Yumm. Must definitely try.
I used a combination of several recipes, here are the best ones I've found:
Rasa Malaysia's (the best Asian food blog on this planet) and a simpler version with less ingredients at Recipe Zaar. I didn't "fry" the beef in too much oil, so the beef didn't have the traditionally yummy crust outside. So, if you want it to be more authentic, make sure you don't skimp on the oil :)
Quick and tasty has been the theme around here lately - so here's one more for the road.
I found this recipe in the latest issue of Gourmet. It took me about 15 minutes to make. The carrots took a little longer, but if you're in a rush you can stick with a leafy side like a simple salad or a fresh fennel and orange salad would be yum.
You'll need:
1 lb top sirloin boneless 1" thick
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of chopped garlic
1/4 cup of black olives in brine (I used kalamata olives) coarsely cut
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
Fresh slices of lemon.
Heat up a cast iron skillet (not non-stick), make sure it's hot. Pat the steak dry and season with salt and pepper. Cook on one side for about 4 minutes (lower the heat if you notice it burning). Don't turn or move until the time is up. Turn and cook the other side for another 4 minutes. Remove from heat and place meat on a cutting board.
Add 2 tbs of olive oil to the pan and cook garlic and pepper flakes for 2 minutes until golden then add olives. Cook for a minute or so then remove from heat and add parsley.
Cut the meat into thin slices (cut on the bias - opposite of grain). Top with olive mixture and serve with fresh lemon slices.
I served it with grilled carrots.
And look what Hillsy brought home for dessert - cream puffs again! Yay!
The only time it's acceptable to cook steak to its death is when you're cooking Bistec. This filipino dish is a lot like Bistec Encebollada (I'm not sure where it originates from but almost every region in Latin America claims it as their own). Bistec is a simple dish with minimal ingredients and effort required.
I've come up with my own version, a fusion of the Filipino version that I grew up on with a little bit of zest from the Latinos.
Bistek (Steak with Onions)
Prep: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Difficulty: Easy
You'll need:
1 lb bottom round london broil, cut into thin strips
1 tbs soy sauce
juice of 1 large lemon (about 3-4 tbs)
1 large onion, sliced into 1/4" thin slices
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
2 tbs canola or vegetable oil
Like a true Filipino-cook, I used the "a little bit of this, a little bit of that" method. So you may want to adjust according to taste!
dry rub:
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt or more depending on your taste
1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne or more depending on your tolerance for heat
1/4 tsp lemon pepper (optional)
step 1. Cut meat into thin strips and tenderize meat by pounding it with a mallet. I dont have one, so I just placed some freezer paper over the meat and pounded it with a jar of capers. Set aside.
step 2. Mix dry rub ingredients and 1/2 of the minced garlic in a small bowl and rub into the strips of beef. Add 2 tbs of the lemon juice (save remaining juice for later) and 1 tbs of soy sauce and thoroughly mix and rub into the beef. Let stand for 30 mins.
step 3. Heat up 1 tbs of the oil in a skillet. Add sliced onions and cook for 5 minutes or less. You don't want to cook the onions all the way, just to the point before it starts to turn translucent. Remove and place them on a few paper towels to dry.
step 4. Add another tbsp (again, you can use less or more, depends on the width of your pan) or so of oil and heat up again at medium heat. Add steak (reserve marinade for later - although there really shouldn't be all that much juice left) and make sure each piece has room to breathe - see pic. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until you see that most of the juice has evaporated leaving just the oil. At the very end, you want to turn up the heat to high. Toss and turn to get a last minute "tan" on both sides. At this point, you want to drizzle in the remaining lemon juice. You want the steak to brown a bit, a little bit of caramelization is a good thing!
step 5. Add whatever marinade you have left and cook for a minute or so until it "boils". Remove from heat.
step 6. Place strips of beef on a plate and top with cooked onions. Pour any liquid you have left in the pan (there shouldn't be that much) over the onions.
Serve over rice.
So I actually got a night off from cooking - someone decided to make a classic Steak & Potatoes dinner all by himself!
Overall a very good meal, nothing beats a good home-cooked strip steak with roasted new potatoes with rosemary - especially when someone else is cooking!
What impressed me the most was that the steaks were perfectly cooked to MEDIUM - which I think, is the hardest level of doneness to achieve.
A girl could get used to this...
Brasato al Barolo (Braised Beef Short Ribs) and Butternut Squash Orzo
Recipe from The Babbo Cookbook
Prep: 25 mins
Total: 2 1/2 hours
Difficulty: Medium
This is a great dish for a small dinner party - you prep for a little bit and it just cooks itself in the oven. The orzo takes only minutes to finish, so do steps one and two ahead of time and finish up the final step while your guests are getting seated or sipping on some wine.
You'll need:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Four 16-ounce beef short ribs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cups Barolo or other full-bodied red wine
One 16-ounce can peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, with their juices
1 cup brown chicken stock or beef stock
1/2 bunch of thyme
1/2 bunch of rosemary
1/2 bunch of oregano
Pumpkin Orzo
1/2 pound pumpkin or butternut squash, seeded and peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup orzo
1 cup chicken stock
MAKE THE SHORT RIBS
The most important step here is the initial browning; do not shorten it or the final braise will not be as intensely flavored or colored.
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and cook them over high heat until deep brown on all sides, about 15 minutes total. Remove the short ribs to a plate and set aside. Add the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the pan and cook over high heat until browned and softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the red wine, tomatoes and juices, beef stock, and herbs, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge browned bits. Bring the mixture to a boil and return the short ribs to the pan. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender and literally falling off the bones.
MAKE THE ORZO
1. Cut the pumpkin or squash into 3 or 4 evenly sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with the olive oil, and wrap in foil. Roast in the 375°F (190°C) oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until very soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then place the cooked squash in the bowl of a food processor. Add the honey, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper and pulse to form a relatively smooth purée. Set aside.
2. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Set up an ice bath nearby. Cook the orzo in the boiling water for 3 minutes, to blanch but not cook through. Drain the orzo and plunge it into the ice bath. Once cooled, drain it and lay it out on a baking sheet to dry.
3. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a 12-inch sauté pan. Add the orzo and squash purée and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the chicken stock is fully absorbed by the orzo. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Simple, yet satisfying.
Strip Steak with Balsamic-Mustard Sauce
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Serves 2
You'll need:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 strip steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
I'm in love with my new cast iron skillet!
step 1. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season steaks generously on both sides with salt and pepper; place in skillet. Cook, turning once, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate; cover with foil.
step 2. Add vinegar to skillet; boil until syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add a pinch of brown sugar. Remove from heat; whisk in mustard and any accumulated juices from steaks. Serve sauce with steaks.
Serve with haricot vert (french string beans) or steak-cut fries (even better) - try this almost guilt-free baked fries recipe!
Kare Kare (Oxtail & Peanut Stew) served over Jasmine rice
The Americans have Mac & Cheese, the Brits have Fish & Chips and the Filipinos... well, we have Kare-Kare [kha-reh - kha-reh] - the ultimate comfort food. Chunky meat, so tender it falls off the bones; peanut butter sauce, a creamy balance of sweet and savory; and fresh vegetables to make you feel a little better about devouring chunks of deliciously fatty meat laced with a cup of peanut butter sauce.
Kare-Kare is a thick and hearty stew traditionally made from oxtail, ground peanuts and a variety of vegetables (e.g. eggplant, bok choy, string beans). Seasoned with anatto seeds (gives it its rich color) and fish sauce. Oh and I'm not sure about where it gets its name from, like most things - Filipinos love to double up on names (not to mention calling you by a nickname that doesn't even make sense). For instance, my cousin Manuel is called "Jon-Jon" - don't ask. Anyway, one theory is that it comes from a corruption of the word curry and that it evolved from the cooking of Indians who settled in the Philippines many many years ago.
I slow boiled the meat for about 3-4 hours (the longer the better) and blanched the eggplant (10 mins) and bok choy (1 minute)
My eldest sister Cheryl is the best cook in the family (contrary to what my other sister Cecile says). We recently had a family reunion in Illinois this summer and I scheduled in some cooking lessons with the "pro". Like most natural cooks, Cheryl does not have exact measurements for any of her recipes. So you can just imagine how difficult it is to get a recipe from her on the phone or via email "just add a little" - umm, would that be a tablespoon or a cup? So, that's why it was so important for me to sit and watch her cook my favorite dishes so that I can jot down exactly what she means by "a little bit".
I promised Cheryl that I would keep her secrets so I'll be true to my word and will not divulge her Kare Kare recipe and techniques. If you really really want it, send me an email and I'll see what I can do ;-)
But here are some helpful images and I also found two recipes that are pretty close!
recipehound.com (rice powder optional and you can also substitute anatto powder if you can't find seeds)
recipe.philippinecentral.com (add anatto powder after step 5)
Frankie's Meatballs & Marinara Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Frank Pellegrino (via Martha Stewart)
Difficulty: Medium
Michael Kors was on Martha (repeat) and they made Frankie's Meatballs & Marinara Sauce. The recipe was from Rao's Cookbook by Frank Pellegrino. I tried adapting the recipe for 2, but I still ended up with plenty of meatballs. I guess we'll just have to have Meatball Hero sandwiches tomorrow.
Marinara Sauce
The sauce is really easy to make.
I made slight modifications to the recipe. You'll need:
1 big can of whole tomatoes w/ basil (preferably from San Marzano)
3 Tbs olive oil
1/2 C Tbs chopped onion
1 large clove of garlic minced
5 basil leaves torn
Pinch of dried Oregano
Pinch of sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
Mash up the tomatoes with your hands and remove any skin, stems or tough membranes. Set aside. Heat up oil and add onions, cook until translucent then add garlic. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Season. Stir in chunks of tomatoes first and then add remaining juices. Season. Simmer for about an hour or until nice and thick. Stir in the basil, sugar and oregano to finish and allow to simmer for a minute. Once the meatballs are cooked, you'll add them to the sauce and simmer for 20 additional minutes.
Meatballs
You'll need:
1/2 pound each of lean ground beef and ground pork
1 clove of garlic smashed
1/2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 large egg
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 cups water, room temperature
1/2 cup olive oil
Cooked Pasta
Heat up the water for your pasta. Don't cook the pasta until the very end (see below).
Combine all ingredients except for the 1 clove of smashed garlic and the 1/2 cup olive oil. You should also save the 1 Cup of water for the very end. Once the ingredients are fully mixed, add the water 1/4 at a time. The water is the secret in this recipe, it's what makes the meatballs light and fluffy. The breadcrumbs absorb the water and lightens the whole thing up. No golf ball meatballs here! Don't forget to season with salt and pepper.
Form into balls. Heat up the olive oil and cook the smashed garlic until you start to smell it and then remove it. I worked it into two batches - cook the meatballs until nice and brown all over. You'll have to turn the balls every couple of minutes or so to get an even "tan". Once all of the balls are cooked, add it to the marinara sauce and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Start cooking the pasta 10 minutes into it. It takes 9-12 mins to cook spaghetti al dente. This would make a great Sunday lunch!
