Hanger Steak with Gremolata

by writerredriSeptember 26, 2014

The below is a guest post from Yummy Supper written by Erin Scott.

Years ago, my French uncle, Jean Louis, turned us on to the delectable hanger steak, and we’ve been buying these beauties ever since. Hanger steak, sometimes called onglet, is a lesser known cut of beef, but butchers have long been hip to its great flavor and lovely marbling. It’s no surprise that you’ll sometimes find hanger steak referred to as “butcher’s steak.” A quick stint on the grill and a rub of brightly flavored gremolata make this steak an easy and flavorful weeknight dinner option.

Tip: If you can’t get hanger steak from your local butcher, a juicy rib eye is delicious grilled and topped with gremolata.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1-11/4 pounds hanger steak
Salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Remove the steak from the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. Season the meat generously with salt and let it come to room temp.

2. In a small bowl, toss together the parsley, lemon zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Give the ingredients a good stir, taste for seasoning, and you’ve got your gremolata ready to roll.

3. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Pat the steak dry and rub with olive oil. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes per side; you want hanger steak to be medium-rare, or it can get tough. Pull the steak off the grill and immediately season with another light sprinkling of salt and some freshly ground pepper.

4. Rub with the gremolata and let the steak rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice the steak thinly and against the grain.

“Like” this story if you’re loving this recipe as much as we are!

Juicy Burgers With Gruyere, Avocado & Pickled Onions

by Christal Y.September 9, 2014

The below is a guest post from Yummy Supper written by Erin Scott.

When I spend big bucks for high-quality beef, I don’t need to weigh my burger down with a bready bun. Yes, there are plenty of decent gluten-free hamburger buns, but we prefer to eat our burgers wrapped in crisp butter lettuce. When serving burgers this way, the meat takes center stage, just as it should. We often serve burgers with a side of Parsnip Crisps (page 71). And of course, you can add the condiments of your choice: Ketchup, mustard, and Sriracha mayo are favorites at our house.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
11⁄4 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (sharp Cheddar is also good)
1 avocado
1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated
1⁄2 cup Quick-Pickled Onions (page 82)

Method:
1. Let the meat come to room temperature for 30 minutes before forming the burger patties. Always keep in mind that the key to a tender burger is to very lightly handle your ground beef. Sprinkle the beef with salt and black pepper. Gently form four 1″-thick patties.

2. Prepare a grill for high-heat cooking. Grill the patties over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side. Flip and top with the grated cheese. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the second side for medium-rare burgers.

3. Let the cooked burgers rest for 5 minutes before serving.

4. Pit, peel, and thinly slice your avocado. At serving time, nestle each patty into a large leaf of butter lettuce. Top with avocado slices, pickled onions, and plenty of ground black pepper.

Eating burgers this way is a bit messy, but my gang doesn’t seem to mind an excuse to lick their fingers clean.

What do you think of this burger recipe?

The Intelligent Snack: Egg White Chips

by scott wardellApril 22, 2013

It’s not often that we think of snack food as being “intelligent,” but that’s exactly what Los Angeles-based snack company Intelligent Protein Snacks (IPS) thinks snack time should be. Sean Olson, founder of IPS, wanted to create a healthier snack that would provide his energetic kids with the essential proteins they needed to keep them fueled day in and day out. After noticing how much his kids liked eating the crispy edges of cooked eggs, Olson took high-quality egg whites, added corn and other ingredients, and using a high pressure air puffer, popped out the first batch of IPS Egg White Chips.

What makes IPS so great?
Egg whites truly are a super food, especially for growing kids. It’s a great source of protein as it contains all nine essential amino acids. These amino acids must be consumed through diet, as they are not created by the human body. And these aren’t your ordinary chips; egg white chips have less than half the fat of fried potato chips and fewer carbohydrates than other baked or popped chips.

More importantly, IPS Egg White Chips have that satisfying crunch that you simply can’t get enough of. They have just enough salt to satisfy our cravings without being overpowering, and are great for gluten-free snackers. Plus, each serving of egg white chips provides the same amount of protein as eating two regular egg whites.

IPS Egg White Chips come in a variety of delicious flavors, including Aged White Cheddar, Barbeque, Cinnamon Sugar, and Sea Salt & Black Pepper. The Barbeque and Sea Salt & Black Pepper were favorites of our taste testing crew.

Where to Buy
Currently, IPS Egg White Chips are sold in Southern California, but they promise they’ll soon be selling them online, so be sure to check out their website and become a fan of their Facebook page to stay up to date.

Grab a bag of IPS Egg White Chips and see what all the crunch is about.

What is your favorite flavor of IPS egg white chips?

–Scott Wardell

photos courtesy of IPS facebook page

Date Night: Best Red Wines of 2012

by scott wardellNovember 28, 2012

From Cabs to Syrah to, yes, even Merlots, these are the Best Red Wines in Washington state that this panel of experts think you should be drinking now. Our friends over at Seattle Magazine have scrounged up the top wines for 2012 and complied them into a list for your imbibing pleasure.

Merlot under $20
Winner: Columbia Crest H3 2009, Horse Heaven Hills, $15
Created to highlight the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, this lush Merlot (with 3 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 1 percent Malbec) has aromas of dust/minerality and dark cherries, with black pepper and chocolate-covered cherry lushness that Merlot drinkers love. Winemaker Juan Muñoz Oca aged this wine in mostly neutral French and American oak for a velvety texture. It’s hard to beat such a well-made Washington Merlot—in a state where there’s a lot of great Merlot—for the price. Paterson; 509.875.4227; columbiacrest.com

Nominees:
Blacksmith 2008, Columbia Valley, $18
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2009 Indian Wells Merlot, Columbia Valley, $18
Jones of Washington 2008 Estate Merlot, Wahluke Slope, $14.99

Merlot over $20
Winner: Abeja 2009, Columbia Valley, $38
Winemaker John Abbott calls this Merlot his “gentle giant.” And truly, it is a big wine, a product of the near-perfect 2009 vintage, which imparted luscious fruit of dark cherries and plums, with aromas of chocolate and espresso, along with earthiness and minerality and a backbone of tannins that help this Columbia Valley wine feel extremely balanced on the palate. The fruit is 100 percent Merlot, from Heather Hill, Abeja’s estate vineyard in the Mill Creek area of Walla Walla Valley, and Sagemoor’s Bacchus Vineyards on the banks of the Columbia River near Pasco in the Columbia Valley AVA. Abbott has a magic touch, and that, along with nature’s best work, makes this wine a true winner. Walla Walla (tasting room open seasonally to mailing-list members or overnight guests at its inn); 509.526.7400; abeja.net

Nominees:
Hestia Cellars 2009, Columbia Valley, $28
Pedestal 2008, Columbia Valley, $55
Soos Creek Wine Cellars 2008 Palisade, Columbia Valley, $24.99

Check out the complete list of must-try wines and their descriptions over at Seattle Magazine.

This is our weekly guest post from our friends at Seattle Magazine, which keeps readers on the pulse of restaurants, personalities, arts, entertainment and culture that reflect the tapestry of our dynamic landscape. We’ve teamed up for an exciting partnership to bring you a weekly dose of fantastic Date Night ideas throughout greater Seattle.

Got a Boozy Sweet Tooth? 5 Spiked Desserts

by scott wardellAugust 13, 2012

The ultimate dilemma: Your server asking “Would you like to see our dessert menu?” Even though you know foregoing dessert is an option, sometimes that after-dinner sweet tooth just aches for a little something something. So go ahead, sneak a peek at the menu. Because honestly, what’s better than dessert? How about dessert and drinks…together. The best of both worlds? We think so. Our friends at Seattle Magazine must agree, as they rounded up some great spots for spiked desserts to cap off a meal or an evening in a scrumptious manner. A.J. Rathbun writes:

Boozy Milkshakes, Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery
These are every adult’s dream. You get to feel like a kid and a grown up all at once. My pick is the Extra-Dark Salted Caramel with Espresso and Rye Whiskey milkshake garnished with vanilla sugar, but there are four to choose from and each is constructed with Bluebird handmade vanilla ice cream. And booze, naturally.

Strawberries and Grappa, Artusi
A summertime gardener’s treat (and if you’re an Italian gardener, a double treat), this flavor-packed ensemble macerates fresh strawberries in Italian-after-dinner staple grappa and then finishes it off with black pepper and lush cream. As a bonus, as it contains fresh fruit, you can convince yourself that this is really a healthy dessert.

Still need a fix? Check out Seattle’s other spiked desserts over at Seattle magazine.

This is our weekly guest post from our friends at Seattle Magazine, which keeps readers on the pulse of restaurants, personalities, arts, entertainment and culture that reflect the tapestry of our dynamic landscape. We’ve teamed up for an exciting partnership to bring you a weekly dose of fantastic Date Night ideas throughout greater Seattle.

Mozzarella and Tomato Salad

by Erin LemDecember 31, 2011

Even though it’s winter that doesn’t mean you and the fam can’t indulge in some oh-so-

delicious mozzarella and tomato salad. Even the regular grocery stores are now stocking heirloom tomatoes and if they don’t then feel free to substitute any old tomato for this kid-approved salad. This quick and easy recipe comes to us courtesy of Chef Brendan Collins, the executive chef and founder of Larry’s in Venice and Waterloo & City in Culver City, who knows not only all about fine dining, but what kids like to eat. His daughter, Saffy is a huge fan of this colorful and tasty salad.

Ingredients:
4 large ripe heirloom tomatoes such as pineapple or early girl tomatoes, slicedas thinly as your knife will allow you
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, fluer de sel or Maldon sea salt prefered
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 fresh basil leaves (very optional as green stuff usually gets the look)
2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar

Method:
1. Arrange the tomato and mozzarella slices on a plate, overlapping the slices and fanning them out like a deck of cards. I find it best to let my daughter help with this she does the mozzarella I do the tomato

2. Sprinkle with the sea salt and pepper. (Let them do the peppering, they for some reason find it extremely entertaining)

3. Drizzle with the oil and vinegar (same again let them help)

4. If you going to use the basil cut it as finely as possible for a better flavor explosion, just make sure to use a very sharp knife. (best not to let them help at this point!!)

If you’re interested in hearing more about Chef Collins including the food he can’t live without, what his family ate for dinner last night, and his daughter Saffy’s favorite things to munch on then click here for the full interview with the notable chef.

Chef Brendan Collins is the Executive Chef and founder of Larry’s Venice and Waterloo & City in Culver City. England-native Collins has worked in a variety of Michelin-starred establishments throughout London and Los Angeles during his acclaimed career. Chef Collins currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Eden Rountree Collins and their daughter Saffron Rose Collins.

ML Interest Tag: black-pepper

Hanger Steak with Gremolata

Related reads

Juicy Burgers With Gruyere, Avocado & Pickled Onions

Related reads

The Intelligent Snack: Egg White Chips

Related reads

Date Night: Best Red Wines of 2012

Related reads

Got a Boozy Sweet Tooth? 5 Spiked Desserts

Related reads

Mozzarella and Tomato Salad

Related reads