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Beef Fillet With Tomatillo Chipotle Sauce
Ingredients:
4 aged center-cut beef fillets, approximately 6 oz. each
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbs. olive oil
4 corn tortillas
3 Tbs. corn oil
4 oz. fontina* or Monterey Jack cheese
3 cups tomatillo chipotle sauce (recipe below)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
* fontina cheese [fahn-TEE-nah]--Also called Fontina
Val d'Aosta after the Italian valley from which it
comes, this is one of Italy's great cheeses. Semi-firm
yet creamy, fontina is a cow's-milk cheese with about 45
percent milk fat. It has a dark golden brown rind with a
pale yellow interior dotted with tiny holes. The mild,
nutty flavor, and the fact that it melts easily and
smoothly, make fontina perfect for almost any use.
Besides Italy, fontinas are made in other countries
including Denmark, France and the United States. Many of
these fontinas, especially when young, tend to be
blander and softer than the Italian original.
Preparation:
Bring the steaks to room temperature. Season beef
with salt and pepper. Over high heat, bring olive oil to
almost smoking in heavy pan. Reduce heat to medium and
saute beef for five minutes on each side.
In a separate pan, soften tortillas in heated corn
oil. Blot excess oil with paper towels; cover and keep
warm. Slice beef into strips and wrap in tortillas.
Surround the beef with about 3/4 cup of sauce per plate,
covering the tortilla.
Garnish with coarsely chopped cilantro and chunks of
fontina cheese (about 1 ounce per serving).
Tomatillo Chipotle Sauce
Ingredients:
25 large fresh tomatillos, or 2 lbs. canned tomatillos
3 cloves garlic unpeeled
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
3 Tbs. olive oil
4 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, or 4 chipotle
chiles and 2 tsp. adobo sauce
1 bunch cilantro, leaves only (about 1 packed cup)
1 tsp. salt
juice of 1 lime
Preparation:
Husk and wash the tomatillos under hot water. Boil
tomatillos for 20 to 25 minutes. Roast the garlic until
just soft, but not burned--about 20 to 25 minutes.
Peel and remove blackened parts. Saute onion in one
tablespoon olive oil until soft and browned--about 15
minutes. Place the tomatillos, garlic, onion, chiles and
sauce if called for cilantro, salt and remaining olive
oil in a blender.
Blend until combined; consistency should be even,
with no lumps. Add lime juice and blend for a few
seconds. Add more cilantro if desired. Serve warm, at
room temperature.
Steak and Fried Veggies
Ingredients:
1 Tbs. soft green peppercorns
1 Tbs. pink peppercorns
1 Tbs. black peppercorns
2 garlic cloves, minced
Two 10-oz. New York strip steaks
3 Tbs. whole-grain mustard
vegetable or olive oil
1/2 cup carrots, unpeeled, julienned very thinly
lengthwise
1/2 cup parsnips, unpeeled, julienned very thinly
lengthwise
1/2 cup rutabagas, peeled, julienned very thinly
lengthwise
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
oil for frying
salt and pepper
Preparation:
Mash the peppercorns and garlic together with a
mortar and pestle or food processor. Coat the steak with
mustard and press peppercorns and garlic into the meat.
Place the steaks in hot, oiled skillet and sear on one
side, about four to five minutes per side for
medium-rare.
While steak is searing, heat separate saucepan and
add some oil. Make sure oil is very hot and fry
vegetables (carrots, parsnips and rutabagas) until crisp
and golden brown, just a minute or two. Drain on paper
towels and season with salt and pepper.
When steaks are nicely browned, flip them over, add
brandy and ignite. Be very careful to not burn yourself
when igniting brandy.
Cook steaks until rare. To test for doneness, press
the meat with your finger--it should be firm to the
touch. It is better to remove when underdone, rather
than overdone, since you can always cook it a little
more, if necessary.
Remove the steaks from pan and place each on a plate.
Add beef broth and cream to pan and reduce to thicken.
Less broth and cream will help the sauce to thicken more
quickly.
Pour sauce over steaks and top with fried vegetable
straws.
Beef-Cheese
Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients:
6 tomatoes
1/2 pound ground beef -- * see note
1/2 cup onions -- chopped
1/2 cup green peppers -- diced
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon basil -- or 2 tsp fresh
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup bread stuffing cubes, seasoned
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, part skim milk --
shredded
Preparation:
1. Cut slice off top of tomato and scoop out pulp.
Use a melon baller or grapefruit spoon for ease of
removing pulp. Chop pulp and tops then drain and set
aside.
2. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat and
brown beef, onion and green peppers; about 5-7
minutes. Drain off excess fat that accumulates.
3. Add chopped tomato tops and pulp, corn syrup,
worcestershire sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook,
stirring, for 10 minutes until thick and bubbling.
Remove from heat, add stuffing
mix and Parmesan cheese.
4. Spoon carefully into tomato shells. Place
tomatoes into an 11 x 7 x 2-inch pan or baking dish
that will hold all tomatoes without crowding. Top
each tomato with 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30
minutes or until heated thoroughly.
Yield: 6 servings. For best taste try to get
vine-ripened tomatoes.
Substitution:
Leave ground beef
out for a meatless dish, or substitute part ground
beef, part mild Italian sausage.
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