Vino Luci Style » Beef

Bisteca ala Panzano’s via Junior League of Denver; A Cookbook & A Contest!

Vino Luci Style — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:00:25 +0000

First or Fifteenth?

This is a first. First contest I’ve ever done and depending on your way of thinking…1st anniversary of this blog. But REALLY? I’ve been putting recipes online since 1995 at www.creative-culinary.com; the first website I created after taking a course in HTML (not the last…that exercise and others led to my starting a web business (Kinetic Webs) that year too!). I decided to append my food blog to work hand in hand with my home accessories store (Vino Luci) so a new name was born!

The word blog is the shortening of two words, web and log, and was initially a place where website owners regularly distributed information to viewers; it has grown to often expect the capability for owners and viewers to interact with each other via comments but even today not all blogs have viewer commentary options so I’m thinking my efforts qualify?

It has been a labor of love and a wonderful resource/repository for myself, friends, family and as I found out when I took it down for a re-design once…others too!

I’ve been working diligently towards moving A LOT of recipes from the website to this blog (as evidenced by many without photos), but admit I enjoy the creative process of cooking, photography and blogging something new much more. I have a creative side that has always shown itself in decorating my home, creating an outdoor space and in cooking for family and friends but the photography piece is new and challenging. Very challenging! I enjoy it and am sort of amazed myself how it’s taken over space in my home. (Today I decided that I don’t need that huge dining room table everyday…out is coming a big leaf from the table allowing more space for a 2nd small table for photo stuff!)

The recipe I used for this anniversary post is from Colorado Classique – the latest cookbook by The Junior League of Denver. I’ve been collecting cookbooks from the Junior League since moving to Denver almost 25 years ago. I wanted something with local flavor and Colorado Cache, published in 1978, was where I discovered both my favorite Flank Steak recipe and one of my all time favorite desserts, French Silk Pie.

That first cookbook was spiral bound and I’ve actually had to replace it from so much use but the later versions are beautifully bound and photographed and Colorado Classique is no exception. Great photos abound along with a superb collection of recipes from hundreds of home cooks and 25 of the finest restaurants and hotels in Colorado.

Some interesting facts about Colorado Classique:

The Junior League of Denver’s 2009 cookbook Colorado Classique spent more than 10 weeks on the Denver Post’s best-seller list.
Released last June (2009), the cookbook has sold more than 50,000 copies to date (3.25.10), making it the second most successful cookbook in the Denver League’s history during it’s first year. Colorado Colore (published 2002) currently holds first place after selling 85,000 copies in its debut year.
Illustrated with photographs of breathtaking Colorado landscapes by noted photographer, John Fielder, who generously donated photographic rights for use in the book.
Eye-catching and innovative food photos plus a cover which were exclusively commissioned for the book by internationally renowned photographer, Rick Souders.
The recipe collection includes several new components, among them the nutritional content of each item, pairings with wine and beer, and a focus on fresh ingredients.
Each recipe was triple-tested by volunteers by The Junior League of Denver.

Now there is an opportunity for you to win this cookbook! I’ll be giving away one copy of Colorado Classique to a lucky reader; see details at the end of this post!

Another 1st was a tweetup held at my home last week. I’ve gotten to know so many wonderful Twitter peeps tweeps from all over the world, but surprisingly…not so much in Denver. When a friend on Twitter initiated putting a group together, I volunteered to host and make lunch for us from the Junior League Cookbook. There are so many wonderful recipes I wanted to try but thought it would be fun to use one of the restaurant recipes included so did the Bisteca dish from Panzano on 17th Street in downtown Denver. This was FABULOUS. Layers of flavor from pesto, mashed potatoes, steak, greens and gorgonzola cheese. It was a nice afternoon of meeting other tweeps (and a couple of non tweeps too!) including @mom2apreemie, @SabreMarketing, @clearviewwater and @jungledoug.

I had enough leftovers to invite neighbors over that night for my 2nd round; their comment? ‘What do we do to deserve you spoiling us like this?’ (My answer? Well, maybe helping with laundry and building steps to garage and so much more…their assistance has been immeasurable during my recovery from a broken leg!)

Here’s the recipe…please enjoy and don’t forget to enter for a chance to win Colorado Classique!

[print_this]

Bisteca

Ingredients

Pesto - I typically make pesto when I have a bunch of garden basil on hand which I don’t; so did a Sandra Lee and used a jar of pesto I had just bought from Costco!; but here is the recipe if you are making your own:

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Potatoes

1 pound russet potatoes
3 Tbsp sweet butter
1/4 cup whole milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Steak

4 4-ounce portions skirt steak (I substituted and grilled a flank steak; either one would be perfect)

Greens and Topping

6 ounces baby arugula (I substituted mixed greens)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 oz Gorgonzola cheese

Preparation:

Prepare potatoes. I left the skins on. I think I like the flavor but I know I like the ease! Cook in salted water til fork tender, drain and either put through ricer or use potato masher til no large pieces remain. Add butter and milk. Combine thoroughly but do not overmix. Season with salt and pepper, cover and set aside.
Combine basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add olive oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Fold in cheese. If not using immediately, cover with a thin film of olive oil and plastic wrap pressed on the surface. Or, in my case? Open jar lid.
Grill steak to desired temperature; be careful with skirt or flank steak – both are lean and get tough and dry if cooked too long…I say NEVER more than medium and medium rare is best. Let rest before slicing into thin serving portions.
Toss greens with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste.

Presentation

Spread pesto on the bottom of 4 dinner plates; covering about 5-6 in radius
Place a large scoop of potatoes on top of pesto; spreading out but leaving some pesto showing
Place a couple of slices of flank steak on top of potatoes
Top steak with greens
Garnish with Gorgonzola

I served with fresh sliced tomatoes; it was perfect; enjoy!
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Wine Recommendation
Anniversary meals call for a special wine – an opportunity to spend a bit more than you might on the everyday, Tuesday night bottle. The bisteca recipe that accompanies such an occasion melds an earthy component from the pesto and arugula with a savory richness of the beef and gorgonzola. The perfect bottle? A 2007 Pallieres Racines Gigondas. That’s a mouthfu!

Gigondas is where the wine comes from, a region located just next door to the famous Chateauneuf du Pape. This wine is loaded with delicious fruit and tannins that can stand up the the big beef flavor, but also provides secondary, earthy and gamey flavors that will work well with the pesto and greens. Enjoy!

I promised a contest so if you like the looks of this dish, you will love this! The Junior League of Denver has graciously offered me one of their Colorado Classique cookbooks to award to a lucky participant. Here’s how to enter; please read carefully, I know you don’t want to have your entry disqualified!

Required Entry:

1. Leave a comment telling us whether you think this our 1st or 15th anniversary of food blogging!

Bonus Entries:

Follow @vinoluci on Twitter and RT this post. We’ll make it easy; just copy and paste this into your status:
RT @vinoluci We’re giving away Junior League/Denver cookbook! Fab recipe 4 Panzano’s of #Denver Bisteca! http://tiny.cc/koddk
(Note: you MUST be following @vinoluci for this entry to count)
Sign up for our RSS feed or EMAIL subscription. Come back, leave a separate comment letting us know you’ve done so.
Become a liker/fan of VinoLuci on FaceBook. Again, come back, leave a separate comment letting us know.

Contest will be open until midnight, Friday, July 2, 2010 MDT. Contest is open to US and Canada only please. (yes, I listened Peter!).

Winner will be chosen by my dog…um, I mean random.org and notify by Monday July 5th.

© Vino Luci Style for Vino Luci Style, 2010. | Permalink | 77 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: balsamic, Beef, flank steak, gorgonzola, mashed potatoes, olive oil, pesto, Salads

Marinated Grilled Flank Steak

Vino Luci Style — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:00:31 +0000

This recipe is from the first Junior League of Denver Cookbook, ‘Colorado Cache‘ which was first published over 30 years ago. It was also the first cookbook I bought when I moved to Colorado as I wanted something to add to my library that would include some regional favorites.

Printable Recipe -->

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Post tags: fajitas, flank steak, garlic, grilled, guacamole, marinated, tortillas

Grilled Cheese/Short Rib Sandwich

Vino Luci Style — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:24:18 +0000

I love Bon Appetit magazine. The end of 2009 saw the demise of Gourmet magazine published under the Conde Nast flag.Printable Recipe -->

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Post tags: arugular, Beef, caramelized onions, grilled cheese, Sandwich, short ribs

Steaks with Rosemary, Garlic and Olive Oil

Vino Luci Style — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:12:34 +0000

This past summer, a local grocer had a Buy One, Get One Free sale on sirloin so I bought 25 pounds of meat and vacuumed sealed it in individual packages at home. Now I want unique ways to serve it and have found that I can just as easily make a tasty marinade for sirloin as I have for flank steak. My garden is gone because of an early cold snap, but thankfully I’lll have rosemary and sage through Thanksgiving…so today, rosemary it is!

Ingredients

4 med size sirloin steaks
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of red wine
Zest of 1/2 lemon
3 cloves of fresh garlic – minced
1/4 cup of fresh Rosemary – minced – Do not substitute dried rosemary; the flavor profile is just not the same as the fresh product.
Kosher or Sea Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions

Salt and pepper both sides of steak. Combine olive oil, wine, lemon, garlic and rosemary and mix thoroughly. Add steaks to mixture and marinate for 2-3 hrs total; turning occasionally or if using plastic resealable bag, flip the bag. Remove from fridge for 30 minutes prior to cooking.

Drain marinade from meat and grill for 3-4 minutes per side depending on the thickness of your steaks.

Serve with Garlic Rosemary Polenta or Lemon Mashed Potatoes and a green salad or vegetable.

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Post tags: garlic, grilled, olive oil, rosemary, sirloin

Sirloin & Grilled Asparagus

Vino Luci Style — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:44:20 +0000

After days of Cheerios and Eggs; this simple steak was fabulous!

I’m new to food blogging. Not new to cooking or putting recipes online, but it’s only since the first of this year that I decided to start using a blog. I’ve had a recipe website for friends and family online for over 10 years; most of those years at www.creative-culinary.com but that site was for my convenience as much as anything and one big difference between the two; photos!

Now, not a new dish gets made that doesn’t warrant a photo op; but you have to wonder…why steak and asparagus?

Since I started this journey, I’ve been limping along with an older digital camera. The pics were OK…but increasing bad and that sucker died a couple of weeks ago. I realized I wanted something a bit better suited for this new photography interest, so I spent a bit more and finally got a SLR camera yesterday.

While in the process of deciding what camera to get (and I made one choice that I returned) I have simply not cooked anything. I typically only prepare dishes for this blog once, maybe twice a week and then I’ve got leftovers for dinner for the week. Without a camera, I just did not want to bother, so I’ve eaten nothing but cereal and eggs and some simple pasta.

This is not a fancy dish, but I’ll tell you that after 3 weeks of that diet, it looked like heaven (and actually tasted really good!).

The steak was simple; salt, pepper, garlic salt and a sprinkling of a spice mixture from my favorite local spice shop which was a blend of Hickory Smoke Salt, Paprika, garlic, onion, pepper and oregano. I grill on high heat for about 4 minutes on each side; medium rare is my pleasure!

If you’ve never grilled asparagus, this has become my favorite way of preparation; I’ve posted this recipe separately and it’s quick and easy.

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Post tags: asparagus, garlic, sirloin steak

Michael Chiarello’s Brined Short Ribs with 5 Onion Cavalo Nero

Vino Luci Style — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:14:21 +0000

This recipe was one of the entries from chef Michael Chiarello on the final episode of Top Chef Masters. The short ribs looked wonderful and received rave reviews from the judges; Michael came in 2nd place overall but this is a 1st place dish!

Ingredients

Serves: Serves 4 Brine: 2 quarts water 2 cups brown sugar 2 cups kosher salt 2 tablespoons juniper berries 3 bay leaves

Ribs: 4 cross-cut short ribs, about 1 pound each (ask your butcher to cold smoke them if he can) Olive oil 2 cups coarsely chopped onion 1 cup coarsely chopped carrot 1 cup coarsely chopped celery 1 cup red wine 1 quart chicken stock

5 Onion Cavalo Nero: 2 cups leek whites, small diced 2 cups scallion whites, sliced 2 cups shallot, small diced 2 cups red onion, small diced 2 cups yellow onion, small diced 2 cups carrot, grated Extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup golden raisins 1 case black cabbage, chiffonade

Directions

Make the brine: Bring all ingredients to a boil in a sauce pan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cool completely. Cover short ribs with brine and refrigerate 3 hours.

Cook the ribs: Preheat oven to 300-degrees F. Remove short ribs from brine and pat dry. Heat a large high-sided sauté pan over moderately high heat until hot. Add a film of olive oil. When oil begins to smoke, brown short ribs on all sides. (They brown quickly because of the sugar in the brine.) When richly browned, place in a dish that can go from stovetop to oven. Add onion, carrot and celery to sauté pan and cook over moderately high heat until vegetables are well caramelized. Transfer vegetables to dish with short ribs. Add red wine to sauté pan and simmer until reduced by half, scraping up any stuck-on bits with a wooden spoon. Add stock, bring to aboil and pour over short ribs. Bring short ribs to a boil on top of the stove, then cover and bake until fork-tender, about 4 hours.

5 Onion Cavalo Nero: Slowly sweat all onions and carrot in olive oil. Add raisins, sweat briefly. Add cabbage and cook slowly stirring frequently until cooked very soft. This will take two hours. Serve ribs topped with some of the Onion Cavalo Nero.

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Post tags: braised, onion cavalo nero, short ribs, Vegetables

Flank Steak with Cilantro Pesto

Vino Luci Style — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:15:54 +0000

Flank Steak with Cilantro Pesto

I love flank steak; it’s my favorite cut of beef. I’ll occasionally have a great steak and they are good, but I love how flank steak just seems to have been made for marinating and I love adding a variety of additional flavors. In this dish, Cilantro is used instead of basil to make a pesto which is terrific with a barbecued flank steak.

1 (1 – 1 and 1/2 lb flank steak)

Marinade Ingredients

4 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
juice of one lemon
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, sliced or mashed
dash of pepper

Mix marinade ingredients. Lightly score flank steak on both sides and cover with marinade. Let marinate for at least one hour or overnight.

Pesto Ingredients

3/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons pine nuts , toasted
1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a blender; process until finely chopped (about 15 seconds). Add yogurt and juice; process until smooth.

Grill steak 6 minutes (med) on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Serve steak with pesto. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

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Post tags: cilantro, flank steak, pesto, pine nuts

Chili Dogs and Coleslaw

Vino Luci Style — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:52:51 +0000

I’m really trying to make all of the dishes from Tyler Florence’s Twtlish class on Twitter after each lesson; but time and a holiday got in the middle of this one. I was going elsewhere for the 4th of July and just could not get it done; but hope to for a backyard event this summer. Still wanted to share this recipe for what sounds like a great hotdog!

Chili Dog with Coleslaw

Yields: 4 servings

Creamy Coleslaw:

½ head of cabbage, washed and shredded
½ red onion, sliced
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
juice of 1 lemon
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh chopped chives for garnish

Chili:

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 all-beef hot dogs
2 garlic cloves
1/4 bunch fresh thyme
2-3 bay leaves
4 hot dog rolls (plus extra-virgin olive oil and salt)

Make the coleslaw by combining coleslaw ingredients and tossing together. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the hot dogs and chili.

Put a skillet over medium heat and drizzle in a 2-count of olive oil. When the oil gets hazy, add the onion and cook, stirring, until it is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, and cook until nicely browned, about 10 more minutes. Stir in the ketchup, chili powder, 1 bay leaf and mustard and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

While the chili is cooking, get the grill going. Place a large grill pan on two burners over medium-high heat or preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue and get it very hot. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel. Then carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick grilling surface.

Bring a pot of water with garlic cloves, thyme and bay leaves up to a simmer and parboil the dogs for about 5 minutes. Take them out of the water, pat them dry, and grill them just long enough to mark them. (That’ll give them a grilled flavor too.) Brush the insides of the rolls with olive oil and lay them face down on the grill; cook until toasty and season with salt.

To serve, put a dog in each roll and top with the chili and a big scoop of the creamy coleslaw. Garnish with chives and serve with crispy potato chips.

Serve with Tolan’s Mom’s Potato Salad

Recipe and photo from Tyler Florence

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Post tags: chili, coleslaw, hot dog, slaw

Hamburger Baked Bean Casserole

Vino Luci Style — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:52:44 +0000

Hamburger Baked Bean Casserole

A friend of mine sent me this recipe her mother-in-law had made for the 4th of July; they were a hit and I wanted to share the recipe. I used to make something very similar years ago but they didn’t have the mix of beans or the barbecue sauce so I’m looking forward to making these for my next backyard barbecue. Something old is new again!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb thick bacon, fried crisp, break into small pieces
1/2 lb ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped

Fry bacon, drain off grease, then cook onion and hamburger in the same pan.

1 can (28 oz) pork & beans
1 can (17 oz) lima beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15-16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp yellow mustard
2 Tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp chili powder

In oven proof dish, cook bacon, drain off grease.

Cook hamburger and onion in same dish until meat is brown and onion is tender.

Add all remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. (Can refrigerate overnight before baking to meld flavors)

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove lid, turn off oven and bake additional 15 minutes.

Serves 8-10

Many thanks to Stacy and Sandy Hatch

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Post tags: baked beans, hamburger, lima beans, molasses, mustard

Japanese Curry

Vino Luci Style — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:25:29 +0000

Japanese Style Curry

My daughters and I enjoy heading to a local farmers market on Saturday mornings. It’s not just for the produce; sometimes wonder where that even is. Great coffee, pastries, buffalo meat, cheeses…the list goes on and on!

But one of our favorite indulgences was a Japanese style curry that was there. Nothing fancy; just a scoop of rice ladled with the thick, sweet sauce. Curry is unmistakably in the dish, but less so than in Indian curry dishes.

Sadly, guys who had the booth aren’t there this year so I decided it was time to try making this at home. It was easy and tastes so close to what I remember; I think one huge key is getting some really good curry spice and we’re lucky to have a great spice shop nearby.

Ingredients

1.5 lb meat cubed (pork, beef or chicken)
1 large or 2 small onions
2 carrots
2 small potatoes
2 cloves garlic
Vegetable oil
4 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp honey
1-2 tsp salt to taste

Curry roux:

4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
8 Tbsp Flour
2.5 Tbsp curry spices

Dice potatoes, carrot, and meat. Slice onions.
Sauté onions, carrots and meat.
Add broth, let it simmer for 1 hour until the meat is tender.
Skim the broth, add potatoes.

To make the roux: In different pan, heat the oil over low heat; add the flour and cook until brown. Remove from heat and add the curry spices. You can find premade roux at Asian stores, but this is easy.

Add 1/2 cup of the broth to this mixture and stir; it should be like a paste.

Adding 1/4 cup at a time, stir the curry roux into the meat and vegetable mixture. Add salt, let it simmer for 30 min or until it thickens.

Serve over Japanese short style white rice.

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Post tags: carrots, curry, japanese, potatoes