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Explore Recipes Entrees Page 45

Garlic- and Pepper-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Ancient Indian and Egyptian cultures used peppercorns as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Rich in antimicrobial compounds, pepper acted as a preservative, too. Contemporary research has found that there’s science to back up those early practices, thanks primarily to the powerful compound piperine, the source of its spicy punch. It has enzymes that help the body better absorb both conventional and herbal medications—turmeric supplements often come with piperine for this reason. There’s even the possibility that it could play a role in the development of medications to combat illnesses as varied as Parkinson’s, cancer, and depression. According to studies in Phytotherapy Research and other journals, although research is still in the early stages (most has been done only in the lab), one day there could be value well beyond pepper’s great taste for making it an important part of the diet.

Ingredients

  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled 
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons for searing 
  • 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh rosemary needles from a 3- or 4-inch sprig 
  • 2 tablespoons coarse grain mustard
  • One 3-pound center-cut beef tenderloin, trimmed 

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 450ºF. In a small food processor, combine the garlic and salt and process until the garlic is finely chopped. Let it rest for 10 minutes for the powerful allicin in the garlic to develop. Add the olive oil, black pepper, thyme, and rosemary, and process until the herbs are evenly chopped. Stir in the mustard.

Step 2

Heat a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Sear the beef tenderloin on all sides until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning with tongs. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let cool slightly.

Step 3

Coat the meat evenly on all sides with the garlic, pepper, and herb mixture. Transfer the tenderloin to a meat rack set in a roasting pan. Roast the tenderloin until the internal temperature reaches desired doneness on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 to 30 minutes (depending on its thickness). So that the juices will redistribute, let it rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.

Yields 8 servings.

Roasted Squash and Sage Risotto

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Risotto is a time-honored classic from Milan, in northern Italy, where the culinary emphasis is on dairy, unlike the tomato-based dishes of the south. It’s labor-intensive because you must slowly add liquid to the rice and stir constantly to coax it to creamy perfection. Risotto is an impressive dish for entertaining, but you want to have the technique down first. While you don’t want to make your first risotto when company’s coming, it can be mastered quickly, and once you know the basics, you can start to experiment with different ingredients—shrimp, wild mushrooms, peas and leaks…risotto is infinitely customizable.

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 pound squash, such as Hubbard or kabocha 
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
  • 3 large fresh sage leaves, finely minced 
  • 1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced crosswise 
  • 5 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, homemade or low-sodium canned 
  • 1-1/2 cups rice, such as Carnaroli, Vialone Nano or arborio
  • 1 cup dry white wine, warmed
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
  • 5 ounces baby spinach, rinsed and patted dry with paper towel
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel, seed and cut the squash into 1″ cubes to make 2 cups (if your yield is higher, roast them all and save the overflow to toss in a salad the next day). Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet, add the squash and sage and toss to coat. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender, flipping them with your metal spatula at the halfway point. 

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-low heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the leeks and sauté them until soft, but don’t let them color. While they’re cooking, heat the stock in a saucepan. Once the leeks are soft, immediately add the rice to the sauté pan and stir to thoroughly coat with the oil. Cook until the rice is slightly translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the wine and nutmeg, and stir until the liquid has nearly evaporated. Ladle a cup of the hot stock into the rice mixture and stir attentively. When the liquid has mostly been absorbed, stir in another cup of hot stock. Repeat until the rice is nearly al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano, the roasted squash and the spinach. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the squash is warmed through and the spinach is wilted. If the risotto seems a bit dry, add a little more stock. Season to taste—the risotto might taste salty enough from the cheese, but add a few twists from your pepper grinder. Top with more grated cheese and serve immediately.

Yields 4 main course or 6 side dish servings.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Salsa Verde

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

If you love to grill like I do, you probably don’t limit yourself to summer BBQs. Here’s a perfect dish for a crisp fall evening.

Ingredients

For the salsa verde:
  • 1-1/2 cups packed flat-leaf parsley 
  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained
  • 1 to 2 anchovy fillets (optional) 
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons) 
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest 
  • Kosher salt 
  • Freshly ground black pepper 

For the steak: ​

  • One 2-pound skirt steak
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper 

Directions

Step 1

To make the salsa verde, roughly chop the parsley and place it, along with the olive oil, capers, anchovies (if using), vinegar, garlic and lemon juice and zest, in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until the parsley is well chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a gravy boat or a small bowl and set aside. 

Step 2

Set up your grill or grill pan for indirect grilling, and heat it to medium-high. Generously season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Grill for about 3 minutes per side, or until done to your liking. Let rest for 2 minutes before carving thinly against the grain. Serve with the salsa verde.

Quick kitchen hack: Carving the right way is key with certain cuts of meat, like skirt or flank steak. Whether you see it described as “on the diagonal,” “on a bias” or “against the grain,” it means the same thing—slicing in the direction opposite the meat’s muscle fibers. So, if you’re looking at your steak and the fibers are running vertically from top to bottom, you want to slice horizontally or across from side to side. The reason is simple: This creates a more tender chew.

Pork Tenderloin With Pineapple Salsa

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The acidity of the pineapple salsa works really well with the grilled pork. The salsa gets a flavor boost from aji amarillo, literally translated as “yellow pepper.” Amarillo is a fruity, medium-heat chile that’s popular in South America but rarely seen in US stores. You can buy it in paste form on Amazon—Inca’s Food is a great brand and also makes the terrific but much hotter aji panca.

Ingredients

For the salsa:

  • 1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into ¼” dice 
  • 1 cup diced yellow, red and/or orange bell pepper 
  • 2 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 
  • 1 or 2 red or green jalapeños (depending on how much heat you want), stemmed, seeded and finely diced 
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, with a fruity profile if possible
  • 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) rice wine vinegar 
  • 4 teaspoons aji amarillo paste
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons honey 

For the Pork:

  • 2 pork tenderloins, each about 1-1/4 pounds
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Garlic salt 
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step One

Place all the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl and stir gently with a rubber spatula. Cover and refrigerate. The salsa can be made up to 4 hours ahead. Note: If fresh pineapple is unavailable, you can use frozen, no-sugar-added pineapple chunks, thawed and cut into dice.

Step Two

When you’re ready to cook, light your grill and set it up for direct grilling. Preheat to medium high. Brush and oil the grill grate.

Step Three

Prep each tenderloin by removing any silverskin, the strip of tough connective tissue that runs the length of the tenderloin. Use the tip of a fillet knife to lift up one end, which you can then hold on to as you move the blade under the rest of the strip to separate it from the meat; discard. Rub each tenderloin on all sides with olive oil. Season with the garlic salt and black pepper. 

Step Four

Arrange the tenderloins on the grill grate and grill for about 3 minutes per side (12 minutes total) until an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 145°F. (The pork will still be slightly pink.) Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into medallions and shingle on a platter. Serve the pineapple salsa on the side. 

Note: As an alternative, you can sear the tenderloins in olive oil in an oven-safe skillet until they’re nicely browned, then transfer the skillet to a 350°F oven to finish for about 15 minutes.

Yields 6 to 8 servings