Grilled South American Beef Tenderloin

When we traveled to South America, we encountered many different and scrumptious cuts of beef. Uruguayans take their beef very seriously. They recently set a Guinness world record, hosting the largest barbeque (a.k.a. parrillada in Spanish).

One of the highlights of our Uruguayan visit was experiencing a full-on parrillada that Marcelo's uncle hosted. I loved how the whole family came together on a moment's notice. It's not very often that you get to have a whole calf served in your honor. Barbeque in Uruguay can be thrown together at any place anytime.

  

The following picture was taken at the Mercado del Puerto in Montevideo. They were just gearing up for the lunch crowd.

We really enjoyed the following cut of beef tenderloin in Uruguay. It's difficult to find this type of cut here, but it's easy to prepare yourself. Rather than cutting steaks against the grain, they are cut along the grain. This maximizes the amount of surface area that comes into contact with the grill. Once the steaks are cooked, the bite-sized pieces are then cut across the grain, ensuring a very tender piece of meat. Fat always adds great flavor and I found that you're able to keep more on each piece, if desired.

Tagged as: [ beef culinary recipes uruguay ]

My Attempt at Making a Chipotle Burrito

Ever since I read this article on Chipotle, the Mexican-food chain in the U.S., I haven't been able to get their burritos out of my mind. When I had a craving for a freshly made burrito, I would make sure I would time my lunch break well and sprint up 17th Street in DC as fast as I could. Undoubtedly, there was always a line by the time I arrived which, if I was lucky, I would be able to wait inside the door of the establishment. It was fascinating to watch the amount of people that were personally served in such a short period of time. The line moved fast and so did the people behind the counter. While waiting, I remembered the Seinfeld episode with the Soup Nazi. You had to quickly shout out what you wanted and get out of the way for the next person. The energy in the place was always buzzing and the best part was that the burritos were always satisfying. How could they not be? The combination of an open grill, the smell of mouth-watering spices, and an array of fresh salsas and toppings to choose from - yum! I'm glad to hear the founder, Steve Ells, is striving to make his entire menu natural. The burritos are massive in size and an excellent value for lunch. I usually had to split it in half and save the rest for the next day.

Unfortunately, Chipotle hasn't ventured this far North (yet?) so I had to take matters into my own hands. Last night I tried to replicate the Barbacoa Burrito for dinner. Here's my version, which turned out to be quite tasty.

Chipotle Beef
2    lbs.	stewing beef, cut into large cubes
1    large	yellow onion, diced
3    tbsp.	vegetable oil
8	garlic cloves, minced
1    tbsp.	freshly ground cumin
1.5 tbsp.	freshly ground Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp.	whole cloves
1/4 cup	chipotle peppers with adobo sauce (or more to taste), chopped
1    cup	chicken stock
1    cup	water
1	bay leaf
2    tbsp.	white vinegar
	salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro-Lime Rice
2    cups	cooked white rice
1	lime, juiced (or more to taste)
1    tbsp.	extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup	fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
	salt to taste
Chunky Guacamole  (adapted from the free recipe on America's Test Kitchen)
3	ripe avocados
2    tbsp.	minced onion
1    small	garlic clove, minced
1    small	serrano chili, seeded and miced
1/4 cup	fresh cilantro leaves, minced
1/2 tsp.	ground cumin
2    tbsp.	freshly squeezed lime juice
	salt to taste
Very Simple Salsa
2    large	ripe tomatoes, cored and seeded
1    small	jalapeno, seeded and minced
2    tbsp.	red onion, minced
1    small	garlic clove, minced
2    tbsp.	freshly squeezed lime juice
	salt to taste
Extras
8	10" flour tortillas
	sour cream
	grated cheddar cheese
	shredded lettuce

Directions:
Beef
1. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Pat cubes of beef dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper to taste. Brown the beef on all sides, in batches if necessary, until a nice dark crust forms. Set aside.

2. Turn down the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Toss the onions in and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Cook them for approximately 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the cumin, oregano, and cloves and stir to cook the spices. Return the beef to the pan along with the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Mix. Pour in the chicken stock and water and add the bay leaf. Season with salt. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 2 hours with the lid ajar.

3. Once the meat is fork tender, remove the cubes of meat and shred. Strain the leftover juices and discard the solids. Transfer the juice and the shredded beef to a smaller pot. Add the vinegar, check the seasonings, and keep it at a very gentle simmer until serving.

Rice
1. Cook rice according to package directions. Mix in the lime juice, olive oil and salt to taste. Cool slightly. Gently stir in the chopped cilantro. Set aside.

Guacamole
1. Halve the avocados, remove the pits, and dice. Depending on how chunky you like your guacamole, reserve a portion of it to mash and set aside the rest for texture.

2. Mash the portioned avocado gently with the onion, garlic, chile, cilantro salt (to taste) and cumin. Combine the mashed avocado mixture, chunks of avocado, lime juice, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Set aside (guacamole will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 day).

Salsa
1. Dice the cored and seeded tomatoes. Place in a bowl with the jalapeno, red onion, garlic, and lime juice. Mix gently to combine. Season with salt. Set aside.

Putting it all Together
I like tortillas warm and a little crispy.

1. Heat a large, 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Place a tortilla in the bare skillet to warm. Flip over just as it begins to brown. Remove from skillet and start to build your burrito.

2. Place 1/4 cup of the Cilantro-Lime Rice in the center. With a slotted spoon, add lay some of the beef on the rice. Add the desired amount of guacamole, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce. Fold the left and right sides of the tortilla towards the center and roll the burrito from the bottom up. Devour.

Makes 8 large burritos.

Tagged as: [ barbacoa beef chipotle cilantro guacamole recipes rice salsa ]

Beef Rendang

Rendang, a dish that originates in Indonesia, is one of many appetizing curry dishes. I have adapted this version from several different recipes I have tried out.

2   lbs.	stewing beef, cut into 1" cubes
3   tbsp.	vegetable oil
	salt
2    small	onions, diced
2-3	garlic cloves
2"  piece	fresh ginger, peeled & minced
1	fresh serrano chile
1    small	shallot, finely chopped
	zest of 1 lime
2   tbsp.	minced lemongrass
2   tsp.	ground coriander
1/2 tsp.	fennel seeds
2    tsp.	cumin seeds
1/4 tsp.	cloves
3	dried red chilies
1    400 ml.	can of coconut milk
1/2  cup	water
1    tsp.	tamarind pulp
1    tbsp.	lemon juice
1    tbsp.	grated palm sugar
	salt to taste
	fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare all ingredients before beginning to cook. Mix the onion, garlic, ginger, and serrano chile in a small food processor and blend until it forms a smooth puree. You may need to add some water for easy blending. Set aside.


2. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the coriander, fennel, cumin, cloves, and red chilies to a fine powder. Set aside.


3. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of boiling water over a 2" piece of tamarind to soften the sticky pulp. Push the tamarind through a fine mesh sieve to extract the pulp from the seeds. Set aside.


4. Using paper towels, pat dry the stewing beef and season liberally with salt. Preheat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, and to avoid crowding and steaming the meat, brown the beef on all sides. Set aside.


5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Sauté the shallots, adding a touch of water, if necessary, to scrape up all of the browned bits left behind from the beef. Add the puree and cook for a few minutes. Add the lime zest and lemongrass and stir to combine. Push all of the mixture to one side of the Dutch oven.



6. In the empty spot, pour the spice mixture and stir to toast the spices for a minute or so. Stir the spices into the onion puree to form a paste.


7. Add the coconut fat from the can to the spice mixture and cook for a few minutes. Pour the remaining coconut milk into the pot, adding 1/2 cup of water, the tamarind pulp, lemon juice, and palm sugar. Return the beef to the pot.


8. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Allow the mixture to simmer, uncovered, for approximately 20 minutes. Cover and continue to simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.


9. Uncover and continue to simmer if the liquid has not reduced enough. Add salt to taste. The Rendang is ready when the fat separates from the mixture. Pour over cooked white rice and top with fresh cilantro. Serves 6.

Rendang is even tastier when it is refrigerated overnight and reheated the next day.

Tagged as: [ beef cuisine indonesia recipes rendang ]