dried cranberries

Spinach Salad with Roast Pears & Winter Friendly Flank Steak Too

14 Feb 2011
Flank Steak Salad with Roasted Pears

Salads needn't be boring even in the winter. They can be hearty, they can be substantial and full of flavor. They can even tweek your expectations about the season and its food possibilities.

Take this Spinach Salad with Roast Pears, Dried Cranberry Vinaigrette and Flank Steak. My brother Grant paired it with Bonny Doon "Le Pousseur" Syrah 2007. It's made with ingredients that are easily available in the coldest corners around the globe almost any time of the year.

I see you nodding your head saying, "sure pears, spinach and dried cranberries can be winter food. But, flank steak– well Greg– that's summer food."

But I am here to prove to you that even flank steak can be winter friendly. But I know what you are thinking right now. You are thinking there is no way you are going to trudge out to the back yard and light up the grill just so Sippity Sup can prove some inane point about flank steak being winter food. You are thinking that although (of course) you love Sippity Sup dearly, and you want to try and make us happy. But really, grilling outside in your swim suit during a snow storm that's starting to cross some unwritten line of allegiance. Is that what you're thinking?

But please, stay close. Stay inside, and stay warm. But listen to me. Everyone knows flanks steak is great cooked on the grill. It's marinated in something flavorful, then it's quickly cooked over hot flames until barely past rare. Because flank steak must always be served fairly rare. It dries out easily, so it's best cooked fast and hot and licked by flames. Which, you're thinking, makes it summer food. Right?

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Winter Spinach Salad with Roasted Pears, Flank Steak and Dried Cranberry Vinaigrette

Winter Spinach Salad with Roasted Pears, Flank Steak and Dried Cranberry Vinaigr
By jgreghenry Published February 11, 2011
Prep time: 120
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb flank steak
  • 4 clv garlic, peeled and minced
  • 0.5 c worcestershire sauce
  • 2 T plus 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 0 salt and pepper as needed
  • 1 T unsalted butter
  • 2 firm but ripe pears, preferably bosc
  • 0.75 c cider vinegar
  • 2 T pomegranate molasses, or substitute with honey
  • 1 T dijon mustard
  • 0.75 c dried cranberries
  • 0.5 c almonds, roughly chopped
  • 6 oz baby spinach, washed and dried

Directions

Marinate the flank steak. Stir garlic, Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a non reactive dish; season with salt & pepper. Place the steak in the dish, swirling to get the meat well coated. Marinate, turning occasionally for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight in the refrigerator. Roast the pears. Place the rack in the center of the oven, then preheat to 450 degrees F. Grease a small baking sheet with butter. Peel and core the pears, then cut each lengthwise into 8 wedges. Toss the slices with sugar in a bowl then place on the buttered baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until softened and browned. Transfer to a plate to cool completely. The pears may be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days, then brought to room temperature before assembling the salad. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a blender, whirl vinegar, pomegranate molasses, and mustard. With the machine running add remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, and blend until emulsified. Add 1/4 cup dried cranberries and pulse the machine several times to roughly chop them. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Toast the almond pieces in a small skillet set over medium heat, shaking often, until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and set aside in a small bowl to cool. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup dried cranberry. Set aside. Cook the steak. Heat a large cast iron skillet set over high heat, until very hot. It must be an iron skillet to retain as much heat as possible. Remove the steak from the marinade, letting most of the liquid drip away. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt. Place steak in the hot pan. Let sear for 2 to 3 minutes until well browned. Flip to the other side and let sear for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the steak continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak. Flank steak must be served rare. 120°F for very rare, 125°F for rare, or 130°F for medium rare. When the desired temperature is reached, remove the steak from the pan to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. When you are ready to assemble the salad, cut the meat in very thin slices, at an angle, against the grain. Place the spinach in a large bowl, add half the almond/cranberry mixture and the vinaigrette to taste. Toss well and arrange the greens on a platter or on individual plates. Top the greens with some pear and flank steak slices to taste. Garnish with additional nuts and berries and a good grind of black pepper.

Notes:

serves 6 Source: Inspired by Stonewall Kitchen

Small Plates Menu: Beef Tenderloin Skewers with Cranberry Port Peppercorn Relish & Gorgonzola

31 Dec 2010
Beef Tenderloin Skewers with Cranberry Port Peppercorn Relish & Gorgonzola

Today we get to the "meat of the matter" in this week long series of small plates with wine pairings. Beef Tenderloin Skewers with Cranberry Port Peppercorn Relish & Gorgonzola which we paired with Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007.

It's a simple dish with a lot of bold flavor. The relish has the bite of plenty of assorted peppercorns and the Gorgonzola is just the right finishing touch. A Cabernet such as this Hall is a perfect compliment.

But since a new year is starting we also thought we'd also start something new. Wine Reviews!

Now we'll still do wine pairings. That's what Sippity Sup is all about. But my brother Grant will also be reviewing some of the wines that cross his path as well. He has developed a Sippity Sup appropriate rating system that is far less complicated than points or stars, because it relies on common sense and the simple question, would I reccommend this wine to a friend? It's basically a scale from Nope! to Hell Yes! in four easily understood categories. CLICK here for an explanation of Sippity Sup's wine rating system.

The first wine he has chosen to review is paired with my beef tenderloin skewers and is a part of my small plates series. Read his review of this wine after the jump or CLICK here for a printable recipe serves 4 Beef Tenderloin Skewers with Cranberry Port Peppercorn Relish & Gorgonzola. GREG

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Beef Tenderloin Skewers with Cranberry Port Peppercorn Relish & Gorgonzola

Beef Tenderloin Skewers with Cranberry Peppercorn Relish
By jgreghenry Published December 30, 2010
Prep time: 150
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 lb piece of beef tenderloin
  • 0 kosher salt and black pepper as needed
  • 0.75 c dried cranberries
  • 1.5 c ruby port
  • 1 T mixed dried peppercorns
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 6 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Directions

Generously salt the meat on all sides. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and set it in the refrigerator 2 to 4 days to season. When ready to cook bring the meat to room temperature before continuing. Meanwhile, soak the dried cranberries in the port for about 1 hour to rehydrate. Then bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the temperature to simmer and add the assorted dried peppercorns. Cook about 20 minutes until about half of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool somewhat. Add the cranberry mixture to a blender and pulse until a chunky purée is achieved. You may need to adjust consistency with a bit of water. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet until almost smoking. Add the meat and brown it on all sides. Transfer the meat to the oven and roast about 15 minutes until an interior temperature of 125 degrees F. is achieved for medium-rare. Remove the meat from the pan and let it rest about 7 minutes. Slice the meat into thin slices on the diagonal against the grain. Thread one slice onto a skewer, laying each skewer across a serving platter. Give them all a good grind of black pepper. Scoop the relish onto the plate in an attractive manner for dipping. Crumble the Gorgonzola across the whole platter. Serve warm.

Notes:

serves 4

Brace Yourself for the Intense Flavor of Roasted Fennel Soup

18 Jan 2010
roasted fennel soup

Let's just say the weather made me do it!

I had sorta sworn off soup at SippitySup. That's because I broke my jaw last summer and was wired shut for eight weeks. I was pretty sure I was finished with liquid food for the rest of my life. In fact, I remember making a pact with myself. No more soup. I could just learn to live with out it. Too many bad broken jaw memories attached to soup. No soup for Sup!

But nope, I awoke this morning all nestled under a down comforter (that somehow appeared during the night) and noticed that the weather had turned a bit chilly. The ineveitable Southern California rain started its pitter-patter on the copper roof of the balcony outside my bedroom.

I knew this tune. I've missed this song. I found myself getting a little emotional as I began to hum along to its rhythmic beat. Could I love the rain in Southern California that much? No, its not the rain making me feel this way. Rather it is the sound of the rain– drip, drop, clip, clop... I suddenly realized that the mellifluous drizzle tapping away on my bedroom window was the sound of soup! I have missed soup.

Well I bounced out of bed. A man with a purpose. I would make soup today.

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