Johnny Garlic's Grilled Peppered Steak with Cabernet Balsamic Reduction

Johnny Garlic's Grilled Peppered Steak with Cabernet Balsamic Reduction

I belong to a networking group on facebook called Food Bloggers Network which was founded by Jessica of Oh Cake. If you write a food blog and are not aware of it, I highly suggest joining it. Keep in mind that self promotion is strictly prohibited. In other words, behavior such as here's my most recent dish I published this morning isn't allowed. Instead, members discuss issues common to all food bloggers such as SEO, managing photosharing sites, helpful plug-ins, best practices when negotiating with publishers, etc. If you would like to join, Jessica can be reached here.

A perfect example of this group working for the benefit of all its members is a recent question that was asked by one blogger who wanted to discuss the ethics of updating old posts with new photographs of the same dish. Other members jumped in with varying opinions of the pros and cons, intent of the updates, and affects on traffic. I suggested what I thought was a reasonable compromise: Update the old post with the new pictures but leave the old ones intact. Then write a new post bringing attention to the updates.

From this topic, I was reminded of a dish I prepared two years ago. It was a failure on several levels. I didn't use the correct cut of beef; I overseasoned; I incorrectly prepared the sauce and the picture composition was especially poor. The original post isn't available, but I still have the pictures.

If I remember correctly, I found this dish originally via foodbuzz from Krista Kooks. Recreating a restaurant dish at home was a novelty at the time, so I thought it might be fun. Johnny Garlic's is a restaurant chain owned by Food Network personality Guy Fieri.

The Challenge

This dish isn't something that I would normally put here, but the challenge isn't food preparation; it's to use it as a measuring stick for my food photography and presentation.

The Source

I was able to find the recipe on foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

2 pounds tri-tip steaks, cut into 8-ounce pieces
4 tablespoons black peppercorns, lightly cracked
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Method

1. Lightly tenderize flank steak with mallet. Season the steaks with peppercorns and kosher salt, pressing seasonings into the beef with the palm of your hand. Refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours to marinate.

2. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until onions are caramelized. Stir in garlic and cook until it begins to brown. Deglaze with wine and balsamic vinegar, loosening any fond (browned bits) stuck on the bottom of the pan. Add brown sugar and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture reduces to 3/4 cup.

3. Preheat grill to high heat. Grill the steaks on a 45 degree angle to mark the steaks, moving once the opposite direction, cooking for 5 minutes total. Then flip, again only moving once to mark steak, cook for 4 minutes. When desired doneness is achieved, remove steaks from grill and let rest 5 minutes.

4. Strain the reduction and return to heat to reduce for 5 more minutes or until thick syrup is created. Spoon the sauce over the steaks.


Successful?

On a side note, this dish is still on the restaurant menu, which leads me to ask the obvious question: What's different about this version from the restaurant version?

One of the things I did not take with me when I moved was my grill, so I used my new grill pan that Mrs. Stuntman purchased to fill the void temporarily instead. I executed the dish better, but I also think my photography and presentation, while still not perfect, is definitely better than the picture I originally published:

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Balsamic Brown Butter

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Balsamic Brown Butter

Before I discuss this recipe, I must begin by thanking you for your patience with my extended absence while I moved. Two Saturday afternoons of some friends transfering my furniture and weekdays moving all the other items makes for one very streesed out Foodie Stuntman. Well, I'm back and pumpkin recipes are all over the food blogs as of late, so I thought I'd prepare one to break in my new kitchen.

I guess the inspiration for this dish derived from the pumpkin pie episode of Good Eats where Alton Brown sarcastically notes, No, we're not gonna open a can! In fact, readers of my old website might remember about a year ago, I profiled a pumpkin risotto that I served as a first course at a dinner party. What I failed to note at the time was that I did not properly roast the pumpkin before I pureéd it because I was so caught up with my first attempt at preparing fresh pasta from scratch, not to mention the Bolognese that needed to simmer for 3+ hours. I needed to return to a pumpkin pureé to demonstrate it but also correct previous errors.

This also presented a great opportunity to use an item I won in a giveaway a couple of months ago hosted by Donna and Chad of The Slow Roasted Italian with a sauce I came across in doing some research for another project.

The Challenge

Successfuly demonstrate how to properly pureé fresh pumpkin and use it in a savory dish, so the canned version can be avoided.

The Source

My food blogger friend, Willow of Will Cook For Friends, was happy to allow me to duplicate her fresh pumpkin pureé method in addition to her pumpkin gnocchi recipe which she adapted from Heidi of Foodie Crush. I also took some elements of Alton Brown's pureé method from the episode I referred to above.

I used some of the balsamic vinegar I won from Fresina's Italian Specialties in my adaptation of Giada's Balsamic Brown Butter sauce I found on foodnetwork.com.

Ingredients

1 2 to 3 pound sugar pumpkin
kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 stick unsalted butter, divided
1 large egg yolk
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Method

1. Make your pumpkin pureé: Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Cut off the top of the pumpkin to remove the stem. Cut the pumpkin in half, then in quarters and scoop out the guts with an ice cream scoop. Save the seeds for another use. Place the pumpkin quarters on a parchment-lined baking sheet, skin side down and season with kosher salt to draw out moisture. Roast until fork tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool for 1 hour. Peel the skin from the flesh and transfer the pumpkin to a food processor and process until smooth.

3. Make the gnocchi: In a medium saucepan, reduce the pureé over medium low heat to thicken. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter until melted and remove from heat and let it cool. Add the flour, egg yolk, and nutmeg. Then season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Knead the dough until it's tacky, but not sticky adding in more flour 1 tablespoon at at time if needed. Divide the dough into 4 balls and roll each ball into the shape of a cylinder about a 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. Cut each rope crosswise into pieces 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch long. If desired, roll each piece (gnocco) against the tines of a fork to create ridges. (It holds the sauce to the gnocchi.)

3. Prepare the sauce and finish the dish: Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the top and swell, about a minute or two after they float to the top. Transfer the gnocchi with a slotted spoon or a colander to a warm bowl. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the remaining 7 tablespoons butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. After the foam subsides and the butter begins to turn a golden brown (about 3 minutes), turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and walnuts, then season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the gnocchi to the sauce and garnish with Parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately.

Successful?

These gnocchi are very similar to the russet potato version. With potato gnocchi, the most helpful demonstration I have found is one by Chef Anne Burrell which can be seen on YouTube here. I used some of her hints in this recipe. For example, before I made the gnocchi dough, I refrigerated the pureé to keep my flour additions to a minimum. In fact, Willow demonstrates a second method to pureé pumpkin but I decided against it because the excess moisture will absorb more flour.

Also, bear in mind that these gnocchi are perishable due to the addition of the egg yolk, so they need to be cooked or freezed immediately. I recommend freezing the gnocchi to keep the individual gnocchi separate. (Roll the gnocchi in flour and freeze them on a sheet pan for several hours then transfer them to a resealable bag once frozen.)

One of the factors I considered when I decided to pair my gnocchi with this sauce was my consultation with The Flavor Bible, which noted balsamic vinegar paired well with pumpkin. It was one of the most well-balanced dishes I've composed-sweet and savory, plus soft yet crunchy. Going in, I was a little skeptical that the Fresina's vinegar would be significantly different than the store-bought brands that cost one-quarter of the price but I am now convinced. The aged vinegar was still sour but it didn't have the sharp bite I expected from my experience with the supermarket brands. It was so good, I will prepare this dish again in the future. So, please use fresh pureé in your pumpkin recipes this fall.

Lastly, if you're not familiar with Willow, you should be. In addition to her website, she can be found on facebook and twitter. Heidi can also be found on twitter, facebook, pinterest, and g+.