
S & P
fresh basil to taste
 
Preheat oven to 350˚
 
Line baking sheet with foil. Make a small x in the flesh of each tomato and place on the tray, along with the garlic. Roast for approx 30 mins (depending on the size), or until the skins are a slightly shriveled.
 
Allow to cool a few minutes, then peel tomatoes, remove the stem core and put into a large bowl. Mash and mince the garlic and add it into the bowl along with the oil, vinegar, sugar, and S&P
 
Using your hands squeeze and crush the tomatoes into a rough sauce. Taste for balance and add more oil, vinegar etc as necessary. I like mine a tough vinegary.
 
To serve I boiled up some fresh tagliatelle and added blots of soft fontina.
 
 

Tuna Tartare on Grilled Potato Slices

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While I was downtown in Chinatown searching for langon fruits, I spied me some beautiful Tuna. Whenever I see really good quality Tuna I hate the thought of cooking it. It’s just to gorgeous for that. What the fish monger hated even more was my instruction of the exact piece that I wanted. I don’t like to be a pain….nah, not true, I can be a nudge. I figure Italian grandmothers can get away with it, why not a Latina/Irishwoman?? Trust me though, I let that guy know that I really appreciated his efforts. In the end everyone was happy.

While stumbling around I also came across some fresh, tight Thai Chilies. You may see them in the market as more stores are starting to carry them. They are small, slim and green, and pack a smart punch that can really sting if you’re not careful. I, as you know, love them. Feel free to switch out to jalepenos of a lesser quantity if your not a heat freak like me, or eliminate altogether. I would add a good grind of black pepper at least though…

So once back in my kitchen with the spoils of my excursion, I sliced up a few potatoes as thin as I could get them, oiled them, and threw them on my grill pan. While the potatoes softened and charred, I pulled together the tartare.

I think tartare should be made a la minute, meaning not in advance. Though perfectly good the next day, I prefer it fresh, before the lime juice has a chance to do too much work on that beautiful tuna, but if you’re making a batch for a get together, go ahead and make it beforehand- just keep it cold, cold, cold.

So here you have it. My late afternoon lunch.

I need to head downtown more often…

Tuna Tartare on Grilled Potato Slices
serves 4
 
4 potatoes, scrubbed and sliced by hand as thinly as possible
1.25# of fresh sushi grade tuna
3T toasted sesame oil
.25 c cilantro
1 juicy thai chili, minced finely
zest and juice from 3 limes
3T minced red onion
pinch of salt
 
Heat grill pan to high. Brush potato slices with oil and grill on one side until translucent  then flip to second side. Cook in batches until all are done and arrange on plates.
 
In medium size bowl combine all the ingredients except the tuna. Taste for acid and chili balance. 
 
I tossed my tuna into the freezer as I was starting the potatoes so that I can get neater slices from the cold fish. Do no freeze completely though.
 
Dice the tuna into small pieces, then toss the lot into the dressing. Give it all a thorough coating and let rest for just a minute or two. I taste again for flavor balance. 
 
Divide the tuna between the plates and enjoy!