Steak Night

Once again a little time has passed since I've been cooking, mostly due to a long weekend in New York, and I definitely had the itch tonight. I bookmarked a bunch of new recipes recently and one that kept sticking in my mind was a steak dish from Epicurious. I was so pleased with my lamb experiment a few weeks ago that I really wanted to try a different meat. I hadn't made steak in quite a while - I don't tend to eat a lot of red meat, which is clear if you read this blog. This recipe for Grilled Lime-Curry Rubbed Hangar Steak with Fresh Melon-Cucumber Chutney sounded great and felt like summer.

Steak cooking away, look at those grill marks!

Ken and I hit the store and I luckily found a package of 2 large steaks, the exact cut of which I cannot recall, but they worked fine. My steak was probably a little thicker than the 1 inch that they recommend. It was on sale and one was plenty for me, Ken, and some lunch. The other went into the freezer for another recipe soon. I let the steak marinate for about 15 minutes while I made the chutney, I figured any extra time is a good thing. I kept the chutney mostly the same except I did not use cilantro or coriander because I just don't like it myself. I used parsley instead, though after tasting it, I think next time I would try out a mix of parsley and mint - mint and melon is a wonderful combination and it would simply add another layer of flavor. I also took the seeds out of the jalapeno and next time I would add them, because you know I love the spice. Cooking the actual steak was a bit of a challenge. Getting steak to the exact right doneness is really something you learn by doing it over and over again, and I just haven't made much red meat. The recipe recommended 14-16 minutes total on an indoor grill pan, but I don't think I took into consideration that my steak was thicker than what they were referring to. I had to put the steak back on a couple times after cutting into it to find it too rare for my taste. Ken commented, and I think he is totally correct, that with our particular grill pan, it is better to start the flame a little lower and then just crank it up at the end to get some crust. But in the end, we got the meat to a perfect spot, still red but really well seared. The steak was incredibly flavorful. The curry is not strong, just adding a bit of heat in the back of your throat, and the lime adds a little tartness. I particularly loved the chutney. It was very light and fresh yet tangy, and it really went well with the steak and the couscous I served along side. My only wish is that I'd had a better melon. It is just not melon season quite yet in New England. If you had a really juicy, sweet melon, that would add a whole other level to the dish.

Mmmm...meat.

I was so pleased. This is a great meal for a crowd, and it's also very pretty! For tomorrow, I made up a bowl of couscous, chopped up steak, and chutney, and tossed it together as a cold salad. It will be just as delicious, and it is always important to have a good lunch when you start a new job!

Pretty!