Grilled Steak With Tapenade Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the tapenade: In a food processor, combine the olives, red peppers, raisins, capers, parsley, orange zest, tarragon and black pepper. Pulse six or seven times, just until roughly chopped. Pour in the olive oil and pulse 2 or 3 times to incorporate; the mixture should have the consistency of a coarse puree. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the cauliflower steaks: Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.
• Remove the green outer leaves from the cauliflower heads, leaving the cores intact. Set the cauliflowers on their base and halve them vertically (a serrated knife works well for this). Then slice each half, vertically again, into 1-inch steaks; the core will hold them together. You should end up with four nice steaks; reserve the ends for another use.
• Generously coat the steaks on both sides with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the steaks for 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and well-marked. Remove to a foil-lined baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan, panko, parsley, garlic and pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the breading on top of the cauliflower steaks and drizzle with some olive oil. Transfer to the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve the steaks topped with spoonfuls of the tapenade.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix tapenade and rosemary in small bowl to blend. Sprinkle steaks with salt and generously with cracked black pepper.
• Divide olive oil between 2 heavy medium ovenproof skillets set over high heat. Add 1 steak to each skillet and cook until both are browned, about 3 minutes per side. Spread half of tapenade mixture atop each steak. Transfer skillets with steaks to oven. Cook both steaks until thermometer inserted into center of steaks registers 125°F for medium-rare, about 20 minutes. Transfer both steaks to platter. Pour 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar into each skillet and cook over medium heat until liquid is slightly reduced, scraping up browned bits, about 1 minute. Drizzle hot skillet juices over each steak and serve.
• *Look for tapenade (an earthy, thick paste or spread made from brine-cured olives, olive oil, capers, anchovies, lemon juice, and seasonings) at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and Italian markets.

Steps:

• Lay the skirt steak flat on a baking sheet and season evenly on both sides with the chili powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside so the flavors can sink in a bit.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rapid boil over medium-high heat. Add the fregola and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook the pasta for 15 minutes until the pellets are al dente. Drain and cool.
• Preheat an outdoor grill or a grill pan to medium-high heat. Rub the grill with oil to prevent sticking. Grill the onion slices for 2 minutes, turning often, until charred on both sides. Remove them from the grill and set aside.
• Lay the steaks on the grill and cook, turning with tongs from time to time, to sear well on all sides; this takes about 8 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 2 or 3 minutes to allow the juices to recirculate.
• In the meantime, make the salad. In a large mixing bowl, combine the fregola, grilled onion, fennel, radishes, arugula, lemon juice, and olive oil. Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, divide the salad among 4 or 6 plates. Arrange 4 or 5 slices of orange on top of each plate. Cut each skirt steak into 3 equal pieces, then turn each piece sideways and cut into thin slices against the grain, ensuring tenderness. Shingle the sliced meat on top of the salad. Spoon some of the tapenade on top and serve immediately.
• Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times. Scrape down the sides of the processor and pulse 2 more times; the tapenade should be coarsely chopped. It will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• Fregola
• Fregola, sometimes called Italian couscous, is a terrific addition to your pantry. It's much more interesting than regular pasta and has a unique texture. The pasta dough is rubbed by hand to form little pellets, which are then toasted to give a distinctive nutty flavor. If hard pressed, you can use Israeli couscous, but there really is no substitute for fregola. It is worth getting your hands on. It also makes great risotto (page 116).