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Steak Verde with Crisp Pepper-Fried Onion Shreds
Here is one more showcase for the food that made Texas
famous. The slow heat and richness of the meat are
sharpened by the spicy onions. Tiny potatoes roasted with
rosemary are all you need to complete the menu. The
roasted poblano chilies called for can be found in the
Mexican food section of a well-stocked supermarket, or see
below to roast fresh ones.
Makes 10 servings
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2 large sweet onions, such as Texas 1015 Supersweet or
Vidalia
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2 cups buttermilk
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1 cup flour
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3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
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1 teaspoon paprika
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1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
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1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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Big pinch freshly ground pepper
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1 tablespoon chili powder
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Salt to taste
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1 whole beef filet, 4 to5 pounds, trimmed of all fat and
sinew
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Coarsely cracked peppercorns
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1/4 cup olive oil or 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted
butter
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1/4 to 1/2 cup roasted garlic, mashed (about 2 heads,
see Notes)
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1 red onion, thinly sliced
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3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño
pepper
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2 cups chopped roasted green poblano chilies (see Notes)
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2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
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2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
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Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Using a mandoline or a food processor fitted with a fine
slicing blade, finely slice the sweet onions. Separate
them into rings and place them in a medium bowl. Pour in
the buttermilk and set aside for 1 hour. Combine all the
following ingredients, up to the beef, in a plastic bag
and shake to combine well. Set the bag aside until needed.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Season the beef with the
peppercorns to taste, rubbing them over the surface. Place
a large, heavy frying pan or sauté pan over medium-high
heat and add the oil to warm. Place the filet in the pan
and brown it evenly, turning. Remove to a platter to cool
slightly.
Using a small sharp knife, make 6 cuts crosswise about
1-1/2 inches deep every 2 inches along the length of the
filet. Line each cut with equal amounts of the mashed
roasted garlic. Push half the red onion, cheese, chilies,
rosemary, and oregano into each cut.
Place the filet on a rack in a roasting pan and place it
in the oven. Immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees.
Roast the meat until it is done to your taste – about 30
minutes for rare, or to 125 degrees on an instant-read
thermometer.
Preheat the broiler.
Remove the meat from the oven and top it with the
remaining red onion slices, cheese, chilies, rosemary, and
oregano. Place the meat under the broiler until the cheese
melts, just a few minutes. Remove the meat from the
broiler, cover it loosely with aluminum foil, and let it
rest in a warm spot for 10 minutes.
Drain the onion rings in a colander. Place a deep-fryer or
saucepan over medium-high heat and pour in oil to a depth
of 2 inches. Heat to 365 degrees on a deep-fat
thermometer, or until a tiny bit of bread begins to brown
within moments of being dropped in the oil.
Working in batches, drop the onion shreds into the flour
mixture in the plastic bag, coating them and then shaking
off the excess. Drop the floured onions into the hot oil,
stirring until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the
onions with a slotted spoon and transfer them to paper
towels to drain briefly. Sprinkle the onions to taste with
salt.
Place the filet on a platter, surround it with the
crisp-fried onion shreds, and serve immediately.
Notes:
To roast garlic, place cloves on a griddle or
cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the skin is
charred. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 450 degrees,
wrap whole heads of garlic in heavy-duty foil and place
them in the oven. Roast until a clove is tender when
pierced with a cake taster or toothpick.
To roast peppers, place them over the flame or gas plate
on a stovetop. Turn the peppers as the skin chars, then,
once they are charred all over, place them in a plastic or
paper bag and close tightly. Remove the skins once the
peppers are cool enough to handle.
Recipe from
THE INTERNATIONAL MEAT BOOK
Edited by Carole Lalli (HarperCollins Publishers;
February 2005; $18.95/Hardcover; ISBN: 0-06-074283-6).
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