Skirt Steak With Cipollini Onions Recipes

BRAISED LENTILS WITH CIPOLLINI ONIONS

Steps:

• Coat a large high-sided saute pan over medium-high heat, with the olive oil. Add the lentils, garlic cloves and bay leaves with 4 cups water or just enough to cover. Bring the water to a simmer and lower the heat. Simmer the lentils, uncovered, until they are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. (Chef's Note: If you need to add more water for the lentils to finish cooking, add a little at a time. There will be more flavor in the lentils if you cook them and end up with very little liquid at the end of the process. The flavor will be in the lentils instead of down the drain with the discarded cooking liquid!) Once they are cooked but still somewhat "al dente", set them aside to cool. Remove and discard the garlic cloves and the bay leaves. Season with just a touch of salt and pepper, to taste. Retaste, but hold off on reseasoning until serving.
• Add the duck fat to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt, to taste, and allow them to caramelize.
• When you are ready to serve add the lentils to the sauteed cipollini onions. Stir to coat the lentils with the duck fat. Taste and season with salt, if needed, and stir in the vinegar. Transfer the lentil mixture to a serving bowl and serve with duck and green peppercorn glaze, if desired.

GARLIC-RUBBED SKIRT STEAK AND VIDALIA ONIONS WITH PEANUT ROMESCO

Steps:

• To prepare the steak, using paper towels, pat the steak dry and place in a large bowl; slather the garlic paste and olive oil all over the meat, turning to coat. Add the onions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
• To make the romesco sauce, grind the peanuts in a food processor. Add the roasted peppers, tomato puree, garlic, bread, and paprika. Process into a paste. Add the vinegar and pulse to blend. With the motor running, gradually pour the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream until the mixture thickens like mayonnaise. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper and then transfer to a serving bowl.
• When ready to grill the steak, scrape any excess garlic off the beef and discard. If using a charcoal grill, prepare the fire using about 6 pounds of charcoal and burn until the coals are completely covered with a thin coating of light gray ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Spread the coals evenly over the grill bottom, position the grill rack above the coals, and heat until medium-hot (when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill surface for no longer than 3 or 4 seconds). If using a gas grill, turn all the burners to High, close the lid, and heat until about 500 degrees F, 10 to 15 minutes. If using a grill pan, heat the pan over medium-high heat.
• Cut the steak into one or more pieces if it is very large. Grill the meat and onions over direct heat until char lines appear, the meat is done to taste, and the onions are tender and charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (A vegetable basket will help keep the onions from falling through the grates if you're cooking over a gas or charcoal grill.) Let the steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing it across the grain. Serve the steak and onions with the romesco sauce on the side.
• Cook's Note: To prepare the garlic paste, place the unpeeled garlic on a cutting board, broad-side down, set the flat side of a chef's knife on top, and give the knife a quick whack with the palm of your hand to crush each clove. Remove the papery skin and trim away the tough basal plane at the end of the clove. Halve the garlic and remove any of the green shoot, if present, as it is bitter. Coarsely chop the garlic, then sprinkle it with a pinch of coarse salt. (The salt acts as an abrasive and helps grind the garlic.) Using the side of the knife like an artist's palette knife, press firmly on the cutting board and crush the garlic a little at a time. Repeat until the garlic is a fine paste.

RED WINE AND POMEGRANATE HANGER STEAK WITH CIPOLLINI ONIONS

Steps:

• In a liquid measuring cup whisk in order, starting with the honey, molasses, 1 teaspoon salt, sugar, pomegranate juice, and wine. Cook's Note: Starting with the sticky ingredients then adding the liquid makes it easier to blend.
• Pour half of the mixture into a large resealable plastic bag. Add to the bag the peppercorns, vegetable oil, and steak. Seal and massage the steak a bit before letting it rest at room temperature for 1 hour. If you need more time than that, refrigerate it, but make sure to bring it to room temperature before you grill it.
• Pour the rest of the marinade, onions, and garlic into a small saucepot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then cover and lower to a simmer until the liquid reduces and thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat the grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
• Remove the steak from the plastic bag and gently pat dry. Discard the marinade from the plastic bag. Season the steak on both sides with a sprinkle of salt. Place on the grill, it's totally okay if a few peppercorns from the marinade hang on for dear life and go for a ride on the grill with the steak.
• Cook until the steak easily releases from the grill, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook the second side for 5 minutes more for medium rare, which is best for this cut. Remove from the grill to a plate, cover with aluminum foil and let the steak rest 10 minutes, allowing the juices to redistribute before you slice it. Make notice of the direction the muscles in the steak are traveling and make sure to cut across or perpendicular to that direction to achieve the most tender results. Place the slices of steak in a serving dish and pour the glaze and onions over the top.

HONEY ROASTED CIPOLLINI ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Add the onions to a large bowl, cover with hot water and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. This is to help make peeling the onions much easier. Strain onions and peel.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup oil, vinegar, honey, thyme, salt and pepper until combined. Put the onions in a large bowl, pour the dressing over them and toss well to coat.
• In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add about 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat. Once hot, add the onions. Next place the saute pan into the preheated oven and roast for 18 to 20 minutes until the onions are soft and slightly caramelized.

CIPOLLINI ONION AND FENNEL POT ROAST

Steps:

• For the rub: In a small bowl, mix together the rosemary, thyme, oil, salt, and pepper until smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and rub on all sides with the herb rub. In a heavy 6-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove the beef and set aside.
• Add the remaining oil, onions, carrots, and fennel to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add the sherry and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth and bay leaves. Return the beef and any juices to the pot and bring the liquids to a boil. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the beef is fork-tender, about 4 hours, turning the beef over halfway through and adding extra broth, as needed, to keep the beef halfway covered in liquid.
• Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Spoon any excess fat off the top of the pan juices. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Using an immersion blender, blend the vegetables and cooking juices together until smooth. (The vegetables can also be pureed in a blender). Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm over low heat.
• Cut the beef into 1-inch pieces and place on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat and serve the remaining sauce on the side.