Chimichurri Steak Topper

Grilled up some sustainable beef from Missouri Legacy Beef tonight and topped them off with this great fresh Chimichurri Sauce topper.  This recipe gave me a chance to use my new Emile Henry Mortar and Pestle that tops any food processor in results for this sauce bar none!

Ingredients (for 4 medium to large steaks)

€        4-5 Garlic Cloves, peeled

€        1/2 Cup – fresh Cilantro leaves

€        1/2 Cup – fresh, Parsley leaves

€        2 Tbls. – fresh Thyme leaves (sub 1 Tbls. Ground Thyme)

€        1 Tbls. – fresh Oregano leaves (sub 1 Tbls. Ground Oregano)

€        1-2 Tbsp. --  Red Pepper Flakes

€        Lemon Zest – (Sub Lemon Juice)

€        4 Tbls. – Red Wine Vinegar

€        ½ Cup – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

€        Coarse Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt

€        Freshly ground Black Peppercorns

€        4 - Kansas City Strip Steaks

Directions

1.    Chimichurri Sauce

a.    Mash the garlic in a Emile Henry Mortar and Pestle

b.    Add the cilantro, parsley, thyme and oregano and continue to mash with the mortar until all herbs are ground coarse.

c.    Remove ingredients into a glass bowl and add the red pepper flakes, lemon zest (or juice) and vinegar.

d.    While mixing drizzle in the EVOO

e.    Add salt and pepper to taste.

2.     Grilling the KC Strips

a.    Season the steak lightly; we use Adams Jail Break rub.

b.    Fire up your grill (BGE) to medium-high heat

c.    Cook steaks to desired temp/finish and remove from grill to rest.

d.  Plate the meat and spoon on Chimichurri sauce and serve.

Organic/Sustainable Beef Tri-Tip (multiple tips version 3)

The ingredients for this cook have been adjusted to allow for adequate marinade to cover three Tri-Tips (5 pounds) versus the version previously shared for 2-2.5 Lb Tri-tip. The picture here is of just one 2.5 Lb. Tri-tip cooked medium rare.  This beef comes from Missouri Legacy Beef in Salsbury, MO. 
     The nice thing about cooking multiple tips is that you can cook them to different temperatures to please a larger audience (even thought the low side of medium rare is where this meat is best.
     The story behind Tri Tip Beef (a.k.a. Triangle Roast): This cut of meat is limited in availability because there is only one per side of beef. Therefore it is typically ground into hamburger or cut into cubes and sold as soup meat. This often over looked piece of meat is not only relatively inexpensive but also very flavorful and has become a favorite amongst the few in the know. The tri-tip roast or steak (also called a triangle roast) is the 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds of meat that sits at the bottom of the sirloin. It has great flavor and tends to be much lower in fat than most cuts of beef i.e., it's a good lean cut of beef.
     The thing to remember is that lean also means it will dry out faster so it is recommended that you prepare with a good marinade &/or Rub. Particularly good flavors for tri-tip are Southwestern or Asian. Because tri-tip is lean, be careful not to overcook it, particularly when preparing the full roast. Medium is as far as you should go with this cut. Use a meat thermometer to monitor often during cooking. If you are used to grilling other cuts, this one can throw some grillers off by appearing underdone when it is ready to serve and by the amount it ‘swells’ when cooked.
Santa Maria/Grilled Soy Lime Style – This simple tri tip recipe utilizes a hybrid marinade that is loosely based on a combination of spices picked up from two different recipes.
Ingredients
• 5 Lb’s of Tri-tip roast (sustainably raised/organic)
• Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends – Meat Magic
Seasoning Marinade:
• 4 teaspoons freshly ground 4-color pepper
• 2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 Tbls. Garlic powder
• 3 Tbls. Sea Salt (fresh ground)
• 2 ½ Cups Apple Juice (100% pure juice)
• ½ Cup Soy Sauce (low sodium)
• 1 ½ Tbls. Lime Juice
• 2 Tbls. Red Pepper Flakes
• 2-4Tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 1 ½ Tsp. Fresh Ground Ginger Root
• 6 Tbls. (Local organic) Honey
Basting Sauce:
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup vegetable oil (or EVOO) (add garlic powder if you can’t find garlic infused oil)
Preparation and cooking
1. Mix together all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the tri tip in a 1 gallon freezer bag. Place in refrigerator for 4-8 hours turning occasionally; overnight will result in the best outcome however.
2. Whisk basting sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside for basting.
3. Lightly oil your cooking grid
4. Set up BGE for Indirect cooking (plate setter) fire up BGE to T-Rex.
5. Remove tri tip from Marinade and pat dry. Rub each side with Paul Prudhomme’s Meat Magic then place the tri-tip into the BGE and cook to an internal temperature of 130 degrees (approximately 35 minutes) for medium rare, basting at least once each side during the cook.
6. Remove tri-tip from the BGE, cover it with foil and let it rest 15 minutes; to serve cut into 1/4" slices against the grain.2
1 Paraphrased from Beef Tri-Tip, One of the best cuts you are probably not buying, By Derrick Riches, About.com Guide 2 this recipe is adapted loosely from Foodnetwork.com’s website; titled “Santa Maria Style BBQ”

Chicken Chorizo II - (One Dish Meal Organic)

This dish combines the flavors of Chicken Thighs and Spanish Chorizo (sweet or spicy sausage) in a tasty ‘One Pot’ brown rice Dutch oven dish.

There are many varieties of Chorizo but Spanish chorizo is typically the most readily available in the grocery store. It is made from coarsely chopped pork and pork fat, seasoned with smoked pimentón (paprika) and salt. It is generally classed as either picante (spicy) or dulce (sweet), depending upon the type of smoked paprika used. Chorizo comes in short, long, hard and soft varieties, some of which are suited to being eaten as an appetizer or tapas, whereas others are better suited to cooking. Leaner varieties are typically better suited to tapas, eaten at room temperature, whereas fattier versions are generally used for cooking. A general rule of thumb is that long, thin chorizos are sweeter and short chorizos are spicy, although this is not always the case.

Ingredients
 1 Lb. Boneless organic chicken thighs
 ½ Lb. - Chorizo (soft for this recipe)
 2 cups - Long Grain Brown Rice (not instant)
 1- 4 oz. bottle White Zinfandel wine (or substitute ½ bottle white cooking wine)
 2 each - Roasted Red Peppers cut into thick slices (canned or prepared ahead of time on the grill)
 1 Small Sweet Onion, sliced thin
 2.5 cups - Chicken Broth
 1 cup - Frozen Peas
 Paul Prudhommes Poultry Magic Seasoning (to taste)
 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
 2 Tsp. – Oregano (or 2 Tbsp. Fresh Chopped Oregano)
 1 Tsp. - Crushed Red Pepper (flakes)
 6 cloves - Fresh Garlic, minced
 2 each - Bay Leaf
 Paprika - Pinch


Preparation
1. Preheat Big Green Egg to High Heat.
2. Season chicken with PP’s seasoning. In the Dutch oven drizzle in some EVOO and add the chicken and let cook until tender. Add the Chorizo, stirring frequently until browned (4-5 minutes max.).
3. Add the sliced onions, red pepper flakes, oregano, bay leaves and a pinch of paprika and stir until onions are transparent.
4. Cook, stirring frequently and add broth and keep stirring until it comes to a boil.
5. Add rice and shut down the egg and cover Dutch oven for 5-8 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

6. Remove from heat and let set for 15 minutes. Stir in the frozen peas with a fork, cover Dutch oven and let sit for 5 more minutes and serve.

Tri Tip (Organic)

Beef Tri-Tip1 - The story behind Tri Tip Beef (a.k.a. Triangle Roast): This cut of meat is limited in availability because there is only one per side of beef. Therefore it is typically ground into hamburger or cut into cubes and sold as soup meat. This often over looked piece of meat is not only relatively inexpensive but also very flavorful and has become a favorite amongst the few in the know. The tri-tip roast or steak (also called a triangle roast) is the 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds of meat that sits at the bottom of the sirloin. It has great flavor and tends to be much lower in fat than most cuts of beef i.e., it's a good lean cut of beef.

The thing to remember is that lean also means it will dry out faster so it is recommended that you prepare with a good marinade &/or Rub. Particularly good flavors for tri-tip are Southwestern or Asian. Because tri-tip is lean, be careful not to overcook it, particularly when preparing the full roast. Medium is as far as you should go with this cut. Use a meat thermometer to monitor often during cooking. If you are used to grilling other cuts, this one can throw some grillers off by appearing underdone when it is ready to serve and by the amount it ‘swells’ when cooked.

Santa Maria/Grilled Soy Lime Style – This simple tri tip recipe utilizes a hybrid marinade that is loosely based on a combination of spices picked up from two different recipes.  It was slightly adjusted from the original posted a few weeks ago, but only slightly. 

Ingredients:
• 2-3 Lb. Tri-tip roast (ORGANIC)
• Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends – Meat Magic
Seasoning Marinade:

• 2 teaspoons freshly ground 4-color pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 Tbls. Garlic powder
• 2 Tbls. Sea Salt (fresh ground)
• 1 ½ Cups Apple Juice (100% pure juice)
• ¼ Cup Soy Sauce (low sodium)
• 2 ½ Tsp. Lime Juice
• 1 Tbls. Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• ½ Tsp. Fresh Ground Ginger Root
• Optional: Corn Syrup or Honey (3 Tbls.)

Basting Sauce:
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup vegetable oil (or EVOO) (add garlic powder if you can’t find garlic infused oil)


Preparation and cooking:
1. Mix together all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the tri tip in a 1 gallon freezer bag. Place in refrigerator for 4-8 hours turning occasionally.
2. Whisk basting sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside for basting.
3. Lightly oil your cooking grid and fire up BGE to T-Rex. Remove from Marinade and pat dry. Rub each side with Paul Prudhomme’s Meat Magic then sear the tri-tip at 600 to 700 degrees for 3-4 minutes per side.
4. Remove seared tri-tip from the BGE, cover it with foil and let it rest while bringing the BGE temperature down to 350 to 400 degrees. Option: During this cool down period consider adding a few oak chunks to your lump.
5. Now set up BGE for Indirect cooking (plate setter) and return the tri-tip back in the BGE and cook to an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees (approximately 35 minutes) for medium rare, basting with the sauce every 5 to 10 minutes (optional).
6. Return the tri-tip back into the BGE and cook to an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees, basting every 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Remove tri-tip from the BGE, cover it with foil and let it rest 15 minutes; to serve cut into ½” slices against the grain.2

1 Paraphrased from Beef Tri-Tip, One of the best cuts you are probably not buying, By Derrick Riches, About.com Guide 2 this recipe is adapted loosely from Foodnetwork.com’s website; titled “Santa Maria Style BBQ”

Beef Tri-Tip (Sustainable/Organic)

The story behind Tri Tip Beef1 (a.k.a. Triangle Roast): This cut of meat is limited in availability because there is only one per side of beef. Therefore it is typically ground into hamburger or cut into cubes and sold as soup meat. This often over looked piece of meat is not only relatively inexpensive but also very flavorful and has become a favorite amongst the few in the know. The tri-tip roast or steak (also called a triangle roast) is the 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds of meat that sits at the bottom of the sirloin. It has great flavor and tends to be much lower in fat than most cuts of beef i.e., it's a good lean cut of beef.


The thing to remember is that lean also means it will dry out faster so it is recommended that you prepare with a good marinade &/or Rub. Particularly good flavors for tri-tip are Southwestern or Asian. Because tri-tip is lean, be careful not to overcook it, particularly when preparing the full roast. Medium is as far as you should go with this cut. Use a meat thermometer to monitor often during cooking. If you are used to grilling other cuts, this one can throw some grillers off by appearing underdone when it is ready to serve.

Loosely based on a combined Santa Maria & Grilled Soy Lime Style – this simple utilizes a hybrid marinade that is loosely based on a combination of spices picked up from two different recipes.   This fine cut of meat was supplied by Missouri Legacy Beef (Manken Cattle Company) of Salisbury, MO

Ingredients
• 2-3 Lb. Tri-tip roast
• Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends – Meat Magic
Seasoning Marinade:• 2 teaspoons freshly ground 4-color pepper
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 Tbls. Garlic powder
• 2 Tbls. Sea Salt (fresh ground)
• 1 ½ Cups Apple Juice (100% pure juice)
• ¼ Cup Soy Sauce (low sodium)
• 2 ½ Tsp. Lime Juice
• 1 Tbls. Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• ½ Tsp. Fresh Ground Ginger Root
• Optional: Corn Syrup or Honey (3 Tbls.)
Basting Sauce: • ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup vegetable oil (or EVOO) (add garlic powder if you can’t find garlic infused oil)
Preparation and cooking
1. Mix together all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the tri tip in a 1 gallon freezer bag. Place in refrigerator for 4-8 hours turning occasionally.
2. Whisk basting sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside for basting.
3. Lightly oil your cooking grid and fire up BGE to T-Rex. Remove from Marinade and pat dry. Rub each side with Paul Prudhomme’s Meat Magic then sear the tri-tip at 600 to 700 degrees for 3-4 minutes per side.
4. Remove seared tri-tip from the BGE, cover it with foil and let it rest while bringing the BGE temperature down to 350 to 400 degrees. Option: During this cool down period consider adding a few oak chunks to your lump.
5. Now set up BGE for:
Indirect cooking (plate setter) and return the tri-tip back in the BGE and cook to an internal temperature of 130+ degrees (approximately 35 minutes) for medium rare, basting with the sauce every 5 to 10 minutes (optional), or,
Direct cooking (on raised grid). Return the tri-tip back into the BGE and cook to an internal temperature of 130+ degrees, basting every 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Remove tri-tip from the BGE, cover it with foil and let it rest 15 minutes; to serve, cut into ½” slices against the grain.2

 Paraphrased from Beef Tri-Tip, One of the best cuts you are probably not buying, By Derrick Riches, About.com Guide 2 this recipe is adapted loosely from Foodnetwork.com’s website; titled “Santa Maria Style BBQ” and Chris Lilly's Big Bob Gibson Cookbook Grilled Soy Lime Tri-Tip Recipe

Pint Size Paella (w/Organic Chicken)

Paella; a yummy Spanish dish with its classic saffron-yellow rice, brightly colored veggies and combination of seafood and meats. For this recipe I used a small vintage Dansk paella pan for preparation of the down-sized original recipe. This version only serves 2-3.

INGREDIENTS
• ½ -3/4 Lb. Boneless, Skinless Thighs (Organic) chopped into bite size pieces
• ½ Tsp. Turmeric
• ½ Tsp. - Pimentón
• Dash (1/16th Tsp.) Oregano
• EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• ½ Lb. Mild Italian Sausage (ground)
• 1 Medium Vidalia onion, chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Orange Bell Pepper, chopped
• !0 oz Rice - Yellow Saffron pre-spiced Medium Rick
• 3/4 Cup Diced Plum or Amoroso Tomato
• ½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• Garlic to taste 2-3 large Garlic Cloves (Sub: Garlic Onion in season)
• 3 Cups – Organic, Chicken Broth, low sodium
• 1 Cup – Frozen Broccoli, thawed
• ½ Cup – Frozen Peas, thawed


DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat Big Green Egg to 400 degrees. If you can’t swing grilling this recipe you can start it on the cook top and finish it in the oven (sacrilegious of course).
2. Add Turmeric, Pimentón, Oregano, salt and pepper to chicken stock and set aside.
3. Heat oil in Pan of Choice (Paella, Iron Skillet, Terracotta, etc) and precook the chicken and sausage then remove and set aside.
4. Sauté the onions and garlic, asparagus and peppers and when just about tender, add the tomatoes, sauté for 3-4 more minute then remove and set aside.
5. Change from direct to indirect setting and add the stock and rice, Paprika, Saffron (if applicable).
6. Stir ONCE and close the lid and sauté for 15 minutes checking the rice for tenderness before adding the remaining ingredients.
7. Add the sausage, chicken and sautéed veggies and peas and stir well and close the lid again for 8-10 minutes of simmering. ; Remove from heat and serve from Paella pan.

Paella

I wanted to try something different so a couple weeks back I queried the forum for recipes. This version is a mix of things I found on the internet and those I got back from the eggheadforum.com group.   I ordered this pan off of eBay and thought it would be here in time for Mothers Day...however it arrived a day late so had to wait until this weekend to prepare this dish. It turned out fantastic. If you cut the ingredients in half it would feed two VERY hungry people well as an option. ENJOY!

Paella; a yummy Spanish dish with its classic saffron-yellow rice, brightly colored veggies and combination of seafood and meats. For this recipe I even purchased a vintage Dansk paella pan for preparation (go to have all the right tools (or toys)). Serves 6.

INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Lb. Boneless, Skinless Thighs or Breasts (Organic preferred) chopped into bite size pieces
1 Tsp. Turmeric
1 Tsp. - Pimentón
¼ Tsp. Oregano
1 Tsp. Parsley (dried, chopped)
1 Tsp. Sea Salt, fresh ground)
¼ Tsp. Black Pepper (fresh ground peppercorns)
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

2 links – Spicy Italian Sausage (Sub: Chorizo), sliced thin

1 Large Sweet or Vidalia onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
2 Cups Rice Options: Medium Grain Rice + 1/4 teaspoon saffron thread, crushed OR Yellow Saffron pre-spiced Medium Rick
1 Cup Diced Plum Tomato
¼ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

Garlic to taste 2-4 Garlic Cloves (Sub: Garlic Onion in season)

4 Cups – Chicken Broth, low sodium
1 Lb. Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Cup - Asparagus, cut diagonally
½ Cup – Frozen Peas, thawed

DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat Big Green Egg to 400 degrees. If you can’t swing grilling this recipe you can start it on the cook top and finish it in the oven (sacrilegious of course).

2.Add Turmeric, Pimentón, Oregano, salt and pepper to chicken stock and set aside.
3.Heat oil in Pan of Choice (Paella, Iron Skillet, Terracotta, etc) and precook the chicken and sausage then remove from heat and set aside.
4.Sauté the onions and garlic, asparagus and peppers and set aside.
5.Change from direct to indirect setting and add the stock and rice, Paprika, Saffron (if applicable).
6.Stir ONCE and close the lid and sauté for 15 minutes checking the rice for tenderness before adding the remaining ingredients.
7.Add the shrimp, sausage, chicken and sautéed veggies, peas and stir well and close the lid again for 10 minutes of simmering.