Mini Challenge Grilled New York Strip Steak With Tennessee Drunken Braised Brussels Sprouts And Bacon Hash And A Spicy Caribbean Citrus Cinnamon Chutney Recipes

PERFECTLY GRILLED STEAK

Steps:

• About 20 minutes before grilling, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let sit, covered, at room temperature.
• Heat your grill to high. Brush the steaks on both sides with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place the steaks on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue to grill 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (an internal temperature of 135 degrees F), 5 to 7 minutes for medium (140 degrees F) or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well (150 degrees F).
• Transfer the steaks to a cutting board or platter, tent loosely with foil and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

MARINATED GRILLED NEW YORK STRIP STEAKS

Steps:

• Mix all marinade ingredients together in a shallow glass baking dish.
• Pierce steaks on all sides with a fork and place in marinade.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Grill over high heat and cook to desired doneness.

NEW YORK STRIP STEAK WITH SPICY COFFEE RUB

Steps:

• Apply the olive oil to the entire steak and then sprinkle the rub onto the meat. Allow the flavors to develop for 2 hours.
• Heat coals on a grill. When the coals are hot, move them to one side of the grill. Sear the steak for 2 minutes on each side over the coals. Move the steak to the cool part of the grill and cook with the lid on for 20 minutes.
• Rest the steak for 10 minutes before slicing.

BOURBON STREET NEW YORK STRIP STEAK

Steps:

• Gently tenderize steaks with a meat mallet. With a sharp knife, lightly score the meat on one side diagonally. Place steaks in a casserole dish, scored side up, and pour bourbon over them. Rub the brown sugar evenly over each steak. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.
• Preheat grill to high heat, and lightly oil grate.
• Place the steaks on the hot grill, with the sugar side down. Let cook until sugar has caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes, then flip steaks, and finish cooking to desired doneness.

GRILLED NEW YORK STRIP STEAKS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, the brown sugar, coffee, garlic, chipotle powder, and red pepper flakes. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels, place them in a baking dish, and rub them all over with the olive oil. Rub the steaks on both sides with the spice mix, using it all. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to get into the meat.
• When ready to cook, heat enough charcoal to cover half of the grill (I fill a charcoal chimney 3/4 full). Pour a layer of hot coals on one side of the grill, leaving the other side empty.
• Cook the steaks on the hot side of the grill for exactly 2 minutes on one side, turn them over, and cook for exactly 2 minutes on the other side. Move the steaks to the cool side of the grill, put the lid on, check to be sure the vents are open, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into the middle of the steak registers between 115 and 120 degrees for medium rare and 120 and 125 degrees for medium. Transfer the steaks to a plate, cover the plate tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the foil after 15 minutes or the steaks will continue to cook. Slice the steaks, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot or warm.

GRILLED NEW YORK STRIP STEAK

Steps:

• Trim all excess fat off steaks to prevent flare ups.
• Preheat gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Approximatley 400 degrees.
• Place Steaks over direct heat for 1 1/2 minutes then turn 90 degrees -- do not turn the steaks over yet.
• After 1 1/2 minutes turn the steaks over and let cook for another 1 1/2 minutes, turn 90 degrees let cook for a final 1 1/2 minutes.
• Remove from grill, let rest for 3 to 5 minutes and serve.

GRILLED "PHILLY" NEW YORK STRIP STEAKS

Steps:

• Heat gas or charcoal grill. Sprinkle beef steaks with 3 teaspoons of the grill seasoning. In large bowl, mix bell peppers and onion with oil and remaining 1 teaspoon grill seasoning. Spoon vegetables into grill basket (grill "wok").
• Place steaks and grill basket on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning steaks once and stirring vegetables 2 or 3 times, until beef is desired doneness and vegetables are crisp-tender. Place cheese on steaks. Cover grill; cook about 1 minute longer or until cheese is melted.
• Place each steak on serving plate. Spoon vegetables over steaks.

MINI CHALLENGE: GRILLED NEW YORK STRIP STEAK WITH TENNESSEE DRUNKEN BRAISED BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND BACON HASH AND A SPICY CARIBBEAN CITRUS CINNAMON CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Heat a grill or grill pan to medium. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until the edges start to crisp up but not fully cooked. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate and drain. Reserve the bacon fat in the skillet.
• Meanwhile, in another skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add half the shallots and cook until translucent. Add the leeks, scallions, and Brussels sprouts. Cook until the vegetables begin to wilt and soften. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add about 6 ounces lager, so that half of this hash mixture is covered by liquid. Bring the hash to a simmer and reduce until almost all the liquid is gone. Add the bacon, 1 more tablespoon of butter and reduce the heat to low, cooking the bacon further, and stirring the hash occasionally.
• Smear about 1 tablespoon of butter on each steak, then season steaks with salt and pepper. Grill the steaks just to sear the outside, then place on a baking sheet or in a pan and cook in the oven until desired doneness. Remove from oven and let rest about 10 minutes before serving.
• Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, cook the orange, apple, mango, ginger and remaining shallot until they start to soften. Add the cinnamon, a few drops of the hot sauce, a splash of the lager and 1/2 teaspoon of the reserved bacon fat to the chutney. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chutney is all broken down.
• To the vegetable hash, add 1 or 2 more tablespoons butter, about 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat, and both the whole-grain and Dijon mustard and saute a few minutes more. Adjust seasoning, to taste.
• Remove hash from heat and divide it onto 2 plates. Cut each steak in half, widthwise, and place both halves, criss-crossed, on top of the hash. Spoon some of the chutney on the side of the plate and serve with chilled glasses of lager.

HOW TO MAKE STEAK

Steps:

• There are few faster, easier and more impressive ways to get dinner on the table than to sauté a juicy steak over a hot flame, then whisking together a sauce from the coppery drippings at the bottom of the pan. Although the technique for making pan sauce is used here with beef, it is easily adaptable to all sorts of meats, including pork, lamb, chicken, veal and even fish.A proper pan sauce begins with browning the meat. The pan needs to be hot enough to sear the meat and cause the Maillard reaction, which is the caramelizing of the amino acids and sugars in food. After the meat is cooked to taste, it is removed from the pan, leaving behind a seared-on layer of browned bits called the fond. The fond is culinary gold, containing an incredible savory character that forms the foundation of the sauce. To access that meaty flavor, the fond needs to be dissolved into a liquid; this is called deglazing the pan. Technically, any liquid can be used, and water and stock frequently are. But something alcoholic and acidic, such as wine, is better at extracting the flavors. A classic method of building a pan sauce, which we use here, is to develop the flavors in stages. First, brandy is used to deglaze the pan, then wine and stock are added and simmered down until syrupy. At the very end, butter is whisked into the pan to thicken the sauce, giving it a silky texture that helps it cling to the steak for serving. Other liquids can stand in for the brandy, wine and stock: fruit and vegetable juices, cream or milk, condiments like soy sauce and chile paste, vinegars and spirits. Once you've learned this adaptable technique, you will always be able to whisk up a fast and pungent pan sauce from whatever fond your pan has produced.
• Since the earliest bovines met the spears of our ancestors, steaks have been prepared pretty much the same way. The cuts were grilled over a fire to quickly sear what many consider to be the choicest, most tender part of the animal. (By contrast, think of the stewing, braising and roasting necessary for larger and tougher cuts.)Innovations in pans and the creation of the modern stove have changed things slightly, but the goal is the same, which is to brown the outside of the meat while preserving the juiciness of the middle. This can be done on green wooden sticks or hot rocks, over a grill, or in a metal or earthenware pan.But the sauce accompanying this steak has had a more varied history. And it's one that exemplifies the evolution of French cuisine over the centuries.The earliest European sauces, which date to ancient times, were distinct from the meat, fish or vegetables with which they were served, prepared separately and from their own set of ingredients. The reasons were medicinal, rather than for the sake of taste. Based on the theory of humorism, a sauce was meant to balance out the intrinsic qualities of other ingredients in the dish to create a harmonious and health-giving meal. Pork, which was considered to be inherently moist and cold, might be paired with spicy, acidic sauces, to counter any potential upset of humors in the person eating it. By the 17th century, a new French cuisine had begun to emerge. The focus shifted to enhancing the natural taste of foods rather than smothering them in spices and vinegars for purported health benefits. The ancestors of modern French sauces can be found in cookbooks from that era, in which herbs replaced spices, wine and stock eased the reliance on vinegar and verjus, and flour and butter roux, rather than bread crumbs, were used as thickeners. The practice of deglazing a pan of roasted meats to make the base for an elaborate sauce grew in popularity.Over time sauces became richer and more voluptuous, beaten with butter, eggs and flour to achieve a thick and satiny consistency. In the 1830s, Marie-Antoine Carême first wrote about four mother sauces: espagnole (a demi-glace-based brown sauce), velouté (a stock-based sauce thickened with roux), béchamel (a creamy milk-based sauce) and allemande (a velouté thickened with eggs and cream). Auguste Escoffier would later refine Carême's classification, demoting allemande to a subset of velouté and adding tomato sauce and hollandaise to the list.These mother sauces remained central in French kitchens until the birth of the nouvelle cuisine movement of the 1960s. As the country's top chefs worked to simplify the national cuisine, they moved away from heavy sauces. (One of the 10 commandments for the movement, laid out in a 1973 article by the pioneering restaurant critics Henri Gault and Christian Millau, "Vive la Nouvelle Cuisine Francaise": "You will eliminate rich sauces.") Rather than relying on roux as thickeners, French chefs turned to the lighter touch of lemon juice, butter and herbs.That approach lives on. Instead of deglazing a pan to use the resulting liquid in an intricate sauce, cooks now savor the mixture as a simple yet elegant sauce in its own right.Above, a depiction of a Paris provision shop in 1871, from The Illustrated London News.
• Stainless steel pan These are best for cooking pan sauces with a good dose of acidity; enamel-lined pans also work well. Carbon steel and cast iron pans are reactive and could discolor the sauce, though this isn't a deal breaker, so if that is all you've got, use it. But do avoid nonstick pans. Your drippings, upon which the sauce is built, won't brown nearly as well.Meat thermometer It is worthwhile to learn how to test your steak for doneness with your fingers, but it also helps to have a good meat thermometer. Digital thermometers will give you a more exact reading, and they usually work very quickly.Wirecutter, a product recommendations website owned by The New York Times Company, has guides to the best skillets and digital meat thermometers.
• You can use any cut of steak, either bone-in or boneless, to make this classic French bistro dish. Make sure to open a good bottle of red wine for the pan sauce, preferably one that you're happy to finish off with dinner.
• There's more to searing a steak than a hot pan and a good piece of meat, though that is the right place to start. And learning how to use the drippings for a fast pan sauce will help you make the most out of every meal, whether you're cooking steaks, chops, fish or chicken.The French butcher the cow differently from the English and Americans. They divide tough and tender meats, creating high-quality cuts like fillets from the sirloin region (chateaubriand being the thickest, then tournedos, faux filet and the thinnest, filet mignon) and entrecôte from the fore rib region. One of the most desired French cuts is the onglet (hanger steak), cut just below the sirloin region. This said, you can use any good steak in this recipe, either a boneless or bone-in cut. Boneless cuts take less time to cook, so start checking them for doneness before you'd check bone-in meat. Filet mignon, cut from the tenderloin, will give you the softest and most tender meat, but has less fat (and less flavor) than other cuts. Rib-eye and other sirloin cuts are a little chewier, but have a deeper, beefier flavor. You could also use a thinner steak (hanger, strip, flank), but watch them closely so they don't overcook.• You need some fat on your steak. Look for marbling. Fat equals flavor, both for the meat itself and also for the pan sauce.• Seasoning the steak at least 15 minutes before cooking (and up to 24 hours if you keep it in the refrigerator) gives the meat time to absorb the salt evenly. If you season it several hours in advance, you can press herbs and-or minced garlic all over the surface of the steak, then wipe it off just before cooking so nothing burns.• Cooking steak in butter gives the meat excellent flavor. But since butter can burn, it is often combined with a little grapeseed oil, which raises its smoking point. Or you can use all oil if you prefer. Clarified butter and ghee also work well.• For optimal browning, which results in a flavorful pan sauce, get your skillet very hot before adding the meat, letting it heat for at least 3 to 5 minutes. A drop of water should immediately sizzle when flicked into the pan.• The timing of your steak depends on the skillet, your stove and the temperature of the meat when it hits the pan. For rare steak, cook to 120 degrees; medium-rare is 130 degrees. Learn how meat cooked to those temperatures feels when you tap its surface with your fingers, and then use that to guide you in future cooking. For medium-rare, the meat should offer some resistance but not feel firm, which indicates a well-done steak. Rare meat is a bit softer.• Rest your steaks before slicing them. Put the meat on a cutting board and tent with foil. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. This helps the meat reabsorb the juices and will also raise the temperature slightly. Do this every time you cook steak; it's always a good idea to keep those juices.• You must cook the steaks and the sauce in immediate succession, and just before serving. Once you start this recipe, there isn't much waiting around. If you're making this for a dinner party, do not start cooking the steaks until all your guests arrive.• The alcohol in wine and brandy helps dissolve and release the pan drippings, extracting their flavor. While you can also deglaze a pan with stock or water, it won't be as intensely flavorful. Much of the alcohol cooks off as the sauce simmers.• To quickly cook off much of the alcohol in the brandy, light it with a long match or igniter. Just make sure to step back before you do. The flame should die down in a few seconds. If you really don't want to set the alcohol on fire, you can simmer it down for a few minutes instead.• Letting the liquids in your pan simmer until they are thick and syrupy is central to getting a silky sauce. Be sure to let them reduce before whisking in the butter and any herbs.• If at any point your sauce separates and you can't seem to whisk it together into a smooth, emulsified liquid, scrape it into a blender and whirl it for a few seconds. That should fix it.
• A pan sauce is easy to make, but it does require last-minute attention. Here are three sauces than can be prepared ahead of time and go deliciously with the seared steak above. Like hollandaise sauce, one of the mother sauces of French cuisine, Béarnaise is based on an emulsion of butter and egg yolks. It is seasoned with vinegar, tarragon and shallots for a savory edge. To make it: Melt 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter; set aside. In a heavy-bottomed, nonreactive skillet, combine 3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar, 1/4 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth, 1 tablespoon minced shallots, 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon or chives, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and a pinch of salt. Simmer until the liquid has reduced to 2 tablespoons. Let cool. In the meantime, beat 3 egg yolks until they're thick and sticky, about 1 minute. Strain the vinegar mixture into the egg yolks, and beat until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of cold butter, but do not beat it in.Scrape egg mixture back into skillet, and place it over very low heat. Stir egg yolks with a wire whisk until they slowly thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in another tablespoon of cold butter, then beat in melted butter in a slow, steady stream until sauce thickens; consistency should be like mayonnaise. (You may not need all the butter.) Taste and correct seasoning, and beat in 2 tablespoons fresh, minced parsley. Serve the sauce warm, not hot. It will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. Easily made in less than five minutes, this piquant, creamy sauce can be stirred together a few days in advance and gets even better as it sits (which it can do for up to 3 days). To make it: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup crème fraîche, 2 tablespoons white horseradish, 1 tablespoon minced chives, 1 teaspoon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. A decadently rich combination of butter, garlic and herbs, a small slice of compound butter goes a long way on a steak. And leftovers freeze perfectly for up to six months. To make it: In a bowl, mash together 1 stick softened unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon minced shallots or 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or rosemary, 1 tablespoon minced parsley or chives, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. Spoon the butter onto a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap, form into a log and wrap well. Chill for at least 3 hours before using.
• Photography Food styling: Alison Attenborough. Prop styling: Beverley Hyde. Additional photography: Karsten Moran for The New York Times. Additional styling: Jade Zimmerman.VideoFood styling: Chris Barsch and Jade Zimmerman. Art direction: Alex Brannian. Prop styling: Catherine Pearson. Director of photography: James Herron. Camera operators: Tim Wu and Zack Sainz. Editing: Will Lloyd and Adam Saewitz. Additional editing: Meg Felling.
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PLANKED NEW YORK STRIP STEAK WITH GRILLED VEGGIES

Steps:

• Soak the grilling planks in water.
• Trim fat from the steaks and pat them dry with paper towels. Place the steaks in a zip-top plastic bag with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the walnut oil. Massage the oil into the steaks - I like to pound them a bit with my fists. Think anger management. Grind in the salt and pepper and squish them around in the bag to coat the steaks. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Place zucchini, yellow squash, orange bell pepper, tomatoes, and red potatoes on a baking tray and toss them with 2 more tablespoons olive oil, garlic and herb seasoning, a pinch of sea sal and a pinch of black pepper.
• Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Place the wet planks on the hot grill, close the lid, and leave them for 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly charred on the bottom. Turn the planks over and place the steaks on one plank. Transfer the mixed vegetables from the baking tray to the other plank. Close the lid of the grill and cook to desired doneness.