Next month, Esquire contributing editor Ted Allen will release a cookbook of recipes for people who don't mind spending a lot of time in the kitchen. They're involved and challenging, and sometimes require a trip to the specialty grocery store. But a lot of them also sound delicious. Here, one of our favorites.
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Grilled Skirt Steak with Roasted Jalapeno Chimichurri
People who haven't worked a lot with jalapenos, Scotch bonnets, anchos, guajillos, and poblanos might not realize that these different spicy chiles also have pronounced and unique flavors - or that those flavors change when the peppers are roasted or grilled. Here, the grassy-herbal jalapeno picks up a bittersweet char on the grill and still lends its familiar kick to this variation on garlicky South American chimichurri sauce. And there's no better cut for this recipe than juicy, chewy-in-the-best-way skirt steak, grilled just to medium-rare.
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• 2 jalapeno chiles
• 2 cups cilantro leaves and sprigs, finely chopped
• 2 cups parsley leaves and sprigs, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 3 tbsp dry red wine
• 1 tbsp red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• One 2-lb skirt steak
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Preheat a grill or grill pan to high.
Roast the jalapenos on the grill until charred on all sides. Put in a bag or covered bowl to steam and cool a little; then peel, stem, and seed the chiles.
Put the jalapenos, cilantro, parsley, garlic, lime juice, red wine, vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a blender and pulse to blend. Taste for salt, adding more if needed, and blend again.
Brush the steak with olive oil and generously season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the steak, turning once, until medium-rare, 2 to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Transfer to a plate, tent with foil, and let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Slice the steak 1/2 inch thick across the grain with the knife blade tilted at a 45 degree angle, pile on a serving platter, and top with some chimichurri; pass extra sauce at the table. Serves 4.
Excerpted from In My Kitchen: 100 Recipes and Discoveries for Passionate Cooks
(Clarkson Potter, $35).
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