Friday, June 01, 2012

Recipe: Broiled Soy-Balsamic Vinegar Marinated Steak with Sauteed Tomatoes and Onions

On Wednesday cubes' dad dropped in to visit. To celebrate -- at our wedding, he'd heard tales about the home cooked meals we shared with friends -- we treated him to a three-course home cooked meal. Photos and recipes follow.
 
Sauteed Scallops with Tomato, Garlic & Basil Vinaigrette
 
Recently cubes and I decided that we needed to be better about consuming our groceries rather than letting them go bad. With this in mind I started planning the meal around what we had in our fridge: sea scallops and a bavette (flank) steak from Bi-Rite.
 
Rather than head to the Internet for inspiration I grabbed a recently unpacked cook book from the shelf: The Essential Cook Book: The Back-To-Basics Guide to Selecting, Preparing, Cooking, and Serving the Very Best of Food. For our appetizer, I followed the Scallops with Tomato, Basil, and Saffron Vinaigrette recipe (p.291) substituting thyme for saffron and dried basil for fresh basil. Our scallops were not uniform in thickness so some were perfectly seared while others were a little overdone. Were I in Hell's Kitchen, Gordon Ramsey would not be happy and the scallops and plate would be flung into the garbage. For my second attempt at cooking scallops, first attempt at sauteing them, I was happy.
 
Arugula with Avocado, Walnut, Grapefruit, Roquefort and Shiitake Dressing
 
Our entree was a very loose interpretation of T-Bone Steaks with Smothered Vidalia Onions (p. 293). I say loose as I added to the basic recipe of onion, balsamic vinegar, light brown sugar, and thyme.
 

Sautéed Tomatoes and Onions

    Ingredients
    • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
    • 1/3 cup Kikkoman soy sauce
    • 2 Tbsp maple sugar (can substitute light brown sugar)
    • 1 tsp dried thyme
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • Half a large yellow onion, cut into 1/4 inch half-moons
    • 3 medium tomatoes, sliced and seeded
    • Olive oil to coat the pan
    Instructions
    1. Whisk the first six ingredients until well incorporated and set aside.
    2. Warm large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add olive oil to coat the pan. When oil is warm, add the onions. Stir infrequently -- every three minutes or so -- as you want the onions to carmelize.
    3. After about 5 minutes, or when onions are starting to become translucent, add the tomatoes.
    4. Add the Balsamic Soy Sauce mixture and stir until onions and tomatoes are coated thoroughly.
    5. Set aside and keep warm.
Bavette Steak with Sauteed Onions & Tomatoes in Balsamic Thyme Vinaigrette Reduction
 
The marinade for the steak was inspired by the marinade I do for Yum Neur (Thai Beef Salad). As the steak was going to be topped with the sauteed tomatoes and onions, I wanted the flavors to be similar. Therefore, I added soy sauce to the balsamic vinaigrette that I tossed the vegetables with and balsamic vinegar to the steak marinade. To tie the dish to the scallop appetizer, I added thyme.
 

Broiled Soy-Balsamic Vinegar Marinated Steak

    Ingredients
    • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
    • 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
    • 2 Tbsp maple sugar (can substitute light brown sugar)
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp dried thyme
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    Instructions
    1. Fork surface of steaks. Place all marinade ingredients, as well as steaks, in a Ziploc bag. Close Ziploc bag and toss steaks until well coated with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.
    2. Preheat your broiler pan. The hot pan will help you get good searing on the surface of the steak. Place the steak on the broiler pan and put the pan in the oven. To keep your broiler burning, prop open the door. (This allows heat to escape and will keep the oven from reaching its highest temperature. This will keep foods from baking and it keeps the burner burning.) Brush marinade on the top of the steak.
    3. After 4 minutes flip it the steaks so that they cook evenly. Brush marinade on the top of the steak.
    4. After another 3 to 4 minutes, check the steak for doneness and pull from the oven. For a 3/4 to an inch thick steak, the meat should be medium rare.
    5. Let the steak cool slightly. Slice steak across grain into 1/4-inch pieces.
    6. Top with sauteed onions and tomatoes.
If I made this meal again, I'd serve the steak and sauteed tomatoes and onions with rice similar to how Lomo Saltado is typically presented.
 
Where do you get inspiration from for your meals?
 
Bon Appetit!
Eden
 
Credits: All images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.