August 5th, 2008

Steak For Dummies

While I never refer to myself or anyone else as a “dummy” I did enjoy this cute take on the “Dummies” series of books.

See for yourself!

Cooking Around the World All-in-One For Dummies
Mmm . . .Grilled Steak!
Adapted From: Cooking Around the World All-in-One For Dummies
In Tuscany, steaks are generously coated with salt and pepper before grilling. Besides adding flavor, the salt and pepper form a crisp crust that contrasts nicely with the meat’s tender interior. T-bone steaks are the most commonly grilled cut in Florence. After the steaks are grilled, the meat is removed from either side of the bone and sliced across the grain into thin pieces. You can serve these steaks this way or choose smaller rib eye or strip steaks and serve 1 per person.

Grilled Steak, Florentine Style (Bistecca alla Fiorentina)

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

1 tablespoon salt, divided

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 strip or rib eye steaks (about 14 ounces each), or 2 T-bone or porterhouse steaks (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds each)

1. Preheat the grill to high.

2. When the grill is very hot, generously season the steaks with salt and pepper on one side only.

3. Place the seasoned side of the steaks on the grill. Don’t move them for 3 minutes; then turn them 90 degrees. When the first side is done, about 8 minutes for medium-rare and 11 minutes for medium (depending on the thickness of the steaks and the heat of the grill), season the top of the steaks and flip them over. Cook the steaks 4 to 6 minutes on the second side to desired doneness. Remove from heat and serve.

You can see this entire article here.


July 31st, 2008

The Mushroom Steak Stuff

I love the name of this recipe. It’s about as imaginative a name as my family would come up with.

But you know what? It’s perfect. That’s exactly what it is — mushroom steak stuff.

Check this out from AllRecipes.com: 

 

The Mushroom Steak Stuff

SUBMITTED BY: Fetish Cook

“The Mushroom Steak Stuff is what my family has come to call it. In all actuality, it’s sirloin strips and an awesome feta-mushroom cream sauce with pasta. A wonderful Italian meal!”

RECIPE RATING:

The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe average a 4.3 star rating.


PREP TIME  25 Min
COOK TIME  35 Min
READY IN  1 Hr
  
 
 

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 slices bacon
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 (16 ounce) package rigatoni pasta
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 pound beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
  • 1 (6 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons red wine
  • 1 tablespoon Marsala wine
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream

 

DIRECTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  • Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the rigatoni pasta, and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until hot and bubbly. Crumble the bacon overtop, and serve over the rigatoni pasta.
  • Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sirloin strips, and cook until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Remove the sirloin to a casserole dish, then stir the mushrooms into the hot skillet. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then season with the mustard, ginger, salt, and pepper, and cook 3 minutes more. Pour in the red wine and Marsala wine, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the cream and half of the crumbled feta cheese, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The feta helps thicken the cream. The cream sauce is not a gravy, so it will not thicken like gravy. Once ready, pour the mushroom mixture over the sirloin strips, and sprinkle with the remaining feta cheese.

You can read the entire article along with readers’ comments here. And try it yourself!


July 14th, 2008

With a Little Cabernet . . .

This amazing recipe for Cabernet Filet Mignon comes to us from WhatsCookingAmerica.net.

It looks absolutely divine. And . . . isn’t red wine the perfect complement to a spectacular steak? I think so.

Click here for the entire article on the Web. Or just read below . . .

 

My husband was in “steak heaven” with this simple and easy steak! You can either cook the steak by Pan-Searing or a very easy technique called Sear-Roasting. Photo shows the steak with some cubes of blue cheese on top.

Don’t forget to check out my Cabernet Filet Mignon dinner menu which includes this fantastic Cabernet Filet Mignon.


Cabernet Filet Mignon

2 (4 to 6 ounce) 1-inch thick filet mignon steaks
Olive oil
Coarse
kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cabernet
wine (can substitute any dry red wine)
1 to 2 tablespoons butter

Buying Steaks:

When buying steaks, buy the best grade of meat you can afford. Look for steak with fine texture and firm to the touch. You want the color to be a light cherry red color, not deep red. Also look for steaks that have marbling, as it is the thin threads of fat running through the meat that make it Prime and gives the wonderful flavor. Check out Types of Steaks and Cooking Techniques for the Perfect Steak.

Bring steaks to room temperature before cooking. Coat steaks lightly with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper (press in with your hands). Be careful not to over season, as the seasonings are to enhance the flavor of the meat and not to cover it up.

Using the Pan-Searing or Sear-Roasting techniques (see below techniques), proceed to cook your steak to your desired doneness. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness:

    Rare – 120°F
    Medium Rare – 125°F
    Medium – 130°F

Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping any pieces of steak off the bottom of the pan and stirring them into the emerging sauce. Let the liquid boil until reduced to approximately 1/3 cup. Remove pan from heat. Add the butter and mix it in by swirling the pan. Pour the sauce over the steaks just before serving.

 

 

Makes 2 servings.

 

 


PAN-SEARING:
In a heavy frying pan (I use my cast-iron frying pan) over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sear the steaks, moving them with tongs a little so they don’t stick to the bottom, for 5 to 6 minutes per side. When the steaks are crusty-charred and done to your liking, remove from the pan, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving. During this time the meat continues to cook (meat temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven) and the juices redistribute; add juices that accumulate from resting steaks to Cabernet-Cherry Sauce). Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto individual serving plates.
 
 
 
 

 

SEAR-ROASTING:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (a very hot oven produces a juicy interior). Place a 10- to 12-inch ovenproof skillet or cast-iron skillet in oven. When oven reaches 500 degrees temperature, remove pan from oven and place on range over high heat (the pan and the handle will be extremely hot – be careful).
 
 
 

 

Immediately place steaks in the middle of hot, dry pan (if cooking more than one piece of meat, add the pieces carefully so that they are not touching each other). Cook 1 to 2 minutes without moving; turn with tongs and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and put the cast iron skillet with the steaks in it into the oven. Cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness of steaks and degree of doneness you like. When the steaks are crusty-charred and done to your liking, remove from the pan, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving. During this time the meat continues to cook (meat temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven) and the juices redistribute (add juices that accumulate from resting steaks to Cabernet-Cherry Sauce). Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto individual serving plates.
 
 
 
 

 

 


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About Me

Hi! My name is Dena P., and I love steak. In fact, I’ve been on a quest for the perfect steak for a few years now.

I love experimenting with food and I like to get my family, friends and neighbors involved. They add a lot to my cooking experience by helping me perfect techniques and sharing recipes.

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