Bolognese

Ok listen people. I'm not Italian, but I'll be honest and say that I kind of wish I was. Who doesn't love pasta and wine with every meal? Actually, didn't I say this about rice in my "I think I might be Asian" post? I digress... 

In my quest to make a good Bolognese, I looked at 100,000 recipes, and they each claimed to be the only "authentic" version on the web. *(read this in a monotone voice like the pharmaceutical commercials please...I make no claims about this being an "authentic" recipe, so if you happen to have the only authentic Bolognese recipe on earth and mine doesn't even come close to it, please don't yell at me) All I will say is that it's pretty darn yummy. 

I used Anne Burrell's recipe from the food network as a starting point, but modified it a decent amount. I also included heavy cream in my recipe as half called for some sort of cream or ricotta and half did not. I love cream, so I included it. I found that it rounded out the richness of this sauce really nicely.

I recommend making this in a large deep saute pan of sorts (see pics). The large surface area makes it easier to do all the reducing and sauteeing that is required in this recipe.

4 Carrots
3 Stalks of Celery
One large Onion
5 Cloves of Garlic
1 Pound of Ground Beef
1 Pound of Ground Pork
1 Tbs. Porcini Mushroom Powder (this is totally optional, as I realize most people will not have this on hand.

It does however add a nice earthy flavor to your sauce)
2 small cans of Tomato Paste
2 Regular cans of Diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil
3 Cups of red wine
1/4 cup of heavy cream (you don't have to add this, but why not?)

I wonder who will comment on this picture first?

Roughly chop the Carrot, Celery, onion and peel the garlic. Place all of these in a blender or food processor. Process them until a paste forms. Heat a large skillet or saucepan on high heat and place two tablespoons of Olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add your "paste". Season with Salt and cook until all of the moisture has evaporated and your paste is starting to brown. And for crying out loud (no really, you'll be crying from the onion fog in your kitchen) OPEN A WINDOW! and be patient, this is where the big flavors develop.

Add the ground beef and season again generously with salt. BROWN THE BEEF! Brown food tastes good. Don't rush this step. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook until brown about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes.

Add water to the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the meat. Toss in the bay leaves, thyme and half of the basil and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates you may need to add more, about 1 cup at a time. Don't be shy about adding water during the cooking process, you can always cook it out. This is a game of reduce and add more water. This is where big rich flavors develop. If you try to add all the water in the beginning you will have boiled meat sauce rather than a rich, thick meaty sauce. Stir and taste frequently. Season with salt, if needed (you probably will). Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the spaghetti. Pasta water should ALWAYS be well salted. When the water is at a rolling boil add the spaghetti and cook as directed.

In the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the remaining basil and 1/4 of cream. Divide the pasta and sauce into serving bowls or 1 big pasta bowl. Top with remaining grated Parmigiano. Serve immediately.

The Ultimate Man's Meal

I made this pot roast recipe a few years ago at my sisters house and while I expected it to be a hit with her husband, I have to admit I was a little skeptical myself. I do love beer, maybe it's the German, Scottish and Irish in me?  My genetics scream for meat, potatoes and copious quantities of glorious wheaty beer. My only downfall is my distaste for Guinness. However, I have finally found a way to use Guinness that pleases me oh so much!  Despite my title of this being the "Ultimate Man's Meal", this really does please everyone I've ever made it for, despite gender (including a girls weekend in the mountains).

The cut: Start with a cut of beef from the chuck (shoulder).  Since these cuts have a lot of fat marbled within the meat, first trim off the excess from the outside of the roast.

Tip:  This recipe calls for you to sear the meat in a pan on top of the stove, then add the remaining ingredients and place the whole shebang in the oven, so think carefully when choosing your pot.  Choose one with a tight fitting lid that will be oven safe. Also, when searing the meat, don’t move it around until it is ready to turn! It needs constant contact with the pot to develop that dark, rich flavorful crust.:

1 boneless chuck pot roast 3 – 3 1/2 lbs.
Salt & pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Cups mushrooms, stemmed, halved (3 1/2 ox.)
1 1/2 Cup onions, diced
2/3 Cup carrot, diced
2/3 Cup celery diced
1/4 Cup garlic, thinly sliced
1/2t. red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1/2 Cup pretzels, finely ground (I put them in a zip loc and pound them to a pulp with a rolling pin..Fun and stress relieving :-)
2 bottles Guinness or other dark beer (12 oz. each)
2 Cups beef broth
2 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce


Preheat oven to 325

Trim: meat of excess fat and season with salt & pepper. Heat oil over medium-high in an ovenproof Dutch oven. Sear roast on both sides until brown, 8-10 minutes total. Remove roast from the pan.

Sweat: Mushrooms, vegetables, and seasonings in the pot for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, cook 2 minutes, then stir in the pretzels.

De glaze with Guinness, scraping up the brown its on the bottom of the pan; stir in broth, Dijon and Worcestershire. Return the seared roast to the pot and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pot, then transfer to the oven; braise roast for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove pot from the oven and turn the roast over.

Add: Carrot chunks, then cover and return pot to the oven. Braise another 45 minutes, or until the meat is spoon-tender. To serve, transfer roast and carrots to a platter and cut meat into chunks. Bring sauce to a simmer, skimming off fat, then spoon it over the roast.

Garnish with: parsley.  You can certainly add potatoes to this during the cooking process, but it is so good served over mashed potatoes.

enJoy!

Arancini

I love the Holiday's. As you can guess, the food is the best and most memorable part for me. It is both what I enjoy doing and what I enjoy giving the most. Thank God for such delicious food stuffs with which to spend countless hours perfecting over the holidays. I certainly hope that my friends and family have as much fun consuming as I do creating. I think they do, there are usually smiles on faces :-) Christmas Eve at home is usually spent munching on a plethora of appetizer like things, while making more appetizer like things and wrapping gifts and just about any game you can think of that takes 4 or more people is being played.


Bare with me here while I take a time warp....A couple of years ago, part of my family took a proper voyage to Europe. My poor brother in law was the only male amongst 4 women.  He has since dubbed it estrogen fest 07'. One of the grand prizes of our trip was stumbling on "Arancini" in the Italian convenience stores. I know... strange that one of the more memorable items of Italian food was found at the gas'n'go. Oh well. They are such a cool little treat.  They are now one of our favorite appetizers, and I find myself preparing to make them this Christmas Eve.  Hopefully Neil doesn't have unpleasant memories...I wouldn't want to ruin this day...never mind, Arancini are so good they can only shade his memory so as to remember only the pleasantness of our grand journey.


These fried stuffed rice balls, or "little oranges," in Italian (due to their shape), are found all over Italy but are especially favored in the south, where oranges are a major crop. Available both in restaurants and at street stands, arancini are delicious either piping hot or at room temperature. At home, they make a satisfying first course. If you like, make them even smaller and pass them on appetizer trays. The best way to work with the sticky rice mixture is to use one hand for holding and shaping the rice, while keeping the other hand somewhat clean for handling the spoon.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 lb. ground veal and/or pork
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1/2 cup shelled fresh English peas
1 cup meat stock
1 Tbs. tomato paste
2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 cups Baldo or Arborio rice
6 eggs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 2 Tbs. warm water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fine dried bread crumbs
Directions:


In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm the 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the onion, celery and carrot and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the meat, breaking it up, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Increase the heat to high and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the peas, stock, tomato paste and parsley, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the variety. Drain and spread the rice on a baking sheet to cool.

Preheat an oven to 200°F.

In a small bowl, beat 3 of the eggs. Place the cooled rice in another bowl and add the beaten eggs, the cheese and the saffron mixture. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Place a large spoonful of the rice mixture in your palm, pack it lightly and make an indentation in the center. Place a tablespoonful of the meat mixture in the indentation. Cover the meat with another large spoonful of rice, sealing the meat in the center. Pack firmly into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Set aside.

In a small, deep bowl, beat the remaining 3 eggs. Put the flour and bread crumbs into separate small, deep bowls. Coat each rice ball with flour, then with egg and then crumbs. Set aside.

In a large fry pan over medium heat, pour in oil to a depth of 1 inch and heat until the oil shimmers. Working in batches, fry the rice balls, turning frequently, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Keep the rice balls warm in the oven while frying the remaining balls. Serve immediately. Makes about 24 balls; serves 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Risotto, by Pamela Sheldon Johns (Simon & Schuster, 2002).

Beef, It's what's for dinner

One of my favorite meals is Beef Stroganoff.  I've taken years to perfect it with just the right amount of rich beefy flavor and creamy goodness in the sauce.  The beauty of this dish is that you can use almost any cut of beef and while I have never done it with ground beef, I know it would be just as good.  There are not a lot of ingredients in it either, making for a nice "on the fly" meal.  This is delicious enough to serve for a dinner party, but easy enough to prepare on any hurried evening.  Although this is traditionally served over noodles, it is excellent served over steamed white rice.

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Wide Egg Noodles
2 Tablespoons of Butter
1 pound of beef (sirloin and rib eye are my favorites)
1 Tablespoon of flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound of white mushrooms (although any kind would be good)
1 Medium yellow or white onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
3 cups of beef broth
1 teaspoon of dill
1 cup of sour cream

Directions:

Prepare the noodles as directed on the packaging.

While the noodles are cooking, slice the beef across the grain in as thin of slices as possible.  The thinner you slice, the more tender the beef will be once cooked and of course the faster it will cook.  To make this easier, I like to put my beef in the freezer for about 15 minutes prior to slicing it.  This will firm it up enough to make your slicing much easier.

Toss the sliced meat with the flour, salt and pepper to lightly coat your meat.  This is called dredging.  Set this aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Chop the onion in medium dice
Slice the mushrooms (whatever thickness you like)
Crush the garlic cloves

Place a large skillet over high heat and put the butter in the pan.  As soon as it melts, add the beef and fry until it starts to brown and cooked through.  Add the mushrooms, onions and garlic and continue to cook until the onions and mushrooms are starting to soften.  Don't be afraid to get some good browning on your ingredients at this point.  The more you brown, the more flavor you get.  Although, be careful not to actually burn.  That flavor is not such a good one! 

Reduce the heat to medium and add the white wine.  Cook until the wine is reduced in half. 

Add the beef broth, increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil.  Add the dill and continue to cook until the broth is reduced by about half (approximately 5 minutes). ***Alternately, you can add one and a half cups of water and 1 Tbs of beef bullion paste and skip the reducing process, but do make sure to bring the liquid to a boil before proceeding*** 

Turn the heat off and stir in the sour cream.

Do not bring the stroganoff back to a boil once you have added in the sour cream, this will likely cause it to separate and create an unappealing texture to your sauce.

Serve piping hot over the warm egg noodles.

enJoy!

Meatballs!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was a nanny in Sweden for a year, and while  I missed my family intensely, I really LOVED my time there.  Believe me when I tell you that Swede's are serious about thier meatballs!  My mom made swedish meatballs for years, and it is one of my all time favorite meals to this day.  I have since learned that hers was not necessarily the most authentic recipe, but a classic in the King house none the less.  I have made a few adjustments to her recipe over the years, just to make it my own and man is it good!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/4 cup of evaporated milk
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (or 1/4 tsp nutmeg if you don't have cardamom)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1 cup of vegetable oil

1/4 cup of flour

 2-3 cups water
1 Tablespoon beef bullion

1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients in the first section.  Make sure not to overwork your mixture or the meat will take on and oddly pasty consistency.  Mix it just until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Form golf ball sized balls and set aside.

Place the oil in a large saute pan until it is 1/2 an inch up the sides.  Heat on medium high heat until it is shimmery looking.  Place your meatballs in the pan and cook, turning them frequently so that they are brown on all sides and cooked through.  Remove your meat balls and drain all but a 1/4 cup of the oil.  Make sure not to loose all the little bits that have fallen off of your meatballs, this will add extra flavor to your gravy.

Place your pan back over medium heat (with the leftover oil in it) and add the flour.  Stir the mixture around until a paste forms.  Allow this to cook for about a minute.  This is called making a roux (pronounced roo) Add in your water and bullion, stirring to incorporate with the flour mixture.  Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes.  If your gravy is too think, add a little water.  If it is too thin, mix some more flour and water (one part flour, two parts water) and add into your gravy 1 Tablespoon at a time until your gravy is a good consistency.

Right before serving, put a dash of cardamom or nutmeg and the heavy cream and stir to incorporate.

Serve over the carbohydrate of your choice.  I personally like them over rice.  Swedish tradition is to serve with boiled potatoes, and it would certianly be good over wide egg noodle as well. Make it your own :-)

Swede's also serve a dollop of lingonberry jam on the side, which is the perfect compliment to the meatballs, and you can actually purchase lingonberry jam at IKEA stores if there is one near you.

enJoy!

Dip Me Frenchie!

I was craving a good brew pub type meal this weekend, and decided to try to replicate my favorite brew pub's french dip sandwich.  I successfully did so and this was unanimously agreed to be one of my best "restaurant" meals so far.  I have made french dips in many ways before, with pot roast, roast beef etc, but this time I decided to try a new approach.  I was watching "Diners, Drive In's and Dives" on the Food Network recently and Guy Fieri was at a diner who was sharing their secret to a perfect Philly Cheese steak sandwich.  They used ultra thin slices of rib eye steak, and of course the reaction from Guy when he ate the sandwich was convincing enough for me to take the plunge and purchase the pricey rib eye for my French Dip this time around.  I must say, that this is the secret to the perfect steak sandwich.  The extra marbling on a rib eye gives it the extra umph that it needs to be tender, melt in your mouth beefy goodness. I also made a batch of oven fries that were truly restaurant worthy.  I'll give you both recipes since this was the perfect combination. The recipe may seem sort of lengthy, but if you prep (slice, smash and season) all of your ingredients before begining, the actually is a pretty quick meal to prepare.  This recipe makes 4 generous sized sandwiches and plenty of fries to accompany.

Ingredients:

3 medium Russet potatoes

1/3 cup Olive Oil

5 Cloves of garlic (Smashed)

Salt

Pepper

1/2 tsp fresh or dried Rosemary

4 6-8 inch pub style sandwich buns
1- 1 1/2 Pounds of boneless Rib eye steak (depending on how meaty you would like your sandwiches)
2-3 teaspoons of Montreal Steak Seasoning
3 Tablespoons of Butter
1 Large sweet yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 Bell pepper (color of your choice), sliced thinly
1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced
2 large Shallots, sliced thinly
1 cup of white wine
3 cups of beef stock
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
4 slices of Provolone Cheese

Begin by preheating your oven to 425 degrees.  Also at this point, place your steak in the freezer to let it firm up for ease of slicing.

Rinse and slice your potatoes into large steak fry sized pieces.  Imerse them in water to soak for at least 10 minutes.

Place your 1/3 cup of Olive Oil in a small saucepan along with crushed garlic.  Place on stove over medium heat.  As soon as you hear the garlic sizzle (2 minutes). remove the pan from heat and let sit for 3-4 minutes.  Strain out the garlic chunks and set aside to cool slightly.

Remove your potato "fries" from the water and pat to dry.  Arrange them on a large cookie sheet (with an edge) so that you have a single layer of potatoes.  You want each potato to touch the surface of the pan.  Drizzle with the garlic oil and sprinkle with Salt, pepper and rosemary.

Place in your oven and set the timer for 25 minutes.  When the timer goes off, you will want to take a spatula and carefuuly scrape your fries, turning them over to allow the other side to cook.  Cook for another 20 minutes or until lightly brown and tender when a knife is inserted.

Now, on to your steak sandwiches.  I would start making these right after you put your fries in the oven.  Remove steak from the freezer and trim the outside edges of the fat that may be there.  Don't worry, there is plenty of fat in the rest of the meat, you don't need the extra.  Place your steak on it's side and with a very sharp knife, start slicing the meat as thinly as you possibly can.  You may need to cut your steak into smaller more manageable pieces to accomodate the slicing process.  Once the steak is all sliced, sprinkile the montreal steak seasoning on it, toss to distribute and set aside.

Slice the onion, bell pepper mushroom, and shallot.

One warning here...Do NOT rinse your saute pan at any time during this process.  The caramelization from each step of cooking is an important part of the flavor for the sauce that you will make as the last step of this recipe.

In a medium sized skillet (not Non-Stick), place 1 Tablespoon of the butter over high heat.  Once the butter has melted, add your onions and bell peppers.  Reduce your heat to medium high, and saute until the oinons have started to caramelize.  Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Place another Tablespoon of the butter in your pan, along with the mushrooms.  Season with a little salt and saute them until the mushrooms are tender and slightly browned.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

Place the last Tablespoon of butter in your pan, along with the meat and increase the heat to high.  Saute the meat , stiring it frequently, almost stir fry style.  To prevent over cooking and since the meat is so thinly sliced, you will want to remove it from the heat while a little bit of pink remains.  Remember that the meat will continue to cook slightly once removed fromt the heat.  Remove your meat from the pan and set aside.  Preferably in a dish that you can keep on the stove top.  That way the meat will stay warm while you make the sauce.

In the pan that you have used to cook all of the other ingredients, place your shallots and saute for a minute to start softenening them.  Add in your white wine and bring to a boil.  Let the wine to reduce by half before proceeding.  Add the beef stock and garlic powder and bring to a boil.  Let boil for one minute and them remove from heat.  At this point, you will want to taste your sauce.  If it is too strong, add a little bit of water.  If it is too weak, add a little more beef stock, and of course salt and pepper as desired.

Now the assembly begins:  Slice the buns in half the long way, but do not slice them all the way through.  You will want a "hinge" on one side for easier assembly and eating.  Place a quarter of the meat in each bun.  Top with mushrooms, onions and bell peppers.  Lastly, Place a slice of the provolone cheese on top, you may need to break it in half to cover the surface adequately.  Place all 4 sandwiches on a cookie sheet and place under a hot broiler just long enough to melt the cheese.

Cut the sandwiches in half and plate them with a serving of fries and a cup of the sauce and enJoy!

Meatloaf? Really?

Always look your best
in case the mister comes home early!

• I have never been a fan of meatloaf.  I've tend to be slightly aloof to the typical American family dinners that tend to be heavy boring fare that was popular in the 50's and 60's.  This is probably an opinion fostered by my childhood spent in Indonesia, where my first favorite dish as a child was an Indonesian version of Chicken soup (recipe to come later), loaded with lemon grass, ginger and tons of other ingredients.  Polar opposite of your typical American family dinner, our house was not one of mediocre fare on any day of the week.  Thus my opinion has always been that meatloaf and pot roast are boring dishes that usually come in a microwave container.   My lovely sister ( who loves to prove me wrong :-) introduced me to this recipe.  Thank goodness too, because this recipe is a true winner.  I find that the addition of a few vegetables and the balsamic vinegar make this meatloaf an over the top delicious version. 
•  
  This recipe makes a large loaf, with a total of 2 pounds of meat.  If you don't have a large family, I would encourage you to either half the recipe, or make two loaves and freeze one of them for re-heating at a later date.  If you choose to make and freeze, please cook it before you freeze it.  Lowering the temperature of your meat and combining it with all of the ingredients, will cause the start of bacteria growth.  Refreezing it without cooking is not really the safest thing to do.
  
  This recipe also calls for three different types of meat.  While this gives it an amazing well rounded flavor, please don't be afraid to use your own combination of meats.  All beef, beef and veal, or even pork and beef.  Be creative, it's my first rule in cooking.
  
  Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf
  
  3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large zucchini, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 yellow pepper, finely diced
  1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1 pound ground beef chuck
• 1 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan
• 1 cup ketchup, divided
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the zucchini, peppers, onion, garlic paste, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until almost soft, 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the eggs and herbs in a large bowl. Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup of the ketchup, 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar, and the cooled vegetables and mix until just combined.

Mold the meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Whisk together the remaining ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the entire loaf. Bake themeatloaf for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

Salty Steaky goodness!

Pauline (another one of my besties :-) and I share a passion for cooking. Where I am weak, she is strong and vice versa. Our culinary gifts are complimentary to each others, and we have so much fun in the kitchen! We also both share a passion for SALT. This was a random recipe that we made one night that turned into a favorite fallback for steak. I will warn you that it is SALTY, but oh so delicious.



"Steak Robear"
Ingredients:

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup orange juic
5 garlic cloves (peeled and pressed)
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch of cayenne
2 1/2 - 3 lb London Broil (or favorite steak, cut to 1-1 1/2 inches thick)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs Olive Oil

Procedure:

Combine all ingredients (except Mayo and olive oil) in a 1 quart heavy duty zip loc bag. Seal and let marinade for at least 4 hours. Transfer steak to a plate and pour one cup of the marinade into a heavy sauce pan. Bring marinade to a boil and let reduce by half. Place in the refrigerator to cool.

Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook steak, uncovered, until underside is browned, about 5 minutes. Turn steak over, then reduce heat to moderately low and cover skillet. Continue cooking until thermometer registers 120°F, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand at least 15 minutes.

While steak cooks and stands, bring marinade in saucepan to a boil, then pour into a bowl and cool completely. Whisk in mayonnaise until combined well and chill, covered, until ready to serve.

Cut steak across the grain into very thin slices and transfer to a platter, then drizzle with any juices accumulated on cutting board. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled, with mayonnaise.

One last homage to Salt