Terra Americana

He loves steak.  In fact I would say he is passionate about his steak.  So when it's time to cook, that's his domain.  I am relegated to the vegetables. 

 

In warmer weather it's the grill, when the temps turn arctic it's the frying pan.  Before he became my Chef de Cuisine I would have turned my nose down at any steak to come out of a skillet.  Now I know better.  A couple weekends ago my salt and pepper, meat and potatoes man decided to spice things up.  He had been leafing through a cook book I had left on the coffee table.  For obvious reasons The Great Steak Book had caught his eye.  Adapted from Grady Spears', "Cowboy Coffee Pan Blend" this is what my favorite pardner came up with.

 

2, 6-8 oz filet mignon, lamb or skirt steaks

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Coarse ground black pepper

1 tbsp Worcester sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

Rub each steak with salt and pepper.  Drizzle worcester sauce over steaks. Let sit refrigerated for at least 1 hour.  Mix coffee, brown sugar, Jamaican Jerk Seasoning  and Coffee & Chocolate Spice on a gallon freezer bag.  Add steaks and toss and turn to coat evenly.

In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, fry steaks for 2 min on each side.  Flip and fry steaks for a second time, 3 min on each side.  Remove pan from heat and cover with tin foil. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. 

Best with beans, fabulous with fries, magical with malbec, beautiful with Belgian style wheat beer. Works well with a wrangler too.

If you are serious about steaks:

• My sister's steak sauce

• Juicy Grilled Rib Eye

• Grilled Sirloin finished with Black Pepper Chevre

• B.B.Q. Steak Marinade

Photo Credit: Julie T Cecchini

One summer I rambled.  It was a luxury and on the busiest and harshest of winter days I look back and remind myself of that day in Antibes, afternoon in St Tropez and or evening in Cannes.  Always warm and always under the blue sky with a gentle breeze to air condition my skin.  My favorite place to ramble was on the docks.  Not the fancy all white gargantuan yacht people's docks but the docks of the real people, the ones full of a rainbow of colors shapes and sizes.

These were the places I found one of my favorite comfort foods; Moules marinière - Fisherman's mussels.  It is as simple as that.  Just off the boat and quickly cooking in a pot full of onions and a savory stock.  Often served with pommes frites, it is still just minutes and your belly is full and palate is pleased.   Thank you Dorie for bringing this bit of Provincial sunshine out on a dreary, drizzly New England night.

Here is my most recent translation:

• 1 tbsp Fines Herbs
• 1 tbsp butter or Earth Balance (soy butter)
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 cup white wine (from whatever bottle that was not good enough to finish)
• 1/2 cup stock, chicken, fish or vegetable
• 1/2 tbsp Midwestern Garden Radish
• 2-3 lb mussels (I love the variety from PEI)

In your rice cooker, saute onion and herbs in butter and 1/3 of the wine by placing them in the bowl and setting it to steam.  Add the remaining wine, mussels and Midwestern Garden Radish.  Set to steam again, tossing every couple minutes so that the favor seeps into all the shells.

The mussels are done when the shells are open.  Disgard any of the little buggers resistant to your coaxing.  Serve with fresh bread or french fries.

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table.

If you like this, try;            

• A vegan twist on Lyonnaise Garlic and Herb Cheese
• Fresh Tuna, Machengo and Basil Pizza, gluten free and on the grill
• Mussels and chorizo with or without pasta
• Saint Germain Des Pres Onion Biscuits

Photo Credit: Julie Cecchini