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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Seared Ribeye with an Herb Salsa

This meal is a delectable symphony of flavors in four part harmony.  Alright maybe it’s just a good square meal.  Whatever you want to call it, one thing is clear; there were four distinct parts that went into making this dish.  Of course there was the pan seared steak.  But then I topped that juicy meat with mushrooms and onions in a balsamic glaze.  I added a good sized heap of garlicky mashed potatoes and veggies and finished it off with a fresh lemony herb salsa.  All I can say is that I can’t remember the last time I had a meal this good.   

Ingredients for the Herb Salsa:

1 Tbs Olive Oil
Small bunch of Fresh Parsley
Small bunch of Fresh Basil
½ of a Lemon
1 small clove of Garlic

Add the olive oil to a bowl with the juice and zest of about ½ a lemon.  Grate in a little garlic with a microplane and add the finely diced chili pepper or red pepper flakes.  Roughly chop the basil and parsley then toss them into the bowl stir.  Set this aside. 

Video Tutorial for the Whole Recipe:


Garlicky Mashed Potatoes and Veggie Ingredients:

1 large Potato                    
1 cup of Cauliflower          
1 cup of Broccoli    
2 cloves of Garlic      
2 Tbs Butter
¼  cup Heavy Cream 
Salt & Pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes and sliced them into about 1 inch pieces then place them into a pot with cold water.  Make sure the cauliflower and broccoli are roughly the same size as the potatoes then add them to the pot with the garlic.  Once they reach a boil lower the heat to a simmer and let them cook for twenty minutes or until fork tender.  Then drain them and return them to the pot and begin mashing everything together.  Add the butter, cream, salt and pepper and continue mashing until you have the desired consistency.  Then cover and set aside. 

And now for the steak, I have a good sized Ribeye (12oz deboned) and I’d normally leave the bone in to cook this but today I decided to debone it to make it easier to cut up when I plate this dish.  After deboning (optional), rib the steak with a few drops of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper.  Sear it for 3 minutes per side on a screaming hot cast iron pan. Then I set it aside to rest. 
Now I would have cooked the mushrooms and onions right next to the steak but my daughter informed me that she wanted no part of the mushrooms being cooked next to the steak we were splitting.  So, placating to her protests,  I pulled out my tiny nonstick  frying pan, and sautéed a single serving of the mushrooms and onions in a bit of olive oil.  Don’t forget some salt and pepper to taste.  I also added a few red pepper flakes and about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar during the last minute of cooking.  This will add some acidity and balance out the earthy flavor of the mushrooms.
Now that all four parts are complete you can just finish off the arrangement of this orchestral symphony any way you choose.  Since my daughter skipped the herb salsa and the balsamic glazed mushrooms, her plate looked more like a tune from a high school marching band instead of a symphony.  I tried to snap a photo but she ran off with her plate while I was shooting my dish. 


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