As much as I love to cook, I do really enjoy going out and having a really good meal. With the economy in the state it is, this has become a more rare treat for us. Still, when there is a special occasion (in this case, Mr. Kat's birthday) a great restaurant meal is my favorite way to celebrate. Part of the fun is savoring the meal and trying to figure out how to re-create it at home. Tonight I will share with you a real success story... my version of Jacksonville's Taverna restaurant's skirt steak a la plancha, with patatas bravas, piperade, and chimichurri!
We actually headed out with the intention of going to our favorite sushi place. We hadn't been in months, and were really bummed when we pulled up to find it deserted, locked, lights out. Another victim of the wretched economy! Still, determined to have a really special meal, we headed up the road to San Marco, one of Jacksonville's many distinct neighborhoods. San Marco is known for pricey boutiques, attractive yuppie types, a wonderful town square, and a number of truly good restaurants. We parked the car and decided to stroll the main drag, look at some menus, and see what might strike our fancy. Thai? Sushi? Tapas?
"Hey, that place wasn't here last time," I said, pointing to the spot where Cafe Carmon used to be. "Taverna... Greek, maybe?" I wondered. "Let's have a look-see," said Mr. Kat. So... we came, we look-seed, and decided to stay. The menu looked great, a casual mix of Mediterranean small plates, great wines, simple yet intriguing entrees. We started with a plate of Manchego cheese, Serrano ham, and chorizo. It arrived on a rustic wood board, accompanied by almonds, olives, and fig paste. I selected a glass of 2006 Rivrey crianza, a delicious Rioja that I am still trying to find in wine shops. We nibbled and sipped as we carefully considered our choice of entrees. Being decidedly in a red-meat mood, I chose the skirt steak a la plancha (meaning grilled on a metal plate). One bite, and I knew I must replicate the meal!
It's not necessarily easy to try a dish once and then go home and make it yourself. In this case, teh Google helped... I looked up "piperade" and found tons of recipes, all slightly different. I went with this one, because it looked like it was very close to the pepper and onion sautee that accompanied the deliciously crisp and tender fingerling potatoes. The potatoes themselves would be a snap... simply find some nice fingerlings, cut them in half, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast in the convection oven. The steak itself? It was very simply seasoned, very likely just salt and pepper and a hit of olive oil. So that wasn't the tricky part either. The menu stated "chimichurri," and there was indeed a pungently herbal green pesto (cilantro and parsley) on the plate. But there was something else...
"Taste this... what do you taste?" I asked Mr. Kat, offering him a forkful of medium-rare steak with a sprinkling of green on it. He sniffed, took the morsel, and chewed thoughtfully. "That's not the chimichurri..." he mused, "or is it?" I told him no, that there was something else on the plate... "It's definitely parsley, and there's lemon in there, and garlic... I can see a few capers... but is that tarragon?" He stole another bite before agreeing that yes, that definitely tasted like tarragon! On the way home the word I'd been searching for leapt to my mind - "GREMOLATA!" I exclaimed triumphantly.
Gremolata is a very simple condiment typically served with osso buco, and often used to stir into a soup just before serving. It's simple: chopped parsley, minced garlic, and lemon zest. I decided on this recipe from Epicurious:
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 1 large garlic clove, minced
* 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh fresh lemon zest
but added about a teaspoon of minced tarragon, and stirred in about a tablespoon of capers. The aroma is amazing... I could smear this stuff on my neck and use it as perfume, it's that good!
So, on to the menu, the cooking, and the enjoying!!
Grilled sirloin, grilled chicken, fingerling potatoes with piperade, and green salad
My sister was staying overnight with us, and I decided to make this meal and get her input. I had about 3/4 lb of nice thick sirloin in the freezer and decided to use that instead of skirt steak. Since that wouldn't go too far for 3 hungry people, I decided to marinate a chicken breast in mojo and grill that as well. I seasoned the meat with a bit of olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Mr. Kat grilled the beef (medium rare) and chicken. Meanwhile, I'd made the chimichurri ahead of time:
Chimichurri sauce
1 bunch cilantro (leaves and stems)
1 bunch parsley
1 head of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
approx 1/4 cup vegetable oil
juice of 2 limes, or red wine vinegar
salt to taste
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until you have a smooth, bright-green pesto.
Sister Deb made a simple green salad while I washed and halved the fingerlings, tossed them with oil and salt, and popped them into the convection oven. About 30 minutes on 350 and they were crisp on the outside, golden, and tender on the inside. While the meat rested, I reheated the piperade (I'd made that ahead, too) and then tossed the potatoes with the pepper mixture. We were already oohing and ahhhing with the incredible smells in the kitchen, and couldn't wait to eat!
Mr. Kat helps himself to some gremolata
Sister Deb raved about the gremolata and chimichurri, and declared that she would make this same meal for a friend visiting her later in the week. We all agreed that this was a perfect summer meal, bursting with fresh green herbs and zesty citrus. I couldn't find the Rivrey, but a Santa Rita cabernet was a very nice accompaniment.
Cheers, friends! So... what's for dinner??