Steak Picado

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Let's make some Mexican food! 

This dish was born out of picking what looked good in the market that day.  Walking by the meat counter I spotted some beef cut up for Steak Picado.  An easy stew-like Mexican Dish that is delicious and flavorful!  It sounded good and I've never made it so let's try something new!

I picked up some onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeno from the produce section and set off for home.  Time to get out your cast iron skillet!  I love cooking with it as the heat retention is just what this dish calls for.  I use this one.

The recipe I chose calls for Roma tomatoes, but I just used a can of diced tomatoes and it turned out just fine.  The dish is also filled with great spices that give it that unmistakable Mexican flavor I love and crave.  

The dish takes about 1 hour to cook so it might be best as a great Sunday dinner!  The beef is a round steak or thin cut sirloin that has been cut into small bite sized pieces.  First it's stir fried in a skillet, then you do the same with the veggies, then the whole thing is simmered or braised in water for about 40 minutes to tenderize the beef and meld it all together.

Boy is this dish good!  Similar to a stew, you can serve this along side a rice dish such as my Confetti Rice and some tortillas.  They are the perfect vehicles to sop up all the juiciness!

Enjoy!





Steak Picado 


Serves 4
Time:  about 1 hour

1 to 1 1/2 lbs of steak (thin sliced sirloin, or round steak)
2 Tbls canola oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced into 1-inch pieces
2 jalapenos, minced
2 Tbls chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried cilantro or coriander
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
Up to 2 cups water (see directions)

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the beef and cook until just browned.  Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Meat will not be cooked all the way through at this point.  

Add oil to the skillet and heat about 1 minutes.  Add the onions and cook until they are translucent about 3-4 minutes.  Add in the garlic, tomatoes (and juice), bell peppers, and jalapeno.  Add the beef back to the skillet and all the seasonings.  Stir to combine.

Add the water slowly to barely cover the beef and vegetable mixture; you may not need all two cups, depending on the size of the skillet.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Lower the heat to medium low (simmer) and cover with a lid.  Cook about 40 minutes stirring occasionally.  (Note: you don't want the water to evaporate, it should be juicy. If you see that it is, reduce the heat a little and add a touch more water.)  

Serve with a side of Confetti Rice and tortillas.


adapted from Quick and Easy Steak Picado

Blackberry Jalapeno Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Vegetables

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Let's amp up your game for this grilling season!

BIG, BOLD flavors is what it's all about.  So I turned to the master of flavors that are "off the hook!" Guy Fieri and searched for the perfect recipe to present to you today.

BLACKBERRY JALAPENO GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN 

THIS is the recipe of the SUMMER!!!  If you make only one new grilled dish this summer make this one.  Otherwise you will be missing out on a dish that totally knock your socks off.  This spicy sweet Blackberry Jalapeno glaze covers a juicy grilled pork tenderloin that elevates this dish to outstanding!

I modified his recipe just a bit.  He brines his pork tenderloin first.  Since I think that a pork tenderloin is tender and juicy as it is I skipped that part.  Plus it made this quicker to prepare and it came out fantastic without the brine.  

The sauce really is the kicker to this dish.  Something this bold needs to have a great side dish that compliments it without overpowering it.  Roasted vegetables are the perfect side dish for that.  I chose multi-colored carrots of yellow and orange, along with fresh green beans, and cauliflower.  (MGG loves his cauliflower!)  Roasting is easy to do so this side dish basically takes care of itself while you grill the pork.

This dish is outrageously good!  Try it at your next opportunity and double it if you want to invite friends over.  Great for Father's Day or any celebration, or just a weekend cookout.  You will be the envy of the crowd, and the new master griller in town!

Enjoy!

Blackberry Jalapeno Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Vegetables


Pork:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, silver skin removed

Blackberry Jalapeno Glaze:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 to 2 roasted jalapenos, seeded, minced

1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup seedless blackberry preserves
1 1/4 cup wine, preferably Merlot
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Vegetables:

1 head cauliflower
1 small bunch of multi-colored carrots
1/2 lb fresh green beans

Make the Blackberry Jalapeno Glaze:
Add the butter to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the jalapenos and garlic and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the blackberry preserves and 1 cup wine and combine well. Simmer until reduced by half. Add the cornstarch to the remaining 1/4 cup red wine in a small bowl and mix well. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes more. Keep the glaze warm until serving.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Prepare the vegetables by cutting the stalk off of the cauliflower and cut into florets. Place on a sheet pan along with the carrots. Make sure not to overlap. Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and flip the vegetables and add the green beans. Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes until caramelized.

Meanwhile preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.

Add the pork tenderloin to the grill and cook for 6 minutes on each side, browning evenly and the internal temperature registers 135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. At this point, evenly spread 1/4 cup of the glaze over the pork. Cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pork from heat to a cutting board and keep it warm tented with aluminum foil. Temperature should be around 155 to 160 degrees.

Slice the pork, arrange the slices on a serving platter and serve with remaining warm glaze and roasted vegetables.

adapted from Guy Fieri's Blackberry Jalapeno Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Attention-Grabbing Jalapeno Mushroom Sliders

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Memorial Day is around the corner and it's time to "Spice Up" your Sliders!

Memorial Day always marks the unofficial start of summer which goes hand in hand with grilling.  Since the weather here has been warm enough to grill for a month or so we've already started making great dishes on the grill, but no matter what we always have a cook-out for Memorial Day.

This year we aren't just making any ole' sliders.  Nope!  We are going to "Spice Up" our palate and our lives with a little add-in to the burgers.  We decided to add sautéed jalapenos and mushrooms to the mix to create one irresistibly juicy, and flavorful slider!

ATTENTION-GRABBING JALAPENO MUSHROOM SLIDERS

This is my riff on my favorite burger, the mushroom Swiss burger with a spicy twist.  The mushrooms and jalapeno are sautéed and added to the meat mixture instead of being used as toppings.  This is a lot easier to control than having them sit on top of a small slider.  This created a wonderfully juicy and tasty burger!

They take a little prep work but the end result is an Attention-Grabbing Jalapeno Mushroom Slider!  They are only mildly spicy but you can adjust that to your liking by adding more or less diced jalapeno.  Additionally, the cheese is optional.  We added cheese to about half of our burgers and left the other plain.  Serve with your favorite fixings, and possibly a spicy burger sauce and you are set for a sizzling main dish!

Enjoy!




Attention-Grabbing Jalapeno Mushroom Sliders

makes 12

1 lb ground sirloin (10%)
8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 Tbls olive oil
Kosher salt
2 jalapenos, finely diced
salt and pepper
Swiss cheese (optional)
12 slider buns, split and buttered


Preheat a gas or charcoal grill, or they may be grilled indoors on a grill pan.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and mushrooms.  Cook mushrooms 3-4 minutes until they start to get tender.  Sprinkle salt over the mushrooms and they will release their moisture and start to turn a golden brown.  Cook an additional 3-4 minutes until golden and remove from the skillet to a cutting board. 

Add the diced jalapeno to the skillet and cook about 3 minutes until softened.  Watch them while cooking as they can burn easily and may pop up on the pan while cooking.

Cut the mushrooms into small pieces and add to a large bowl.  Add the sautéed jalapeno to the bowl as well.  Sprinkle the ground sirloin over the veggies in the bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to season.  Mix until well combined but don't overwork the meat.  Form 12 equal patties and place them on a platter.

Grill patties 3-4 minutes per side for well done patties.  If you are adding cheese, add it to the patties once your flip the burger to the second side.  Add buttered buns to the grill to toast.  Remove patties and buns to a platter.  Serve with condiments and fixings of your choice.