Spice Crusted Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

I’m willing to bet that most of you thought I forgot how to blog.  Well, I didn’t forget how – I just haven’t had much of a chance to do so.  Starting a little bit after my most recent post last autumn, I started a new job – a new job that requires me to travel out of town Monday – Friday each week.  As a result, I only have time on the weekends to cook.  I won’t lie.  I haven’t done much cooking on those weekends.  The small, country kitchen sans dishwasher coupled with not enough time at home didn’t exactly appeal to my domestic sensibilities.  Didn’t, I say, because I have moved into new digs this month.  I now have the nicest kitchen I’ve ever lived with.  I also live close to one of the largest farmer’s markets in Richmond (South of the James!), and I have a dishwasher.  A fancy, new dishwasher that begs for dishes to wash. Who am I to deny it that right?  Not to mention we have picked up a new grill just in time for grilling season.

The brass tacks: I’m excited by this kitchen, and I am dying to use it when I am home.  I figure, with a little bit of juggling, I can get a post up here about once a week.  So, let’s dispense with the explanatory chatter and get on with the food.

Last weekend we thought we would celebrate the first full-on meal cooked in this kitchen by grilling up some steaks.  My husband, being an eager grillmaster, was ready to work some charcoal magic out back.  I know a lot of purists out there like their steak rather plain, but I like to gussy mine up a bit.  Nothing too fancy, but I like a flavorful spice rub, liberally applied on the steaks and grilled to form a nice crust.  I also love chimichurri sauce, which brightens up the heaviness of steak and tastes likes spring.  Chimichurri sauce is Argentinean in origin, and is a parsley, garlic, and oil based sauce served with beef.  This is an opportunity to use your best olive oil.  Since the sauce isn’t cooked, the olive oil flavor is going to be prominent.

To keep the spring flavors going, we grilled asparagus to go on the side of our steak.  If you’re a fan of Penzey’s, I urge you to brush some fresh asparagus with olive oil, sprinkle on some Mural of Flavor, and grill it until tender.  Mural of Flavor is salt free, citrusy, and a great compliment to asparagus.  Yum.

Spice Crusted Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

• 4 NY strip steaks, about 9-10 oz. each

for the dry rub

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ancho chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp  coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• dash allspice
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp black pepper

for the chimichurri sauce

• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
• ½ bunch cilantro
• 3 garlic cloves
• ¼ C onion
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
• pinch of cayenne
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 T red wine vinegar
• ½ C olive oil (use the good stuff!)

Combine all spices for the dry rub in a small bowl and mix well.  Remove the steaks from cold storage and press about a teaspoon of the dry rub onto each side of each steak.  Let the steaks come to room temperature before grilling.

Meanwhile, make the chimichurri sauce.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients except for the olive oil.  Pulse until the herbs are very finely chopped.  Remove the herb mixture from the processor to a serving bowl.  Pour the olive oil into the bowl and stir to combine well.  Do not add the oil to the processor, as it will emulsify and become thick and cloudy– like a salad dressing.

Grill the steaks over direct heat for the first five to six minutes of cooking to form a nice crust, then move to indirect heat to finish to your desired doneness.  A good chart to reference temperatures for steak doneness can be found here.  Let steaks rest about 5 minutes before serving to allow juices to redistribute.  To serve, plate the steaks and spoon chimichurri sauce over them.

Serves 4.

Tangy Mushroom Barley Soup

You may have seen a blurb on the news Sunday or Monday about seven inches of snow getting dumped on north Georgia. No? Well, seven inches of snow got dumped on north Georgia. I know. Maybe you live in Buffalo and get six foot deep drifts annually. Maybe you live in Chicago and it snows all the time. I am sure that our measly seven inches is barely impressive, and I am sure that many of you have been without power for more than 1 day because of bad weather. (I’ve been through that before; growing up in Savannah a hurricane could knock out power for days). But, I am going to whine anyway. It was cold. It snowed. I have more fingers on my hands than times my eyes have seen snow. I live in the South. My town doesn’t have snow plows and has to get salt for roads imported from other towns. Snow, in the South, sucks.

You may wonder what this has to do with food. Well, plenty. By the time my power came back on and I defrosted, I was hungry. I wanted a hot shower, and I wanted hot food. So, I promptly got some takeout. People, the need was urgent. After I felt revived, though, I was ready to make good use of that electricity and make something delicious and warming. Something like soup.

Soup it was. I came up with this recipe in an effort to clean a lot of stuff out my pantry: porcini mushrooms, paprika (mostly used up), chicken stock, shallots, barley. I have lots of good stuff squirreled away, but I’ve got to get it used. This urgency, as you may or may not know, is because I am moving to Virginia in a few months.

And yes, that means I am going to have to deal with evil, nasty snow much more often. I have got one hell of a snow-preparation list going, believe you me. Next time the power goes out, I’ll be firing up the party generator. And, the next time I deal with snow, there will almost certainly be a pot of this for dinner. This soup warms the body and the tastebuds. It’s tangy, filling, and completely delicious. Served with crusty bread, this makes a fantastic meal.

Feel like making a Hungarian themed meal out of this? Make some Hungarian Cucumber Salad as a side.

Tangy Mushroom Barley Soup

• 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 1/2 C water
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 C shallots (2-3), chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 C sliced cremini mushrooms (about 4 oz.)
• 1 C pearled barley
• a splash of white wine
• 1 T dill
• 1 T paprika 
• 1 1/2 C water or stock (chicken, vegetable, or mushroom)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 T soy sauce
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Boil a cup and a half of water and soak the dried porcini mushrooms in it.  Start by sauteing the base of the soup.  Heat a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the shallots until they are translucent, then add the garlic and continue sauteing until it takes on some light color.  Add in the mushrooms and brown them – let them release water, let the water cook off, and let them get tender and brown – about 3-5 minutes.  Drizzle in a little bit more olive oil and brown the barley.  Stir frequently for the next three minutes until the barley is toasted, then deglaze the pan with a splash of wine.  Cook the wine off.  

Drain the porcini mushrooms reserving the liquid, chop them roughly, and toss them in the pot.  Add in the dill, the paprika, the bay leaf, and the soy sauce.  Season with some salt and some black pepper.  Pour in the remaining stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat.  Simmer uncovered for 30-35 minutes, until the barley is done.  Add more stock or water at the end to achieve the consistency you want, and check the seasonings to see if you need more salt or pepper.

Serve with lemon wedges and a sprinkling of fresh dill.

Serves 3-4.