Steak and Asparagus Scramble with Feta

I waited too long to post this, and asparagus season is over unless you froze some. Oh well, come back to it next year... This is a great vehicle for leftovers. If you don't have leftover cooked asparagus, give it a quick steam or blanch.

1-2 Tbsp butter
8 eggs, beaten
1-2 cups diced cooked asparagus
102 cups diced cooked steak
2-3 ounces crumbled feta
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Mix the eggs with the asparagus, steak, and feta. Add to the skillet and cook over low-medium heat, scrambling the eggs, until the eggs set up. Serve hot with salt and pepper. A nice salad and a loaf of fresh bread wouldn't go amiss.

Serves 4-5.

Steak and Bean Soup with Ramps

A good way to use leftover steak. You could also make it with just the beans and ramps for a simpler version. I used dried Marfax beans grown by Crabapple Farm. The cooked remarkably quickly and are one of the creamiest textured beans I've ever had. Delicious. If you don't have heirloom beans handy, I suggest navy beans here.

1 cup dried beans, preferably local
6 cups beef stock
2 garlic cloves
Up to 1 lb leftover steak, sliced very thin then chopped up
1 bunch ramps (about 3 ounces), sliced thin from bulb to leaf
1 Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the beans with the beef stock and garlic cloves. I did them in the slow cooker (which only took about 3 hours for the Marfax beans). You could also do this in the pressure cooker or stovetop. When they are done, remove the garlic cloves.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet. Quickly saute the sliced ramp bulbs and stems, then add the steak and saute just enough to warm it. Add the sliced ramp leaves and saute just long enough to wilt them.

Add the beef and ramp mixture to the beans and stock. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Grilled Steak with Shallot Butter

This is so simple it hardly counts as a recipe, but the shallot butter is addictively delicious while grilled steak is great all on its own, the shallot butter takes it to a higher plane. Should you end up with extra shallot butter, it's delicious on...well, almost anything savory that you can think of.

Grass fed steak of your choice to serve 4
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp butter
1 large shallot, minced

Blot the steak dry with a paper towel, then liberally season all over with salt and pepper.

Grill the steak over high heat for 4-5 minutes a side for medium rare.

While the steak grills, make the shallot butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan or skillet, then add the shallots and cook over medium heat until tender. They will be mouth-wateringly aromatic.

Serve the steak and top each serving with a generous spoonful of shallot butter at the table.

Serves 4.

Grilled Asparagus with Chipotle Butter

Not that fresh grilled asparagus really needs any embellishment, but this is delicious. Chipotle peppers and asparagus make an excellent, if perhaps unexpected, pairing. (If you like this, you should also try my Chipotle Roasted Asparagus and Chipotle Asparagus Scramble.)  Conveniently, it takes just about exactly as long to grill asparagus (unless you have very skinny spears) as it does to grill a good steak to medium rare. Also conveniently, this chipotle butter is great on steak, too.

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded and very finely minced
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 lb asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off
Canola oil
Salt and pepper

To make the chipotle butter, combine the minced chipotle with the melted butter and mix well. Set aside. You may need to remelt it just before serving, or slather it on the asparagus in a semi-soft state.

Prepare the asparagus for grilled by brushing or spraying it lightly all over with canola oil, then sprinkling with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat for about 6-10 minutes (depending on how fat the spears are and exactly how hot your fire is), turning once or twice.  You want them a bit charred but not blackened.

Serve the asparagus drizzled with chipotle butter, or pass the butter at the table. Chipotles do pack some considerable heat, so start with a little and taste it before adding more.

Serves 3-4, unless you're feeding serious asparagus lovers.

Southeast Asian Grilled Flank Steak

I was really pleased with how this marinade came out.  Serve the steak on its own or as a topping for Vietnamese Vermicelli Bowls. Substitute top round, hangar steak, or skirt steak here if you like.

2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp lime juice
A 1 1/2 - 2 lb flank steak

Combine the garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Lay the steak in a baking pan large enough to hold it laid out flat.  Pour the marinade over it and turn it over a few times to coat.  Let sit for at least 15 (but not hours because the lime juice will start to break down the meat and give it a less pleasing texture).

Grill over high heat, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare.

Serves 4-6.

Sage Parmesan Risotto with Steak and Roasted Red Peppers

If, like me, you freeze loads of red bell peppers in the fall and still have lots left come springtime, this is a great time of year to fire roast them on the grill.  You can do lots at once if you want - plus you get to be outside while you do it.  I roasted some up this afternoon (the equivalent of about 5 or 6 peppers) and served them over this risotto with some leftover steak from last night.  The whole thing was very flavorful and satisfying.

Olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 1/2 cups warm beef stock
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp minced fresh sage
2 cups diced fire roasted red peppers
2 cups diced cooked steak (about 10-12 ounces; amount can be flexible)
Salt and pepper

Heat a bit of olive oil in the pressure cooker and add the onion.  Saute for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the rice.  Continue to saute, stirring frequently, for about one more minute.  Pour in the beef stock and stir well.  Cover the cooker and bring to pressure.  Cook for 7 minutes at pressure, then release pressure and open the cooker.  Stir the rice gently.  If excess liquid remains, cook for a few more minutes over low heat (uncovered), stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in the Parmesan and sage.

While the risotto cooks, heat a little olive oil in a skillet, then add the peppers and steak.  Add salt and pepper to taste and saute until heated through.

Serve mounds of risotto on each plate with a spoonful of steak and peppers over it.

Serves about 4.

Mustard Grilled Steak

It hasn't been so warm the last week, but the sunny days have lured us outside nonetheless and tempted us to the grill. I really liked this simple steak preparation with spicy mustard. I used a chili pepper spiked mustard that we have, but a regular spicy brown mustard would work as well - use something grainy if you have it, and add a dash of cayenne or chili powder if you like. The steak, of course, comes from our share of a grass-fed cow from Freeman Farm. Leftovers makes nice steak sandwiches the next day.

Steak(s)
Spicy mustard
Chili powder or cayenne (optional)
Salt (coarse salt if you have it)
Freshly ground pepper

Take the steak(s) out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to cook it (or any amount of time you have, up to an hour). Pat it dry and place it on a plate. Spread both sides with mustard, about 1/2 tsp for each person's serving. Add a dash of chili powder or ground cayenne if you'd like a little extra chili pepper kick. Sprinkle both sides generously with salt and add a bit of freshly ground pepper. Let sit until ready to grill.

Grill the steak over high heat, 4-5 minutes a side for medium rare. Let it rest for a few minutes when done, then serve hot.

Sesame-Garlic Stir-Fry with Beef and Greens

Apart from asparagus, greens are about the most plentiful kind of local vegetable at this time of year. Fortunately, like asparagus, they are good in many different types of dishes - including stir-fries. I used a combination of spinach and mustard greens for this, but you can use whatever greens you like. Serve this over rice.

1 lb not-too-fancy steak (like London broil or top round)
1/4 cup soy sauce, or more to taste
2 Tbsp dark sesame oil (1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp)
10-12 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, sliced lengthwise
1/2 lb greens, washed and stemmed if needed (chop or not, as desired)
1 Tbsp corn start
Salt to taste
Hot sauce (optional)

Slice the steak against the grain, about 1/4-inch thick, with slices about 2 inches long. Place it in a bowl, add 1/4 cup soy sauce, and toss to coat. Let stand for 5-10 minutes (more if you have time).

Heat 1 Tbsp of sesame oil in a wok or very large skillet. Scoop the steak out of its bowl, leaving excess liquid behind, and cook over high heat until it reaches your desired level of doneness. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of sesame oil to the wok or skillet, then add the garlic and onion. Stir fry over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes, then add the greens (you may have to do this in batches). Cook the greens until wilted, then add the steak back in and remove the pan from the heat.

Mix the corn start into the soy sauce remaining from marinating the beef, then pour it into the pan. Return the pan to the heat, briefly, until the sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serve hot, over rice. If desired, add hot sauce at the table.

Serves about 4.

Garlic Pepper Grilled Steak

We celebrated the first truly balmy day of the year with a steak on the grill. Excellent!

2 1-lb grass-fed steaks (or equivalent)
1 head garlic, cloves peeled
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Lots of freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the steaks, pat dry, and trim if desired.

In a mortar and pestle or mini food processor, mince/mash the garlic very fine (you can also do this with a knife but it's harder to turn it into paste). Add the olive oil and turn it into a paste.

Liberally sprinkle the steaks all over with salt and LOTS of freshly ground black pepper. Then spread the garlic mixture all over.

Grill over high heat for about 4 minutes a side (for medium rare).

Serves about 4.

Grilled Lime-Garlic Cube Steak

The beef share we got last year came with two packages of cube steak, a cut I had previously never heard of. A little research revealed that it is an economy cut from a tougher part of the cow, mechanically tenderized. Marinating is a good idea, and it needs to be cooked quickly.

The lime-garlic combo is a good one for any steak on the grill, so feel free to use the marinade with other cuts.

2 lbs cube steak
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste

Bring the steak(s) to room temperature. While you do so, make the marinade by combining all the other ingredients in a bowl. Liberally cover the steak with the marinade on both sides and let sit for an hour or so.

Heat up the grill, then cook the cube steak for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side over fairly high heat. Do not overcook or it will be tough.

Serves 4-6.

Stir-Fried Snap Peas with Beef and Red Peppers

Sugar snap peas are excellent straight out of the garden or in a salad, but they are also great in cooked dishes. Just be sure to cook them very lightly, so that they retain a little crispness. Here I combined them with red bell peppers, mainly because I am still using up the ones in my freezer - but it is a felicitous combination in both flavor and appearance. Thai basil I grow in my garden. If you don't find it locally, you can substitute Italian basil (not quite as good, but workable) or for a different flavor, cilantro. Serve this over rice.

1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 lb steak, cubed or thinly sliced
2 Tbsp minced ginger root
3/4 cup finely chopped garlic scapes
1-2 hot peppers, minced (optional)
1-2 red bell peppers, chopped
3/4 lb sugar snap peas, stemmed and stringed
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water, combined in a paste
1 1/2 cups Thai basil leaves

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the beef and cook over high heat until done, a few minutes. Remove to a plate or bowl.

Return the pan to the stove and add the ginger and scapes. Saute for a minute or two, then add the hot peppers and bell peppers. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Add the snap peas and soy sauce and saute very briefly, then stir in the cornstarch mixture and Thai basil. Cook just until the basil starts to wilt, then remove from heat.

Serve over rice.

Serves about four.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Red Peppers and Steak

Leftover steak makes really good stir-fries, especially if already seasoned with an Asian theme. I harvested a bunch of bok choy from my garden that was already going to seed in the hot weather, and added a couple red peppers from the freezer (still using those up!) along with scallions and spring garlic from the farmers market. Serve this over rice.

If you don't have leftover steak, you can either quickly grill one or slice the meat then and stir fry it, then set aside while you cook the rest of the ingredients.

Canola oil
3-4 stalks green garlic, finely chopped
2 red peppers, chopped (frozen is fine)
1/2 lb bok choy
2 cups chopped scallions
3/4 lb thinly sliced cooked steak
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
Chili paste to taste (optional)

Heat the oil in a wok or very large skillet. Add the garlic and peppers and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes or so. Add the bok choy (in batches if necessary) and scallions and stir-fry until the bok choy is wilted.

While you do this, stir together the corn start, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce. Add this along with the steak and cook, stirring, just until the sauce thickens. Stir in chili paste to taste, if using. Remove from heat and serve.

Serves 4-6.

Grilled Ginger-Sesame Steak

Only a few steaks left from our beef share...I think we may actually find ourselves buying some more before we take delivery of our next share this fall. So easy and quick on the grill in hot weather. If you want to punch this up a bit, you can add some cayenne or Asian chili paste to the marinade.

2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced ginger root
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 - 2 lbs steak (thawed if frozen)

Combine the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside.

Pat the steak dry, then season with salt and pepper on both sides. Spread generously with the marinade mixture on all sides. Let sit for 30-60 minutes, if you have time.

Grill the steak over a hot fire, 4-5 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Serves about 4.

Grilled Steak with Pesto

I can't believe how hot it was this weekend! I couldn't bear the thought of cooking inside, so we grilled a lot. And since I still have loads of pesto in the freezer (note to self: could actually free less this year), I thought it might be good on steak. It is. It's also good on grilled asparagus, which we had alongside the steak. (Also not bad on fried eggs, or mixed into scrambled eggs.)

Steak to serve two people
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup basil pesto

Take the steak out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to cook it, so it can come to room temperature (maybe a little less time if it's very hot!). Pat it dry, then season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper. Let sit for an hour or so.

Grill the steak over a hot fire for 4-5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Top with pesto at the table.

Grilled Steak with Sage and Garlic

The sage-garlic combination works with almost any kind of meat and is great on the grill.

Steak for two people (about 1 lb)
Salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1-2 tsp minced fresh sage
1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Take the steak out of the fridge, or thaw it, about an hour before you plan to cook it. (My steak is all in the freezer; I like to thaw it by putting it in a bowl of cold water. This takes about an hour.)

Liberally salt and pepper the steak on both sides.

Combine the garlic and sage in a small bowl and add enough olive oil to make sort of paste. Spread the paste all over the steak, both sides. Let sit for about an hour (or longer; if so, put it in the fridge and take it out again an hour before cooking so it can come to room temperature).

Grill the steak over high heat, about 5 minutes per side for medium rare.

Fajita Stir-Fry

Some steak from our beef share, peppers from the freezer, and onions from Winter Fare added up to some excellent south-of-the-border flavor. If you want to do this properly, serve with fresh warm flour tortillas. I didn't have tortillas on hand and didn't feel like making them (not hard, but too much time), so I served it over rice instead, which worked great. You don't really even need the toppings, but they do add to the overall experience. Flank steak is traditional for fajitas, but really any relatively inexpensive boneless steak will do. Be sure to cut across the grain.

1 1/2 lbs steak, trimmed and thinly sliced across the grain
2 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper
canola oil
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, sliced
3 cups chopped bell peppers (multiple colors is nice)
Salsa for topping (optional)
Shredded cheddar or jack cheese for topping (optional)
Sour cream for topping (optional)

Toss the sliced steak in a bowl with the lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper. If you have time, let it marinate for up to an hour. If you don't have time, even a few minutes helps.

Heat some canola oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron. Cook the steak over high heat, stirring periodically. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan, then add the garlic and onion. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes over high heat (you want it to brown a bit), then add the peppers. Continue to cook over high heat (again, browning a bit) until tender. Add the beef back in and remove from heat.

Serve over rice or with warm tortillas. Pass toppings at the table.

Serves 4-6.

Grilled Dijon String Beans

It was definitely too hot to cook indoors last night, so I started thinking about grilling. We had a nice stash of green beans in the fridge that needed to be used. I had never grilled beans before, but the result was delicious. You need a grilling pan or basket for this, which I suggest acquiring if you don't have--they make for an easy way to grill all sorts of vegetables or anything else likely to fall apart or that you want to grill in small pieces. I served this with an herbed steak from Bostrom Farm and a salad of mixed greens from the garden with sliced plums from Clarkdale and feta from Chase Hill Farm.

1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbps olive oil
A few drops of sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 quart string beans (any color!), stemmed

Combine the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, and salt and pepper. Toss with the beans in a bowl 10-30 minutes before you plan to grill them.

Grill the beans in a grilling pan or basket over medium-high heat, stirring periodically, until tender (about 8-10 minutes).

Serves about 4.

Herbed Grilled Steak

Saturday night we treated ourselves to steak on the grill, a nice sirloin from Bostrom's Farm. This treatment for steak comes from Alice Waters, described in her book The Art of Simple Food (a great cookbook, by the way, with lots of discussion of simple technique). You can use a variety of herbs depending on what you have available; a mixture is nice. I used oregano, parsley, and basil from my garden. Rosemary and marjoram work well, too.

Steak(s)
Salt (about 1 1/2 tsp per 2 servings of steak)
Pepper to taste (be generous)
Finely chopped fresh herbs (about 3 Tbsp for every 2-3 servings of steak)
Olive oil

About an hour before you plan to grill, take the steak out of the refrigerator.

Combine the salt, pepper, and herbs with a teaspoon or so of olive oil (just enough to form a bit of a paste that you can spread. Spread it all over the steak and let sit for an hour.

Cook the steak over a hot fire to your desired degree of doneness (about 8-10 minutes total cooking time for medium rare). Keep in mind that grassfed beef is best when not too well done because it has less fat in it.