Meat

Flatiron Steak Sandwich With Cucumber, Ginger Relish & Ghost Chili Aioli

Ghost Chilis are (supposedly, arguably, possibly) the hottest pepper in the world. In 2007 The Guiness Book of World Records deemed them 401.5 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. Since then, the Naga Viper Pepper, Infinity Chilli, and the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T Pepper have been bred to (supposedly, arguably, possibly) surpass the ghost pepper on the Scoville scale, which (supposedly, arguably, possibly) measures the heat level in chili peppers.

Not that the semantics matter when you taste one– because they are hot. Damn hot. Too hot for me (supposedly, arguably, possibly). But that doesn't mean I can't find a way to cook with them. Take this Flatiron Steak Sandwich With Cucumber, Ginger Relish & Ghost Chili Aioli. I took a great sandwich recipe from Tom Colicchio and adapted to include this Ghost Chili Aioli.

I have been wanting to do something with Ghost Chilis for about a year. You see Marx Foods sent me some dried Ghost Chili samples and they have sat in my pantry this past year zinging me with the promise of a heat so hot as to be (supposedly, arguably, possibly) inedible.

Inedible. Heat so Hot. Those are fightin' words in my house. I'll eat anything, and I'll scar my tongue just to prove it if I have too.

Sippity Sup Continues »

Flatiron Steak Sandwich With Cucumber, Ginger Relish & Ghost Chili Aioli

Steak Sandwich
Prep time: 20
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 dried ghost chili
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 10 oz canola oil
  • 1 lb flat iron steak
  • 1 pn each salt and pepper
  • 1 t olive oil
  • 4 ciabatta rolls
  • 1 c seedless cucumber, cut into 2-inch julienne
  • 2 T fressh ginger, peeled and cut into 2-inch julienne
  • 1 c cilantro leaves
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

Directions

In a small bowl cover the chili with very hot water. Let sit about 1 hour until softened. Discard water, dry the chili, remove the seeds (optional) and roughly chop it. Be careful as this chili is very hot.

In a blender, add egg yolk, egg, lemon juice and chili (these little peppers pack a lot of heat, so add as much as you can stand). Blend until fairly smooth. While the blender is on, drizzle in canola oil until the aioli emulsifies and thickens to your liking (you might not use all the oil) then add a pinch of salt to taste.

Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in 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.

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. 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. Thinly slice the meat against the grain.

Slice the ciabatta rolls in half, scoop out some of the soft interior bread, creating a well. Spread some of the ghost pepper aioli onto the top halves of the rolls. Layer the sliced meat on the bottom halves of the rolls followed by a generous amount of the cucumber, ginger and cilantro. Drizzle with lime juice. Close the sandwiches and serve with more aioli and lime wedges.

Source: adapted from Tom Colicchio
Cabbage pie with sausge, feta and dill

So here we are at Day Five in my week long Savory Pie Marathon and my pastry's getting pooped. My pie is on the fly. And my tart won't start! In other words I am running out of ways to talk about pie.

There are "pie hole" jokes yet to mine... I suppose. But I am not feeling clever this morning. I can't seem to muster the bluster to master even a few belly laughs. Though that was a pretty fun sentence.

You see, my belly is full and I am feeling all warm and comfortable because I have been eating a super savory Sweet Sausage Cabbage Pie with Dill & Feta. I know you can imagine these flavors together– the sweet fennel with the sharp cheese. And nothing says comfort like cabbage baked in the oven. Especially when that cabbage is wrapped in a flaky crust.

This is the most casual of pies you can imagine. The pastry comes together effortlessly. It rolls our beautifully. No crimping or fussy lattice-work involved. Because, like I said, I am feeling a bit pie passive. So I simply lined a gratin dish for the most unconstrained presentation possible. Not all pies are round you know.

Sippity Sup Continues »
Potato Topped Lamb Shepherd's Pie

I could call this Shepherd's Pie if I wanted to. After all, it is the third savory pie in a row in this week long tribute to the genre. But I choose to call this Lamb Champvallon. And I'm not the only one.

According to the Larousse Gastronomique, this classic French dish dates from the reign of Louis XIV. It was supposedly invented by one of his mistresses. But which one? There are 14 (quatorze) officially recognized mistresses. That's a lot of ladies to give credit for this dish to.

The French seem to have a lot of these stories attached to their most traditional foods. It's hard to say how much truth there is in any one of them.

Take this recipe known to the French as Cotes D'agneau Champvallon. If it was indeed a lamb dish brought to the King's attention by a mistress, it seems to make sense that her name may have been Champvallon. But most mistresses get short shrift in the history books. I can find no references to any of Louis' lovers with that name.

So I decided it was time for me to take hold of this lore and redefine the history behind this dish to suit my own needs and my own cooking style. While I am rewriting history I think I'll do a bit of tweeking to the recipe too. Something more suited to the modern palate.

Sippity Sup Continues »

Sweet Sausage Cabbage Pie with Dill & Feta

cabbage pie
Prep time: 120
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 2.5 c all purpose flour, plus more for rolling surface
  • 8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
  • 0.75 t kosher salt, divided plus more to taste
  • 0.25 c ice water
  • 1 lb sweet sausages
  • 1 cabbage, shredded slaw style
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 large onion, halved and sliced into slivers
  • 2 clv garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 pn freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
  • 0.25 c dill, chopped
  • 0.25 c flat leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped
  • 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Make the crust: Pulse 2 1/2 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until dough just comes together (no longer than 30 seconds). Divide dough in half, shape each into a disc, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days), or freeze for up to 1 month.

Remove the sausages from their casings. Discard casings and crumble the meat. Add the crumbled meat to a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook completely, stirring often. Drain off excess fat and set aside.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Meanwhile fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the cabbage to the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Transfer to the ice water, allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then drain, and spin dry.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir together and stir in the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved cooked meat, stir to combine, then stir in the blanched cabbage. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is very tender and the cabbage is beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool somewhat. Stir in the feta, dill and parsley, and set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll one of the chilled dough discs out to about a 12-inch round (depending on pan). Save the other disc for another use. Line a 10 to 12 by 2 inch deep oblong baking dish with the rolled out dough, allowing it to evenly drape over both long sides. Fill with the cabbage mixture. Fold the draped edges in over the filling. It need not meet in the center. Brush with egg wash, drizzling any extra over the cabbage mixture.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes in the pre-heated oven, until the crust is crisp and dark golden brown. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.