Hoisin-grilled flank steak

For a weeknight meal, flank steak has everything going for it: it’s versatile, it’s relatively inexpensive, and it’s quick to grill. I’ve streamlined what could be a more elaborate marinade, keeping the essence of an Asian-flavored steak without a long list of ingredients. Because the marinade is sweet, keep an eye on the steak and watch the timing to ensure a nice sear with dark grill marks but no charring. Start the steak directly over the hot coals and then move it to the cooler side of the grill for both a great sear and the ideal degree of doneness.

YIELD

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds) flank steak trimmed of fat
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons plum sauce
2 teaspoons garlic minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill on high.

Remove the flank steak from the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before grilling and place it on a large, rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin and plum sauces, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Liberally rub the steak on both sides with the mixture.

To create a cool zone, bank the coals to one side of the grill or turn off one of the burners. Oil the grill grate. Place the flank steak directly over the hot fire. Cover the grill and sear the steak on one side for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn, re-cover, and cook for 3 minutes more. Move the flank steak to the cooler part of the grill, cover, and grill for about 4 minutes longer, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 120ºF for rare or 130º to 135°F for medium-rare.

Transfer the steak to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the meat across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Divide the slices evenly among warmed dinner plates and spoon any accumulated juices over the top. Serve immediately.

Flank steak thinly sliced over arugula with garlic and lemon oil

I told my dear friend and colleague Cathy Whims, co-owner of Portland’s renowned restaurant Nostrana, that I was “stealing her recipe” after I ate this dish at her restaurant. The simplicity of the preparation was obvious, yet the overlay of flavors was complex and memorable. It’s a winner!

YIELD

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds) flank steak trimmed of fat
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 ounces baby arugula leaves
1/4 cup lemon-infused extra-virgin olive oil (see Cook’s Note)
Fleur de sel or other finishing salt for sprinkling

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill on high.

Remove the flank steak from the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before grilling and place it on a large, rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and garlic. Rub the steak on both sides with the mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Oil the grill grate. Place the flank steak directly over the hot fire. Cover the grill and sear the steak on one side, 4 minutes for rare or 6 minutes for medium-rare. Turn, re-cover, and cook for 4 minutes more, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 120ºF for rare or 130º to 135°F for medium-rare.

Transfer the steak to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the meat across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Scatter an equal amount of arugula on each dinner plate. Arrange overlapping slices of steak over the greens and spoon any accumulated juices over the top. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the lemon olive oil over each portion of steak and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Serve immediately.

COOKS NOTES

Citrus-infused extra-virgin olive oils add big flavor to simply prepared foods, such as grilled steak, chicken, and vegetables, making the oils a staple in my grilling pantry. I buy them at specialty-foods stores, natural-foods stores, and Trader Joe’s.

Classic beef stew

Braising is a method of cooking meat with a little liquid, as opposed to boiling. Stews and pot roasts are braised, which keeps them moist and tender. We recommend that you buy a piece of chuck and cut it into cubes. Chuck is fattier than other cuts and meat that is too lean will take very long to cook and may never get really tender. This is a delicious one-pot meal, served with good bread for dunking and a green salad. It is also a great opportunity to use a pretty Dutch oven for cooking and serving the stew at the table right from the pot.

YIELD

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1-1/4 pounds beef chuck cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1 medium-size (about 5 ounces) yellow onion peeled and diced
1 rib celery with leaves sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 can (14 ounces) beef broth
2 cloves garlic peeled and pressed
1 teaspoon orange zest grated
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 cup fresh parsley minced
10 small red potatoes unpeeled except for a strip around the middle
2 large carrots peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, or 1/2 pound whole baby carrots
1 package (10 ounces) frozen whole baby onions thawed

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a measuring cup, mix flour with salt, pepper, and allspice. Place in a zippered plastic bag, add beef, seal shut, and shake to coat meat completely. Remove meat and reserve seasoned flour for thickening gravy. Heat oil in a 6-quart saucepan or flameproof casserole over medium heat. Brown meat on all sides and remove to a plate. Add onion and celery to pan and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and place with meat.

Add wine to pot and deglaze by scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Add beef broth gradually; then return meat, onion, and celery to pan. Add garlic, orange zest, thyme, oregano, and 1/4 cup of the minced parsley. Cover and cook over medium to low heat until the meat begins to feel tender when pierced with a fork, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. After 1 hour add the potatoes, carrots, and baby onions to the stew. Continue cooking until the meat and vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour longer. If gravy is too thin, mix reserved flour with a little water to make a paste and gradually stir into pan until thickened to your taste. Serve directly from the cooking pan or in a large serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining minced parsley.

COOKS NOTES

If you can’t find small red potatoes, buy larger ones, and quarter them so they are close to the size of the carrots. You will need about 6 larger potatoes. Many markets now carry baby carrots in cellophane bags. They are great for this dish.

Using a large (1/2 gallon) zippered plastic bag is a very efficient way to dredge meat in the seasoned flour without making a mess in the kitchen or dirtying extra dishes. Keep the flour mixture that remains in case you need it to add at the end because your stew is too watery.

Buffalo burgers with pepper jack cheese

Ground buffalo has come onto the market as a wonderfully lean alternative to ground beef. Considered America’s original red meat, buffalo is as tasty as beef when used for burgers, is lower in fat than choice beef, and has less cholesterol than Grill Every Day cookbook for mail-order information if free-range grass-fed buffalo meat is not available in your markets.

YIELD

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds ground buffalo
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Grill Every Day Spice Rub
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 slices pepper Jack cheese
4 sesame-seed hamburger buns split
4 lettuce leaves
1 large tomato sliced
1 Walla Walla or other sweet onion cut into paper-thin slices
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Relish
Pickles

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill on high.

In a large bowl, combine the ground buffalo with 2 tablespoons of the spice rub, mixing well. Divide into 4 equal portions, and shape each portion into a patty 1 inch thick. Pat each patty on both sides with an additional teaspoon of the spice rub. Refrigerate the patties while the grill heats.

Oil the grill grate. Brush the burgers on both sides with the canola oil. Place the burgers directly over the hot fire and sear on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and sear on the other side until juicy and medium-rare, about 4 minutes more. About a minute before the burgers are done, place a slice of cheese on top of each burger, cover the grill, and let the cheese melt. Place the buns, cut side down, on the grill to toast during the last minute the burgers are cooking.

Serve the burgers on the toasted buns with the lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayonnaise. Pass the ketchup, relish, and pickles.

Bourbon brown sugar crusted ham

A holiday ham is certainly a special and traditional centerpiece of Christmas dinner. Since hams are sold fully cooked, the only task for the cook is to glaze the ham and warm it up. If you are serving a large crowd, say, 16 to 20 guests, then you might consider buying a whole ham which includes both the shank half and the butt half, and weighs about 14 to 18 pounds. Otherwise, for a gathering of 10 or so, I prefer to buy a half-ham and look for the butt half or upper part of the ham because it is more tender and tastier than the shank half. Read the label on the ham or ask your butcher for a slow-dry-cured and natural-wood-smoked ham with no water added.

YIELD

Serves 10 to 12

INGREDIENTS:

1 (7 to 9 pounds) bone-in smoked ham preferably the butt or upper half
24 to 30 whole cloves
1 1/2 cups packed golden brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard
5 tablespoons bourbon whiskey plus an additional tablespoon for the sauce (optional)
3 1/2 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Remove the ham from the refrigerator 2 hours before you plan to bake it so the meat can come to room temperature. Using a sharp boning knife, trim away any skin and all but 1/4 inch of the external fat from the ham. Set the ham fat side up, and make parallel cuts 1/2 inch deep and 1 1/2 inches apart all over the ham. Give the ham a quarter-turn and repeat to produce a cross-hatched diamond-like pattern. Stick a clove in the center of each of the diamonds.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, mustard, and bourbon into a paste and rub it all over the ham. Set the ham, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it without crowding. Set aside loosely covered with plastic wrap until ready to bake.

About 30 minutes prior to baking the ham, position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Add enough apple cider to the pan to reach a 1/4-inch depth, about 2 1/2 cups of cider. Bake the ham, uncovered, basting the ham at least twice, and adding the remaining apple cider to maintain a 1/4-inch depth, until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of the ham without touching bone reaches 120°F, 1 3/4 to 2 hours. (It should take about 15 minutes per pound for the ham to reach an internal temperature between 120° and 125°F.)

Transfer the ham to a carving board or warmed platter and tent with foil. Let the ham rest for 20 minutes to allow the juices to set.

Meanwhile, pour the pan juices into a 4-cup heatproof measuring cup. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the fat to rise to the top. Spoon off the fat and discard. Pour the pan juices into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk in the maple syrup and pinch of cayenne pepper. Taste the sauce. If the flavor is concentrated and tasty, then whisk in half the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce. If the sauce tastes thin, then simmer the sauce for a few minutes to reduce the pan juices and concentrate the flavors. Taste again, and then whisk in half the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce. If needed, whisk in the remaining cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce. Add a tablespoon of bourbon to the sauce, if desired. Transfer the sauce to a warmed gravy boat.

Use a sharp carving knife to cut the ham into thin slices and serve immediately. Accompany the ham with the pan sauce.

Risotto with porcini mushrooms

Fresh herbs, including a touch of thyme, and a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese enhance the woodsy flavor of wild mushrooms, making this dish not only outstanding and colorful, but also rich and heavenly with the addition of cream and cheese. Serve this as a main course with simple accompaniments such as steamed or roasted asparagus, or a salad of field greens with radicchio, along with a crusty baguette.

YIELD

Serves 4 as a main course

INGREDIENTS:

1 ounce dried porcini
4 cups homemade vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves chopped
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the porcini in a medium bowl with 1 cup of boiling or very hot water. Let stand for 20 minutes. Strain and reserve the liquid. Chop the porcini and set aside.

In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the stock or broth to a simmer. Add the reserved porcini liquid.

In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir until the grains are well coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add the wine, let it come to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until the wine mostly evaporates.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock or broth to the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice has almost completely absorbed the liquid. Adjust the heat so the risotto is kept at a slow simmer. Repeat, adding 1/2 cup of the liquid at a time, stirring until it is almost fully absorbed before adding more. Reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid for adding at the end. After about 18 minutes, the rice will be plump, creamy, and cooked through but still slightly chewy. Stir in the porcini mushrooms and the remaining 1/4 cup of the stock or broth. Stir gently and bring back to a simmer. Stir in the fresh herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon the risotto into warmed shallow bowls. Garnish each serving with some of the cheese and serve immediately.

Stuffed peppers southwest-style

A while back, a colleague asked me whether I had a rice cooker. Indeed I do, and it is one of my favorite kitchen appliances, because it is a pot that doesn’t need to be watched. Pour in rice, add water and a little salt, cover the pot and turn it on. Walk away and twenty minutes later you have fluffy steamed rice—nothing sticks, nothing boils over, and the rice stays warm until serving time.

Cooked rice is a terrific building block for so many quick dinners. Make fried rice, turn it into a main-course salad, add it to a filling for burritos, or combine it with some pantry staples and stuff it into peppers as I have done here. Remember, one cup of uncooked rice yields three cups of cooked rice, plenty for a family of four. Double the quantity next time you make rice and you’re almost ready for another meal.

YIELD

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

6 medium red or yellow bell peppers
2 cups cooked rice
1 (15-ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
½ cup cilantro chopped
2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 onion diced
1 large poblano chile seeded and diced
1½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce or to taste
1 cup (4 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese grated

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Halve the bell peppers lengthwise, remove the core and scrape out the seeds. Place cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together the rice, black beans, corn, and cilantro.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and chile and cook until softened but not brown, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat if the vegetables are browning. Add the salt, cumin, turmeric, and paprika to the pan. Stir continuously until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the hot pepper sauce. Add this to the rice mixture in the bowl. Stir to thoroughly combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. Pack this mixture into the pepper halves. Top with the grated cheese.

Bake the peppers, uncovered, until tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 to 35 minutes. Place two halves on each dinner plate and serve immediately.

Penne pasta with grilled sweet peppers, grilled onions, and basil

When I see bushels of bright red, yellow, and orange peppers at the farmers’ market, I can’t resist. While one of each color looks good, two seem even better. I start thinking of a dinner menu that marries a mixed grill of olive oil–brushed vegetables with grilled chicken, chops, or steaks. But then I think about the possibilities for the extras. Grilling a couple of extra peppers and a sweet onion is the makings of an easy weeknight meal—this pasta dish!

YIELD

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

Kosher or sea salt
1 pound penne pasta
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper halved, seeded, deribbed, grilled, and chopped
1 yellow or orange bell pepper halved, seeded, deribbed, grilled, and chopped
1 large Walla Walla or other sweet onion cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, grilled, and chopped
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil coarsely chopped
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

Fill an 8- to 10-quart stockpot two-thirds full of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water, then add the pasta. Stir and cook the pasta until al dente (cooked through but still slightly chewy), about 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the grilled peppers and onion and the cherry tomatoes. Stir gently until just heated through.

Drain the pasta and place it in a warmed serving bowl. Add the vegetables and all of the oil from the skillet and toss to combine. Sprinkle the parsley and basil over the top, season with salt and pepper, and again toss gently to combine. Garnish with the cheese and serve immediately.