cucumber

Don't be Scared of Ghost Chilis: Flatiron Steak Sandwich

29 Nov 2011
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.

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

Steak Sandwich
By jgreghenry Published November 16, 2011
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

Summer Salads Some Aren't- Farro & Tomato Salad with Basil & Anchovies

29 Aug 2011
Farro & Tomato Salad with Basil & Anchovies

This is the final entry in my week long series of summer salads. It's a Farro & Tomato Salad with Basil & Anchovies and it comes (practically word for word) from Judy Rodgers.

I tend to be a tinkerer when it comes to recipes (if I follow one at all) but there are some cooks whose style and choices just click with me and the way I like to do things. Judy Rodgers is one such cook. She thinks about food and it's preparation. She gets all wonky about technique. So I know that every step and every ingredient really is all it needs to be. No more no less. I can't improve on that kind of methodology, so I don't even try.

Especially when it comes to an ingredient like farro. It's an ancient grain. But it's new to my kitchen. It's been a staple to the masses since Roman times, but suddenly the chic set has embraced it too. I first had it at one of Mario Batali's New York restaurants in the 1990s (in the form of a pan-fried cake) but this is my first attempt at cooking with it at home.

If you are unfamiliar with farro, well it looks a bit like brown rice. But it's a closer cousin to barley. The best version is the whole-grain version, partly due to all those healthful advantages. When you buy farro look for whole-grains that have been partially processed and have the brown outer hull removed. These are called "pearled", "perlato", "semiperlato", or "decorticato".

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Farro & Tomato Salad with Basil & Anchovies

Farro & Tomato Salad with Basil & Anchovies
By jgreghenry Published August 29, 2011
Prep time: 20
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 c whole-grain farro
  • 3 c water
  • 1 pn salt, plus more as needed
  • 6 T extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 t sherry vinegar
  • 1 pn freshly crackked black pepper, plus more as needed
  • 1 c halved ripe sweet 100 cherry tomatoes (about 24 tomatoes)
  • 4 salt-packed anchovy fillets, rinsed and cut lengthwise into 3 or 4 strips each
  • 1 small cucumber, sliced
  • 1 handful fresh basil leaves

Directions

Combine the farro with the water and salt in a 2-quart saucepan and cook uncovered at a bare simmer until just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. You should get about 2 cups. Drain and spread on a sheet pan so it will cool evenly.

Whisk together the oil, vinegar, and salt & pepper to taste. The vinegar flavor should be barely strong enough to detect.

Combine the farro, tomatoes, anchovies and cucumbers,and toss with just enough vinaigrette to coat. Tear The basil leaves, then fold into the farro. Taste again. Serve promptly, while the flavors are bright and clear and before the farro soaks up the vinegar.

Source: Judy Rodgers

Turn to Tuna Burgers

21 May 2011
Tuna Burger with Wasabi Mayonnaise

I like to make left turns. I like to zig when others zag.

Which makes this Asian flavored tuna concoction the ziggiest. It has so many left turns it's practically a circle. In fact it is a circle 'cuz it's a burger.

Now I realize that there is nothing typically Asian about a burger. In fact in traditional Asian cooking there is nothing much I know of that even resembles the all-American ground meat perfection, stacked on a bun and loaded up with condiments. So stick with me as I make a few left turns.

This burger starts with tuna. Choose something sustainable like troll-pole yellowfin,  pole-and-line caught yellowtail or albacore. And because it's a burger we need to grind the tuna. That's the first left turn. Maybe you have never ground fish before. But it is easily accomplished with a chef's knife or through a few well-timed pulses in the food processor.

Now ground tuna all on its own can be a bit sticky and hard to work with. So we need a few additions to achieve the meaty, moldable texture you are familiar with. You know, the kind that you can easily form into burgers. And if we are going to make additions we might as well make them flavorful. I chose Asian standards like ginger, chili, soy and sesame. Not exactly a daring left turn, but I didn't want you to get lost.

I also added just a few Panko breadcrumbs. I experimented both ways– with breadcrumbs and without. A few breadcrumbs really help to hold the burgers together. Don't overdo it or you'll get a rubbery mess. I found that as little as 3 tablespoons, but no more than 1/4 cup,  just about right. The tuna should still be a bit loose, and the burgers a bit fragile. But with some chilling it is possible to get them into the pan intact.

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