Skirt Steak (Sous Vide) Style

Subtitle: Don't Skirt this Spanish Style Steak Recipe

TheITGourmet is branching out and adding a new cooking method to his repertoire - Sous Vide cooking. I have to admit that I've had a sous vide cooker for more than a year, but I had't used it very much until recently. Why??? Well, during the early days of COVID, buying protein from the store became harder and I didn't think it was wise to be experimenting with a new cooking device and technique and perhaps be wasting food. So sorry I didn't start using it sooner.

Traditionally, I made this recipe by marinating the steak and then moving it to the grill to sear and cook (which by the way, if you don't have a sous vide, you can still do). Wow though, what a difference the sous vide makes. By the way, although this recipe is something that we traditionally make as a Spanish tapas style appetizer, you can skip the crostini and assembly as an appetizer and just make this as a steak dish (like we are doing tonight at our home).

Ingredients (Steak Marinade)

• 1/8 cup olive oil

• 1/8 cup canola oil

• 1/4 cup vinegar (red wine, white wine, cider, or white - pretty much any vinegar you'd like - but not balsamic)

• 1/8 cup water

• 1-2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 2 teaspoons piment d'Espelette (you can substitute red chili pepper flakes, but I would turn the heat down to about 3/4 of a teaspoon though)

• 2 teaspoons ground mustard

• 2 teaspoons adobo powder

• 2 teaspoons onion powder

• 3 heavy pinches of herbes de provence

• 1 - 2 teaspoon meat tenderizer

• 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

• salt

• 1-1/2 lbs flank steak or skirt steak

Tapas Assembly Ingredients

• small jar of roasted red bell peppers jar or roast 1 red pepper

• goat cheese

• fig jam or your choice of jam / chutney

• 1 - 2 baguettes

Steps (to marinate)

• In a glass bowl or measuring cup, mix together all of the steak marinade ingredients making sure to whisk thoroughly.

• Slice the steak in 4 - 5 inch pieces - it makes it easier to handle (flank steak generally comes folded by the butcher when you buy it).

• In a gallon ZipLoc (tm) freezer bag, add the steak, 2/3 of the marinade. Seal the bag trying to get as much of the air out as possible. Place in refrigerate to marinate for 6 - 8 hours (or up to overnight - I suggest marinating overnight if possible).

Steps (to cook)

• To cook the flank steak, get rid of as much of the air out of the bag as possible - you can either use the water immersion method (look up this technique on a sous vide cooking site) or with a vacuum sealer.

• Let your steak come up to room temperature (about 30 - 45 minutes) and place the sealed bag of steak into your immersion vessel water bath.

• Set your sous vide cooker to 131 degrees fahrenheit.

• When your sous vide water comes up to temperature, set an alarm for 90 minutes. NOTE: When you have about 15 minutes of cooking time left go and heat your grill to high heat and let it come up to temperature (you will want it to be about 500 - 550 degrees Fahrenheit). You can also cook this steak inside on a grill pan or cast iron skillet, but I think the flames impart a better flavor in the steak).

• Cook in the sous vide for 90 minutes. Remove the steak from the sealed bag and place onto a platter.

• Lightly pat the meat dry and grill, turning once, 1 minutes and thirty seconds per side medium-rare. Use the reserved marinade to brush over the steak on each side (both when you start cooking and when you do the flip).

• Drizzle the steak lightly with your best olive. Let steak rest before slicing.

• Thinly slice the steak against the grain. IMPORTANT NOTE: Resist the urge to gobble up the steak when you are slicing (if you are making this as a main course - go ahead and get this to the table and watch your guests and family to eat it all up and ask for seconds).

Steps (to assemble if making as a tapas appetizer)

• Toast the sliced baguettes lightly golden brown in the oven.

• Top each slice with a little bit of goat cheese, steak, a couple of red bell pepper slices, and a small dollop of fig jam (apricot, cherry, or onion jam or orange marmalade also work well with with this recipe.

Other Notes:

Experiment with other types of steak with this recipe. We have also tried it with flank steak, sirloin, and filet.

As Always,

Best Regards and BonAppettIT

TheITGourmet

Blackened Fish Tacos

So... A few weeks ago, TheITGourmet started Noom! I've heard a LOT of great things about peoples' experiences with it and so far I'm loving it. It's starting to make an impact - so please join me in the journey - it's going to be a fun ride! AND... It's given me a reason to start a new category of recipes on TheITGourmet blog.

Ingredients (for Fish)

• Paprika

• Smoked paprika

• Lawry's Pepper Blend

• Oregano

• Garlic powder

• Onion powder

• Salt

• Black pepper

• Fish Fillet (boneless) - choose your favorite, flaky, white fleshed fish - what I generally use include Barramundi, Cod, Orange Roughy, Scrod, Snapper, etc. We usually split a 5 - 6oz for two persons

• Corn Tortillas (4)

• Spicy Crema (see recipe below)

• Chopped Tomato

• Slaw Mix (no dressing) - use your favorite cabbage or broccoli slaw blend

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• There is NO oil used in the making of this recipe

Steps (for Blackening Seasoning)

1. Combine any quantity / combination of paprika, smoked paprika, Lawry's pepper blend, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper that you desire - taste it with your tongue and adjust accordingly. Please note there is no sugar in this seasoning mixture (except for perhaps a minute amount in the Lawry's pepper blend.

Steps (for Fish)

1. Place your cast iron skillet on High Heat and turn on your stoves exhaust fan - you will want and need the pan REALLY, REALLY hot for this dish and it will smoke - After all - it's Blackened - duh!!!!

2. Liberally coat both sides of the fish with the blackening seasoning blend (see picture below for a rough idea).

3. When the pan is hot, carefully place the fish onto the pan - it should really start to sizzle. The key to the blackening process is to make sure the pan is HOT HOT HOT. Another advantage to high heat is the spices form a quick crust that helps to keep the cooking fish from sticking to the pan.

4. Cook the fish for 3 - 5 minutes per side until the fish is cooked thoroughly - it should be moist and not dry in the middle. Cooking times may need to be adjusted based upon the type of fish and the thickness of the fillet.

5. Remove from pan and let rest for 2 minutes.

6. Roughly chop / flake the fish.

Ingredients and Steps (for Spicy Crema)

1. Combine 4 Tablespoons of Light Sour Cream with about 1 - 2 Teaspoons of your favorite red pepper hot sauce (we like Chalula or Louisiana Crystal) together. Add or subtract Hot Sauce to taste.

2. Season slightly with onion powder and garlic powder.

Assembly (for Fish Tacos)

1. Slightly warm the corn tortillas (we use a microwave)

2. Place the flaked fish, slaw mix, chopped tomatoes in a mound on the middle of the tortillas.

3. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of the Crema on top of each taco

4. Shake a bit of hot sauce onto each taco

Best Regards and As Always BonAppetIT!!!

TheITGourmet

Matzoh Brei (Cabelly Family Variation)

When it comes to Passover breakfast items, sometimes things can be a little monotonous - eggs, eggs, and more eggs. Oh, and we can’t forget matzoh - matzoh plain, matzoh with butter, matzoh with cream cheese, and matzoh with jelly. Okay, okay - Bubba Gumpowitz - I know, you get the idea already - get on with it!

In our family, there was one Passover breakfast item that combined these two basic ingredients together that was a special treat - especially on a weekend. What makes the Cabelly family marriage of these ingredients different? Well, we make a savory version of this classic recipe - and in our case - instant onion soup mix? Skeptical? Give it a try and give us your feedback.

I’m going to give you a “smaller” portion recipe, but if you are really feeling like something that will warm your belly in the morning and give you some fuel to attack the day, feel free to double it (except for the oil).

NOTE: For the record, this is a recipe that my wife Aileen married into - While she has been known to partake, she actually prefers a less savory version - to make her favorite version, substitute the onion soup with salt and pepper (to taste).

Ingredients

• 1 Egg (Scrambled thoroughly)

• Matzoh - one sheet - carefully run under VERY hot water until somewhat softened and broken into 1/4” pieces.

• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons Instant Onion Soup Mix (I like Osem, but you can also use Lipton, or Goodman’s) - make sure to you Kosher for Passover during Pesach

• 1 teaspoon oil (I use Cottonseed oil during Passover, but Canola during the rest of the year - yes we eat this all year round)

• 1 - 2 Additional teaspoons oil (for frying)

• Condiments - your favorite jelly (which is the standard in our home), maple syrup, powdered sugar, sour cream (yes - sour cream - haven’t you ever had sour cream & onion flavored foods?), or just plain!

Directions

As mentioned above, scramble your egg and soften / break up your matzoh and combine into a bowl. Add the instant onion soup mix, and 1 tablespoon of the oil and mix thoroughly. I generally leave this to sit aside for a few minutes so the soup to dissolve and the flavors to combine and be absorbed by the matzoh and for the matzoh to continue to soften.

In a small pan over low heat add the 1 - 2 teaspoons of oil and have the pan come up to temperature (the oil will be slightly shimmering) - I use a small well seasoned cast iron skillet. NOTE: If you don’t have one? get one - seriously, you will love it. If you must, use your favorite skillet / saute pan that you use for making eggs.

When the pan is up to temperature, add the matzoh, egg, soup mixture and shape the “soon to be” matzoh brei into the shape of a large pancake - about 1/4” to 3/8” thick. Because the mixture is pretty thick it will let you easily form it into a circle (see picture above).

Let the matzoh brei cook - don’t play with leave it alone uncovered until it is ready to flip (you will know its ready because it will have released from the pan and the oil will be frothing around the frying pancake - again, please refer to the picture above). Flip the brei and cook on the 2nd side (see the picture above for a nice golden brown color).

I personally love mine topped with my favorite jelly / jams, but see the ingredients list for those other popular toppings.

As Always Best Regards and BonAppetIT!

TheITGourmet