Video and Recipe: Grilled Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

So, here's my latest "Heart of the Home" video segment for the Virginia Farm Bureau's "Real Virginia" featuring a super-easy, perfect-for-summer grilling recipe. Check it out here:

Grilled New York Strips with Spicy Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce
Serves 4
 

For the sauce:

1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
½ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup packed fresh oregano leaves
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 small shallot, chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (use more peppers if you crave the heat)
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

4 boneless New York strip steaks, cut at least 1¼" thick
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

In a food processor, add all the sauce ingredients except the olive oil, and pulse well until blended. While the processor is still running, add the olive oil in a stream. Remove sauce to a bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. You can make this a day or two ahead.

Preheat a grill to medium-high.

Rub olive oil generously over the steaks, and season well on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill steaks to desired doneness (medium-rare to rare recommended). Serve steaks with sauce spooned on top.

©2012 Fatback and Foie Gras. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Caprese Salad Recipe

So simple and elegant the Insalata Caprese is, no? I simply love diving into this classic salad straight from the Campania region of Italy, and this year's crop of Virginia's own Hanover tomatoes has elevated the easy insalata to new heights. Maybe it's the beauty of a good summer drought that made our 2011 tomatoes so strikingly sweet and acidic, but whatever the mystery conditions are, I'll say this, they're equally tasty sandwiched between two slices of white bread spread with a couple of tablespoons of Duke's mayo as they are beautifully layered between fresh basil and mozzarella.

So, take your pick on how to maximize the last of this year's bounty, but if you decide to tackle the Caprese, here are a few basics to make this already simple salad even better (as if that's possible).
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Hanover Tomato Porn

While some people prefer regular people porn, I much prefer tomato porn, Hanover tomato porn to be exact, and I like mine drizzled in olive oil, splashed in cider vinegar and sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. Oh, and the cucumbers put on quite a show as well, so pull up a chair and enjoy this little summer peep show.

 

All photos and text ©2011 Fatback and Foie Gras. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission Pin It Now!

Make a 100 Proof West Virginia Hound

My multi-part series featuring West Virginia's whiskey making duo "The Johns" from Smooth Ambler Spirits in Maxwelton, WV continues with an uber-refreshing recipe for a West Virginia Hound made with 100 Proof white whiskey, a little simple syrup, cilantro and cucumber. It's a great summer refresher and is quite potent if you're having a crappy day. Check out the recipe created by mixologist David Ortiz on Marcus Samuelsson's website Food Republic. Pin It Now!