Chili Spiced Steak (for tacos or salad)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder (or regular chile powder)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (or chipotle chile pepper)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

In a large shallow bowl, mix the spices, salt, peppers, lime juice, and olive oil.  Place the flank steak in the marinade and flip several times to thoroughly coat the steak.  Cover with plastic wrap an allow to marinate for one hour at room temperature.

Preheat your grill to high temperature (700 degrees).  Cook the steak for 3-5 minutes per side (on my propane grill 3 minutes made for a rare-in-the-center steak).  Allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Cut the steak in smaller portions with the grain, 2-3 depending on length.  Rotate and cut thin strips against the grain.


Myrtle's Note:  I replaced the ancho chile powder with regular chili powder and the chipotle chili powder with chipotle chili pepper.  I also increased the cumin and coriander because I thought it needed a bit more.  And I changed the type and increased the amount of brown sugar to better balance all the other ingredients.  Finally, this is a recipe for skirt steak, but I made with flank steak.  Either steak will work well.

The original recipe contains a link to a cilantro cream sauce that looks tasty ... if you like cilantro, which I do not!

As for eating instructions, I had it as tacos, but think that the flavoring would also be tasty on a salad.  I tried to reduce the sauce, as I did for the recipe, but reducing it was a dismal failure, not even to be salvaged by mixing the sticky paste with sour cream.

For the record, having cooked both, I prefer flank steak to skirt steak.


Servings:  4-6


Adapted from:  http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/06/chili-spiced-skirt-steak-tacos.html

Beef with Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sliced sirloin steak
• 1 bag Archer Farms® sugar snap peas
• Peanut oil
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 1 large dollop Gourmet Gardens® minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 table spoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Miren® (or rice wine)
• 2 tablespoons Golden Mountain Sauce®
• Freshly ground black pepper 

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, pepper, cornstarch, and one-half teaspoon peanut oil into a slurry.   Slice your sirloin into very thin strips going against the grain and put them into the bowl.  Stir thoroughly and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the Golden Mountain Sauce, Miren, and balsamic vinegar for your stir-fry sauce and set aside.

Mince 3 large garlic cloves and set aside.

If you want, carefully cut off the tips of your sugar snap peas and set aside.

Start your rice.

Put a sauteuse pan on the stove and turn it to medium high heat.  When the pan is radiating heat, put in one tablespoon peanut oil and swirl around.  Dump in the minced garlic.  And begin cooking the beef.

Cook the beef in single layers.  Cook the strips for about 30 seconds per side.  [The way I did it was to lay out the pieces around the pan and then start flipping them once I have finished placing the last piece.]  Set the cooked beef on a plate and then cook the next batch until all the beef is cooked.  [It took me four batches to cook all the beef.]

The garlic will be all browned and the oil gone, so, first, add a large dollop of the minced ginger and swirl.  Then add the sugar snap peas and another half-tablespoon peanut oil and swirl and stir.

Finally, add the stir-fry sauce and beef to the pan.  Stir and allow the sauce to thicken before removing from the heat.

Serve over rice.


Myrtle's Note:  The original recipe is for beef and broccoli, but I wanted to use sugar snap peas.  Plus, I wanted some ginger, so I added that into the recipe.  Finally, the original recipe called for oyster sauce, but I always substitute Golden Mountain Sauce for any seafood sauce (oyster or fish sauce).


Yield:  4 servings

Adapted from:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/11/jadens-beef-with-broccoli/