Food and Wine has just come out with another of its compendiums of recipes, this one titled “Chef’s Easy Weeknight Dinners” (Time Inc. Affluent Media Group 2014). There are all kinds of recipes here from soups to seafood, side dishes to desserts. What strikes me is their overall simplicity. Apparently, Chefs are every bit as time-pressured as the rest of us. Or perhaps more so. Can you imagine cooking all day and then going home and doing it all over again? That’s likely why the book is loaded with recipes none of which take over 55 minutes to make, the majority even less than that. So in keeping with my promise of pre-holiday meals that are full of flavor and not so full of effort, today’s recipe is for a main dish that’s hard to beat for simplicity. It’s Steak and it takes all of 35 minutes to get on the table.
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| Eric and Sara Rich |
I got quite a chuckle out of its publishers’ name, “The Affluent Media Group,” mostly because I had scored Strip Steaks at our butcher counter: New York Strip for $5.99 a lb. But there’s no question that steak makes you feel affluent. Its creators bring theirs home from their restaurant where they are co-chefs. Evan and Sarah Rich preside over Rich Table in San Francisco CA (199 Gough St. Tel: (415) 355-9085) But the treat is not just the steak. The Chefs Rich have pared it with one of Argentina’s national dishes. In a country that knows a whole lot about beef, Argentines love their chimichurri. No one is quite sure how it got its name but this piquant herb sauce is Ketchup on many an Argentine table. The Rich’s have taken chimichurri one step further. They’ve added thinly sliced raw green beans thereby creating a crunchy condiment and a vegetable dish in one. It is all very easy to put together and takes all of 35 minutes flat. So heat up that grill pan and wow them at dinner tonight. Here is the recipe:
Recipe for Evan and Sarah Rich’s Grilled Strip Steaks with Green Bean Chimichurri Serves 4 Total Time 35 mins.
For the Chimichurri:
2 small shallots
¼ cup Champagne Vinegar
4 oz. green beans thinly sliced across the bean (1 cup)
1 cup chopped Cilantro
½ cup chopped Parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus more for brushing)
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Four 12 oz. New York Strip Steaks, fat cap left on.
1. In a small bowl, combine the shallots with the vinegar and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in the green beans, cilantro, parsley, garlic, paprika and the 1 cup of Olive Oil. Season the green bean chimichurri with salt and pepper.
2. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan or cast iron skillet. Brush the steaks with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and frill over high heat, turning once until nicely charred outside and medium rare inside, 5 to 6 minutes a side. Transfer the steaks to a work surface and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Slice the steaks across the grain and transfer to plates. Spoon the green bean chimichurri over the steaks and serve.