July 2013 - Food & Fire

Gluten-Free Tostadas

I was very happy to see that Udi’s is now offering gluten-free tortillas. I decided to give them a test drive on “man-food night” while the dear wife was away and make tostadas.

1 (8-ounce) package of Mexican chorizo
1 (15.4-ounce) can refried black beans with chilies
4 Udi’s tortillas

For topping:
Cojita and/or shredded co-jack cheese
Salsa verde
Sour cream
Choula hot sauce

Preheat your oven to 350°F. While oven is heating up, crumble chorizo into a medium skillet and brown over medium heat – about 5 minutes. Stir in refried beans and reduce heat to low.

Arrange tortillas on a cookie sheet and slide into the oven. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip and cook until they get browned and puffy – about 5 more minutes, but watch them as they can burn quickly.

Udis Tortillas — Tortilla inflada – the sign of a good tortilla is when it inflates when heated.

Assemble the tostadas by laying down the first tortilla on an oven-proof serving plate and spreading it with a layer of refried beans and meat. Add a little cheese and salsa if you want. Top with a second tortilla and spread some meat and bean goodness on that. Top with cheese, salsa, hot sauce, and maybe some more cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Slide the tostada-covered plates back in the oven and let cook at 350°F until the cheese starts to melt – about 5 minutes.

I served these with a dollop of sour cream, a little more Choula, and a squeeze of lime (okay, and more cojita too).

The Verdict:
Crunchy, cheesy, spicy, and just a little greasy – perfect for bach’ing it in front of the TV. I have to give Udi’s a lot of credit for making tortillas that I couldn’t tell were gluten free.

The Nutrition:
Man food has no calories.

One year ago – Grilled Sweet Corn in the Husk
Two years ago – Saucy Wings

Summer!

No recipe today – just a photo of a big and juicy cheese burger and a big “Woohoo!” that it’s finally summer here in my neck of the woods.

Winter was long, spring was wet and cold, and it was beginning to look like summer would never get here. But the past few weeks have been glorious – highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s, and bright blue skies as far as the eye can see. Can’t beat that.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m headed out to the deck for a little al fresco dining with my dear wife.

Happy summer to all!

P.S. Gluten-free bun courtesy of Udi’s.

Sirlion Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms

Another “mystery meat” package from my butcher. The handwriting on the butcher paper said “sirloin”, so I assumed it was a steak. It turned out to be a big ol’ sirloin roast – three small bones, multiple muscle groups, and a thin strip of connective tissue holding two nice cuts of meat together.

I trimmed the roast down to two steaks and decided to treat them to a mushroom baste.

2 sirloin steaks
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt

Remove the steaks from the fridge and give them a good dusting with some ground sea salt and black pepper. Then set your grill up for a direct cook at slightly sub-nuclear temperature (about 600°F).

When the grill is getting up to temp, sauté the mushrooms. Combine the mushrooms, butter, and oil in a shallow baking pan (I use a 9×13 disposable foil pan) and heat it up right on the grill, stirring to combine everything as the butter melts. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt and keep cooking until the mushrooms are tender and browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the Worcestershire and thyme and stir to combine. Let cook until the mixture starts to bubble, about another minute. Set the pan beside the grill to keep it warm.

Sear the steaks for 60 seconds on each side, then move them off into the mushroom baste. Flip them a couple of times to coat both sides with all that earthy and buttery joy, then put the steaks back on the grill for another 30 seconds on each side. Keep flipping every 30 seconds or so and start checking for doness – I like my steaks medium-rare, so 125°F internal. These steaks took just under 2 minutes per side total.

Move the steaks off into the mushroom baste and give them another flip. Let rest for 10 minutes, then move the steaks to a cutting board. Reserve the mushroom baste and keep the pan warm.

Trim off any fat or connective tissue from the steaks and then slice the meat on a diagonal into 1/4-inch slices. Put the sliced steak and any accumulated meat juices from the cutting board back into the mushroom mix. Give the pan a stir to coat the meat.

Move meat to a serving platter and serve topped with the mushrooms.

The Verdict:
Sirloin is a very flavorful cut of meat, but it can be tough. I really like this grill and baste technique because it lets me build up that flavor while keeping the meat moist and tender.

The Nutrition:
If you trim it, sirloin steak is 5 points for 3 ounces of meat. The baste adds about 3 more points for the oil. Serve it with a salad and it’s all good.

One year ago – Mixed Berry Pretzel Icebox Dessert
Two years ago – Pulled Picnic

Month: July 2013

Gluten-Free Tostadas

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Summer!

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Sirlion Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms

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