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The Weeknight Kitchen by The Splendid Table is a great resource for ideas and inspiration for practical, delicious weeknight meals. We feature a new recipe each week from great chefs around the world, and original creations from Lynne Rossetto Kasper. The newsletter also features tips, resources and cooking know-how to help you get the most out of the ingredients and the best part, it's free!

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The Weeknight Kitchen for July 9, 2008: Open-Faced Grilled Sirloin and Tomato Sandwiches

Dear Friends,

John Willoughby (a.k.a. Executive Editor of Gourmet Magazine) and his long-time pal and writing partner, chef Chris Schlesinger, are to grilling what Julia Child was to French cooking. If you want high flavors and solid guidance on how to beguile friends with your grill skills, these two are your men

We thought it was time to bring on the beef, a meat we seldom feature. Of course my caveat is, if at all possible, make the meat organic and grass fed.

Open-Faced Grilled Sirloin and Tomato Sandwiches
Excerpted from Grill It!: Recipes, Techniques, Tools by Chris Schlesinger & John Willoughby (Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2008). Text Copyright 2008 by Chris Schlesinger & John Willoughby. Used by permission of the publisher.

Serves 4

Okay, so maybe this isn't precisely a sandwich. In fact, it's sort of a grilled steak kebab salad, featuring lightly grilled cherry tomatoes that you pile on top of thick slices of grilled bread. But when you get a bite of that rich, meaty sirloin along with the fresh-tasting vinaigrette and the crusty bread with the tomato juices soaked into it, you're really not going to care what it's called. It's just plain delicious.

The Salad:

• 2 pounds beef sirloin tips, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly cracked cumin seeds (or substitute 1 tablespoon ground cumin)
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 16 cherry tomatoes
• 4 slices of good French bread, about 1 inch thick

The Dressing:

• 1/2 small red onion, peeled and diced small
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 3-6 dashes Tabasco sauce, or to taste
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1. Build a fire in your grill. When the coals are all ignited, the flames have died down, and the temperature is medium-hot, you're ready to cook.

2. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a large bowl, mix well, and set aside.

3. Combine the sirloin tips, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and toss until the tips are evenly coated. Thread the tips onto skewers, put them on the grill directly over the coals, and cook until they are just done (5 to 7 minutes per side for medium-rare). To check for doneness, poke the meat with your finger to test its firmness; if you're unsure, cut into one of the tips; it should be slightly less done than you like it.

4. While the meat is cooking, thread the cherry tomatoes onto skewers, put them on the grill next to the meat and cook just until the tomatoes are lightly colored but not cooked through (about 2 minutes per side). Arrange the bread slices around the perimeter of the fire and cook until lightly toasted (about 2 minutes per side).

5. When the meat and tomatoes are done, gently push them off their skewers into the bowl containing the vinaigrette, then toss gently to coat.

6. To serve, place a slice of toast on each plate, spoon the sirloin and tomatoes evenly over the toasts, and serve immediately.

LYNNE'S TIPS

• Take care not to overcook the tomatoes or they'll burst and you'll lose those good juices.



• Use a good, coarse-grain artisan bread. It will get crunchy on the grill and soak up the vinaigrette and the meat and tomato juices. So good!



• You could guild the lily by topping the sandwich with a few crumbles of a good, creamy blue cheese or feta. And an ice cold glass of beer wouldn't hurt.



• Of course, you could use chicken breasts or thighs instead of beef. Grill the chicken slowly to cook it through but still keep it moist.



• Shrimp sings in this dish, too. Grill them with great care to not overcook. Once they color on both sides, pull them from the heat.

THOUGHTS FROM LYNNE

While rummaging through my files recently I ran on to this recipe that's been a summertime stand-by at our house for years. Give it a try. It never fails to please.

Lynne's Stirred Lemon Ice Cream

Serves 8 to 10

When our great-grandparents didn't want to bother with the mess and fuss of doing ice cream in hand-cranked ice cream freezers, they used ice cube trays and did this stirred version. No equipment needed and the ice cream tastes just swell..

• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste), about 3 lemons
• 4 teaspoons grated lemon zest (colored part of the rind)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 cups heavy cream (if possible organic and not ultra pasteurized)

1. In a shallow plastic container with a lid, stir together the lemon juice, zest, salt, and sugar. Gradually stir in the cream until mixture is smooth. Taste for sweet tart contrast. It should be sharp since freezing mutes flavors. Adjust lemon/sugar balance as necessary.

2. Cover and freeze about an hour. Once rim of the ice cream freezes, stir it into the center of the cream. Repeat two to three times more, waiting about an hour between checks. Final result should be a frozen yet creamy consistency.

3. To do ahead, let the ice cream freeze solid, then break it up and refreeze, stirring every 30 minutes for an hour or so.

4. Serve with a topping of fresh fruit and maybe a ginger cookie.

Have a great week

Lynne

 

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