Steak Out

I have been using my gas grill a lot these days because it has been so beastly hot.   I have wanted to try this grilled Korean steak recipe from Epicurious.com for awhile now.  I halved the original recipe and used bone-in ribeyes because that is what I had.

This was really juicy and bursting with flavor.  It was great cold the next day, too.  If you would like a vegetarian option, I think this would be fabulous with portobello mushrooms in place of the steak.  The cilantro sauce makes the dish, so don't skip it!

Grilled, Korean-Style Steaks with Spicy Cilantro Sauce

(click here to print)

Marinade for Steak:

3 oz. lite soy sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil

2 Tbsp. dry sherry

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

3 one-inch thick bone-in ribeye steaks (about 3 lbs. in total)

Combine the marinade ingredients and pour over the steaks.

Turn to coat each side and let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.  Meanwhile, make the sauce:

Cilantro Sauce:

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. lite soy sauce

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

hot pepper sauce to taste (ex: Tabasco or Sriracha)

salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Preheat grill to medium high heat.  Grill steaks on a lightly oiled rack 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Let steaks stand for 5 minutes, then top with some sauce and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices.  Serve remaining sauce on the side.

This won't be a rare treat at my house!

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Jack and His Incredible Sicilian Meatballs

Louisiana men really know how to cook.  Food is such a huge part of the culture that I think it's bred into them at an early age.   At the local seafood boils, fish fries, and food festivals, men often do more of the cooking than the women do.

In New Orleans, if you aren't eating, you're TALKING about eating.  And everything you taste is the best thing you ever put in your mouth.  Until the next bite.

Food is a bridge that connects us to others.

Crescent City Connection

I had a neighbor named Jack, and we would often share food.  He had a sweet tooth, so I would bring him cake or cookies or fudge.  He would reciprocate by bringing us seafood or his fabulous meatballs (his Sicilian grandmother's recipe).

I have never had meatballs that are better than Jack's.  I think the secrets are the copious amounts of garlic, the large size of the meatball, and simmering them in the sauce.  (Fun fact:  In New Orleans, Red Gravy is another name for marinara sauce.)

One day I cornered Jack and got him to share the recipe for his meatballs.  He wrote it out for me, and I treasure that yellowed piece of paper.

Jack's Incredible Sicilian Meatballs

(click here to print)
Yields about 24 meatballs or enough to feed a mob

1 lb. ground beef (I used 85% lean)
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground veal (if it's too expensive, Jack says you can use 1 1/2 lbs. each of beef and pork instead)

3-4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
3-4 slices white bread, soaked in milk then squeezed out
6 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup high-quality romano cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste (be careful with the salt because the romano is already salty)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine eggs, parsley, bread, garlic, and cheese and mix well.

 Add raw ground meat and mix lightly but thoroughly.

Line a half-sheet pan (or two) with heavy duty foil and coat with olive oil.  Roll meat mixture into balls that are about 2 inches in diameter and place on foil.  Turn the meatballs once so both sides get a little oil on them.  Alternately, you could mist the meatballs with olive oil cooking spray.  Jack browns his meatballs in a skillet on the stove top, but baking them requires less tending and mess, in my opinion.

Bake meatballs for about 20 minutes, turning once.  You want a brown crust but don't want to cook them all the way through.

If using immediately, simmer your marinara sauce while the meatballs are in the oven, then drop the balls into the sauce after they come out of the oven to finish cooking, about 10-15 minutes or so.  I used jarred marinara.

Or you can cool the meatballs, store in an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze for future use.

While I don't think my meatballs can hold a candle to Jack's (even using his recipe!), I'll smile when we enjoy these and remember my friend and the friendship and food we shared for more than a decade.

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Passover Brisket

Most Texans love brisket.  I think it may be the State Meat.

Texas, by Dominic Episcopo, from Meat America

I have enjoyed brisket at many BBQ joints,  but I prefer pulled pork.  I think it's because brisket can be very dry and tough unless you get it chopped and smother it in sauce.

This brisket is neither dry nor tough because it's not done on a smoker but is braised in the oven.  It's very economical and feeds a crowd.  Unless you live in Texas, in which case it might just feed your family.   I thought it was fitting that I post this particular brisket recipe on Holy Thursday since Jesus' Last Supper was eaten on Passover.

Passover Brisket

Slightly adapted from a recipe by Emeril Lagasse
(click here to print)


8-10 lb. beef brisket (I used a 6 lb. one but kept the rest the same)
5 lg. garlic cloves, slivered
1 qt. (32 oz.) beef stock
3 large onions, sliced
3 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. Montreal steak seasoning
2 tsp. Emeril's Essence seasoning (recipe found here)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chili sauce

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Use a knife to make holes in the raw brisket and stuff each hole with a little piece of garlic. Place brisket fat-side down in a roasting pan and bake until browned, about 20 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, about 15-20 minutes more. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, add beef stock, and cover the pan with heavy-duty foil.  Continue to bake brisket for 1 hour.

From top left to bottom right:  stuff roast with garlic; bake uncovered to brown; add broth, cover and cook 1 hour; add the sauce and bake an additional 2-3 hours; remove to cutting board to rest before cutting.

Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-high heat and caramelize the onions, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Add the seasonings, ketchup, brown sugar, and chili sauce. Mix well and set aside.

Remove brisket from oven after the hour cooking time above and stir in the sauce. Cover and continue to bake for 2-3 additional hours or until very tender but not falling apart. Remove brisket to a board and let rest for 15 minutes.

Slice across the grain into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Strain the sauce. Place the brisket in a pyrex casserole dish and cover with the sauce and refrigerate until the next day.

Reheat at 325 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until heated through.  You could just eat this immediately, but I think that this brisket tastes better the next day after the flavors have melded.

Braised Beef Brisket

Serve with potato latkes to carry out the Passover theme or do as I did and serve with homemade mashed potatoes.

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