Rib Steak with Bell Pepper Purée, Cilantro, and Pine Nuts

by Cree LeFavour
from The New Steak
(Ten Speed Press, 2008)
Serves 4

Bright orange with black flecks, this purée puts the sweet, smoky taste of roasted pepper right on your rib steak. The cilantro and pine nuts add complexity and texture, but the secret ingredient here is a mild but flavorful hot sauce, such as Marie Sharp’s. I like some fingerling potatoes and a cold beer with my rib steak. The steaks can be grilled or panfried. your choice.—Cree LeFavour

convert Ingredients
For the orange bell pepper purée
1 orange bell pepper, halved and seeded
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Marie Sharp’s habanero sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts

For the steaks
4 rib steaks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Olive oil, for rubbing
1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil, for panfrying
Freshly ground black pepper

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Method
For the pepper purée
1. Using your hands, coat the bell pepper with some of the olive oil.

2 . To blacken it, place both halves, skin side up, under your broiler or, if you’re grilling, skin side to the fire on the grill. You want to blacken the skin and, at the same time, bring out the pepper’s sweetness by cooking it. Once it’s at least partly blackened, slice it up and put it in a food processor along with the remaining oil, the hot sauce, and salt. If you don’t have Marie Sharp’s, use any reasonably mild, low-acid hot sauce. Blend until smooth.

For the steaks
1. Prepare the steaks by salting them, then let them come to room temperature. Rub with olive oil before cooking.

2. To grill, your coals should be so hot that you can comfortably keep your hand 2 inches above the grate for only 3 seconds — just! (For gas grills, this means 450°F [230°C].) Put the oiled steaks on the hottest part of the grill and sear for 3 to 5 minutes on each side before you begin to fuss over them. That means moving the steaks to a cooler part of the grill and cooking for an additional 8 to 12 minutes over moderate heat, flipping, poking, and watching as you work toward crispy-brown perfection.

3. To panfry, heat the peanut oil in a heavy pan until it’s very hot — almost smoking. Sear the steaks for 3 minutes on each side over high heat before turning down the burner. Cook over moderate heat for an additional 8 to 12 minutes, turning the steaks every few minutes as they slowly brown. For steaks more than 2 inches thick, you may want to finish cooking them by putting them, pan and all, in a 400°F (200°C) oven.

4. However you cook your steaks, check for doneness often, using the finger-poke method, an instant-read thermometer (120°F to 130°F [49°C to 54°C]) for rare to medium-rare), or the nick-and-peek method — i.e. make a small cut in the meat and take a look. Generously salt and pepper each steak before resting them in a warming oven (170°F/76°C) or on a warm plate under a loose tent of foil for 5 minutes.

5. Chop the cilantro leaves and toast the nuts in a small cast-iron pan or in the oven. They should be just beginning to color and become fragrant. Put the steaks on warm plates with some of the vivid orange purée on top. The cilantro leaves can be casually strewn about along with a generous pinch of pine nuts. A few potatoes and the plate is ready.

Recipe © 2008 by Cree LeFavour. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.