Week of September 6th

Grilled Steak with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Cook Time: total time 45 minutes | Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients:
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup (100 g) sugar
⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup fish sauce
2 Fresno chiles, thinly sliced
2–2½ lb. flank steak
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil (for grill)
¼ cup finely chopped salted, roasted peanuts
Mint leaves and/or thinly sliced scallions (for topping)

Directions:
Whisk together 3 garlic cloves, finely grated, ½ cup fresh lime juice, ½ cup (100 g) sugar, ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter, and ¼ cup fish sauce in a medium bowl until sugar is dissolved and dressing is smooth. Stir in 2 Fresno chiles, thinly sliced, and set aside.
Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pot, pound 2–2½ lb. flank steak to an even ½" thick. Using a large fork, prick meat all over on both sides. Season with kosher salt. Place steak in a resealable plastic bag and add half of reserved dressing. Cover and chill remaining dressing until ready to serve. Close bag and let steak chill at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
Prepare a grill for high heat; oil grate with vegetable oil. Grill steak, turning halfway through to create char marks on both sides, until medium-rare (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part should register 125°), 8–10 minutes. (Flank steak can be rather thin, so getting a good read from a thermometer can be tricky. As a backup, poke it with your finger; it should feel as firm as your palm.) Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
Cut steak in half lengthwise, then slice against the grain as thinly as possible. Arrange on a rimmed platter; pour reserved dressing over. Top with ¼ cup finely chopped salted, roasted peanuts and mint leaves and/or thinly sliced scallions.

I beat at the flank steak for 5 or so minutes with a pot and maybe got it a little thinner, but IDK. I wouldn't get too caught up in that step. But def. start the marinade in the AM. Other than that, this was killer. We served this with Costco frozen/baked french fries for a "steak frites" vibe, and I have to say that Costco pretty much nailed it with whatever french fry treatment they have going on.

Tomato Risotto
Cook Time: 30 minutes | Servings: Yield 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
Salt and pepper
1 ½ cups arborio or carnaroli rice
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves
½ cup white wine
2 cups diced ripe red tomatoes
3 cups boiling water or vegetable broth
½ cup grated pecorino or Parmesan, plus more for serving
4 medium tomatoes, in different colors, sliced
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Snipped basil, for garnish

Directions:
Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the onion, and season generously with salt. Add pepper to taste, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the rice and cook the onions, stirring, until the onions are barely brown, about 2 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes, garlic, white wine and diced tomatoes, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes more.
Add 2 cups boiling water and adjust the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring well with a wooden spoon every minute or so.
When the liquid is absorbed, add remaining 1 cup water and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until the rice is cooked, but the grains are still firm. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding another splash of water if necessary to loosen the mixture. Turn off the heat, stir in the pecorino and 2 more tablespoons olive oil.
Transfer to a low, wide serving bowl. Surround the rice with tomato slices and season them with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and basil. Pass more grated cheese at the table.

I have made a fair amount of risottos in my day, and I think I can say with authority that you do not need to pre-boil the broth or water before you put it in. If you use broth, get unsalted. This can turn into a salt bomb if you're not careful.

Skillet Chicken Thighs with Brown Butter Corn

Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (from 1 to 2 ears; see Tip)
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
Lime wedges, for serving
2 scallions, thinly sliced, for serving

Directions:
Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. Rub garlic and thyme on chicken, and set aside while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter, letting butter melt. Add chicken and sear, undisturbed, until browned on both sides, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.
Over medium heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the foam subsides and it smells nutty and toasty, 2 to 3 minutes. (Watch carefully to see that it doesn’t burn.) Add corn and a big pinch of salt and black pepper. Sauté until tender and golden brown, 2 minutes.
Add chicken back to the skillet. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through and corn is caramelized, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and taste corn, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in basil and squeeze 2 lime wedges over the top. Serve garnished with sliced scallions and more lime wedges.

Winner, winner. Not really a big "corn as part of the entree" guy because it can be cloyingly sweet, but this worked- I think mostly because of the lime juice.

Berbere Meatballs

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 24 meatballs

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup finely diced white onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon berbere spice mix
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and shape into 24 meatballs, arranging them on the sheet pan. (Meatballs can be frozen raw and kept in the freezer for several months. If cooking frozen meatballs, bake from frozen for about 20 minutes, until cooked through.)
Once the oven has preheated, bake the meatballs for 15 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and browned on both sides, flipping the meatballs after the first 10 minutes. Serve with rice or salad, or in flatbread as a wrap.

This appears to be a re-packaging of an ancient recipe I have from the WSJ weekend section from the early 2000's (this sentence perhaps reveals way too much about me than I want), and includes a weird spice. Normally I would follow this recipe up with a couple more meals that use berbere spice mix, but you are on your own here. God speed. I make this kind of thing with muufo to really lean into the African vibe, but rice would be OK too. You could sauce it up with a a little yogurt/lemon juice/salt.

Chile Tofu

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Servings: Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
½ cup cornstarch
Sea salt and black pepper
16 ounces extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons neutral oil such as vegetable or avocado, divided
1 red or yellow onion, halved and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ to 1 jalapeño, trimmed and thinly sliced (remove seeds for less heat)
1 bell pepper (any color), core removed and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 head (10-ounces) broccoli, trimmed and cut into small, bite-sized florets
2 scallions, thinly sliced
White rice, to serve
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sriracha (or other chile sauce such as sambal oelek)
1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:
Scatter ½ cup cornstarch onto a large plate or tray, season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a big pinch of black pepper and stir to combine. Add the tofu cubes and toss until coated on all sides.
Heat a large (12-inch) well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet on medium-high until hot. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of oil (enough to cover the base of the pan) and heat until the oil is hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tofu and pan fry on each side until crispy, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Once all sides are golden, transfer the tofu to a plate.
Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, add the soy sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar, sriracha and sugar and stir to combine. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and ⅓ cup of water and whisk until the cornstarch is completely mixed in and the sauce is lump free.
Place the skillet back over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the onion, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño and toss constantly until the onions have begun to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and broccoli, season with 1 teaspoon of salt and stir fry just until the vegetables are crisp tender (or to your liking), 4 to 6 minutes. Give the sauce a quick stir and then add it to the vegetables and toss for just 20 to 30 seconds, until it has thickened up. Add the tofu and toss until it is coated in the sauce and remove from heat immediately.
To serve, top with scallions and eat with rice.

Another generic tofu stir fry thing from NYT. The ketchup based sauce is kind of new, so there is that....