Steak with Shallot Sauce (Onglet Aux Echalottes)

***I was walking the aisles of HomeGoods the other day, when my eyes alighted on this fabulous cookbook...Williams-Sonoma: Paris. I immediately grabbed it up and started flipping through the pages. The beautiful thing about this book is all the photographs...and they aren't all of food. The pages are filled with gorgeous photos that transport you to the streets of Paris. Now I want to go more than ever! Oh, J'aime Paris!

This recipe for Steak with Shallot Sauce actually made it onto the cover of this cookbook. It looks scrumptious, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm sure glad that I did!

I did make just a few slight changes to the original recipe. First, I went to 2 grocery stores looking for shallots...I couldn't find the first one! I was disappointed, but I knew that onions would make a fine substitute. Second, I couldn't find the particular cut of meat the recipe calls for, so I just bought NY strips...they worked just fine! And finally, I have yet to perfect the method of cooking a steak indoors. I always end up with a smoky kitchen and steaks that could have been better. So, I grilled the steaks outside on the gas grill. Once the sauce was just about finished, I added the steaks to the sauce and simmered for just a few minutes before serving.

And with that my friends, bon appétit!!!***

Steak with Shallot Sauce

Onglet Aux Echalottes

Ingredients:

4-6 onglets or hangar steaks (I used NY strips), 8-12 oz each, trimmed of most fat and lightly marbled if possible, at room temperature

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil for brushing

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

12 shallots, about 3/4 lb total weight, thinly sliced

3/4 cup dry red wine

1 cup beef stock

Directions:

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, and brush lightly with olive oil.

Heat a large, heavy nonstick frying pan over high heat until very hot. Cook the steaks until browned and slightly crusty on the first side, 45-60 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the steaks for 2 - 4 minutes longer on each side, depending on the thickness. To test for doneness, press your finger firmly against one of the steaks; the rarer the meat, the more soft and fleshy it will feel. If desired, make a small cut in the meat to check the color. Transfer the steaks to a platter and cover looselly with aluminum foil. (The steaks will continue to cook slowly as they rest).

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Melt 1 1/2 tbsp. of the butter in the pan. Add the shallots and saute until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Add the wine, raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until the liquid is almost evaporated, 5-6 minutes. Add the stock and cook until the shallots are very tender and the liquid is reduced to a flavorful sauce, 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. butter.

Transfer the steaks along with any accumulated juices to individual plates. Spoon the shallots and sauce over the steaks. Serve at once.

Source: Williams-Sonoma: Paris Cookbook

Parsleyed Potatoes with Saffron

***Here's another super simple side dish. I served this with "Steak with Shallot Sauce", which I will post tomorrow. It's always fun to use saffron, and I really like the taste it adds to dishes...very unique!***

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb small red potatoes (preferably 1 1/2 inches in diameter; 20 to 24), peeled

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Small pinch of saffron threads, crumbled

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Preparation:
Steam potatoes in a steamer rack, covered, over boiling water until tender, 18 to 20 minutes.

Melt butter with saffron in a medium skillet over medium heat until it foams, then add potatoes, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook, shaking skillet to coat potatoes well, until heated through, about 1 minute.

Source: Gourmet Magazine

White Asparagus with Brown Butter Sauce

***I needed a quick side dish the other night, and I saw this recipe right on the white asparagus package. It sounded pretty simple (and it was!), so I gave it a try. This was my first time cooking with white asaparagus. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was really tasty! Brad and I try to eat really healthy, so next time I'll probably find a recipe that doesn't use butter and bread crumbs...but hey, it was a nice change.***

Ingredients:

12 white asparagus spears, peeled & trimmed to 6" lengths

Salt & fresh ground pepper

2 ounces butter

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Cook the asparagus for 10-12 minutes, until tender. Drain the asparagus and set aside.

In a large saute pan heat the butter. Add the breadcrumbs and saute until golden. Add the reserved asparagus and saute until well coated with browned butter and bread crumbs.

Sprinkle with parsley, season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Fresh Fig & Walnut Cookies

***These cookies are really unique. Not only are they made with fresh figs and walnuts, but their consistency is almost like bread. That's right...I guess you could call them a "bready" cookie. Is that even a word? I don't think so...hah.

If you saw my Fresh Fig & Walnut Bread post a little bit down the page, this recipe is almost like a cookie version! They are delightfully scrumptious! I only wish that figs were in season all year long. However, I do have 2 loaves of the Fig Bread waiting in the freezer for us whenever we get a craving for it one of these fall days.

The only negative about these cookies is that they don't keep very good after the first 2 days or so. They are definitely the best right out of the oven!***

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup fresh figs, peeled, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand up mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream sugar and shortening and add beaten egg. In a medium-sized bowl, sift dry ingredients. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, blending on low speed. Use a spatula to fold in figs and nuts. Drop by spoonfuls on greased sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container in the pantry for up to a week.

Source: Chef Mom

Grilled Pork Loin w/Apple-Cranberry Filling

UPDATE (9/29/08): I made this pork loin again a few days ago for a dinner party. However, this time I baked it in the oven instead of cooking it on the grill. I much preferred it in the oven, and it got rave reviews! The outside was more tender, and it was more moist overall. Just bake it at 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours...or until instant read thermometer reads 145 - 150 degrees.

***Okay ladies and gentlemen, I've officially found my favorite way to prepare a pork loin. This dish was a.m.a.z.i.n.g....and it didn't just taste good, but it made my entire house smell of sweet apples, cranberries, cinnamon, fresh ginger and apple cider...oh my goodness. It was like Yankee Candle good...lol.

This would no doubt be the perfect holiday dish...or just the perfect way to welcome the fall season. I'm so happy that there are left-overs sitting in my fridge right now. The fact that its grilled makes this one even better.

This recipe made its way to me via iTunes of all places. I subscribe to the Cooks Illustrated Podcast, and this is the most recent video. HERE is a link to some very helpful notes for this recipe.

Did I mention that I loved this dish? LOL.***

From Cooks Illustrated:

"This recipe is best prepared with a loin that is 7 to 8 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide. To make cutting the pork easier, freeze it for 30 minutes. If mustard seeds are unavailable, stir an equal amount of whole-grain mustard into the filling after the apples have been processed. The pork loin can be stuffed and tied a day ahead of time, but don't season the exterior until you are ready to grill."

INGREDIENTS:
Filling
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1 large shallot , halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise (about 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups dried apples (packed), 4 ounces
1/2 cup dried cranberries (packed), 2 1/2 ounces
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds (see note above)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pork Loin
2 cups wood chips
2 1/2 pound boneless center-cut pork loin roast (see note above)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for cooking grate

DIRECTIONS:

1. FOR THE FILLING: Bring all ingredients to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are very soft, about 20 minutes. Push mixture through fine-mesh strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Return liquid to saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes; reserve glaze. Meanwhile, pulse apple mixture in food processor until uniformly coarsely chopped, about fifteen 1-second pulses. Transfer filling to bowl and refrigerate while preparing pork.

2. FOR THE PORK: Soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut meat to even 1/2-inch thickness. Season inside liberally with salt and spread apple filling in even layer, leaving 1/2-inch border. Roll tightly and tie with twine at 1-inch intervals. Season exterior liberally with salt and pepper.

3.Drain chips and place in small disposable aluminum pan. About 20 minutes before grilling, place pan with chips on primary burner (burner that will remain on during cooking); position cooking grate over burners. Turn all burners to high and heat with lid down for 15 minutes. Scrape and oil grate. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s). Place roast, fat-side up, on side opposite primary burner.

4. Grill-roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast registers 130 to 135 degrees, 55 to 70 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking time. Brush roast with half of reserved glaze; flip and brush with remaining glaze. (You may need to reheat glaze briefly to make spreadable.) Continue to cook until glaze is glossy and sticky, about 5 minutes longer.

5. Transfer roast to cutting board, loosely tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. (Internal temperature should rise to about 145 degrees.) Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, removing twine as you cut. Serve immediately.

Source: www.cooksillustrated.com/podcast