Steak Marinated in Soy, Ginger and Lime with Red Onion Toasts

So, this is one of the recipes we tried for Operation: Cook New Stuff.  It's from Jonathan Waxman's cookbook, A Great American Cook: Recipes from the Home Kitchen of One of Our Most Influential American Chefs.  When we watched Top Chef Masters this summer, Waxman was always our favorite, and it seemed that his cooking style would suit us well.  He was the simple guy.

Simple compared to the other Top Chef Masters.  (Kind of like how Maci is the "smart one" on Teen Mom.)  In the cookbook, Waxman explains that this recipe--a recipe that is far more involved and sophisticated than anything we ever make--is his take on fast food.  Now, our take on fast food is something like a spicy chicken go-wrap from Wendy's.  Or if we want to get fancy with our take on fast food we'll go to Chick-Fil-A and get a deluxe spicy chicken sandwich.  This recipe: not fast food.  But it's delicious and really fun to make, so we can give ol' Waxman a pass on that one.

Another perk about this recipe is that it uses relatively simple and inexpensive ingredients.  For the entire meal, we probably spent $15 (for four servings).  Even more exciting was that we learned where the broiler is on our oven.  (Yeah, we've lived here for three years and always wondered why that drawer that most people use for pots and pans would get so hot.  Sometimes I can't believe that the State of Georgia lets me teach children.) 

We intentionally cooked this meal last night because last night was Top Chef night, so it allowed us to eat amazing food and feel fancy.  And fancy we felt!** If you have a chance, or if you're trying to impress somebody, make this steak.  (Also, my picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice.  Those purpley things are the shallots that had been simmering in red wine and butter--ugly but awesome.  And those little red onion toasts?  Well, I could eat about a million and a half of those.) 

Jonathan Waxman's Steak Marinated with Soy, Ginger and Lime with Red Onion Toasts

Ingredients


2 pounds skirt or hanger steak
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger
1 lime
1⁄4 cup soy sauce
3 garlic cloves
1 cup dry red wine
3 shallots
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red onion
4 slices sourdough bread
 
Preparation


Pat the steak dry with paper towels and place it in a nonreactive baking pan.

Peel and grate the ginger. Juice the lime. In a small bowl, mix the ginger with the lime juice and soy sauce. Smash 2 of the garlic cloves and add them to the marinade. Pour the mixture over the steak, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Remove the steak from the marinade and place on a platter. Discard the garlic and ginger and reserve the marinade.

Bring the red wine to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Chop the shallots and add them to the wine. Boil to reduce the wine to 1/4 cup. Stir in the butter and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Slice the onion into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the reserved marinade and broil the onion until tender and dark brown, about 10 minutes; be careful not to burn it. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Leave the broiler on.

Place the steak on the broiler pan and broil, turning once, just until medium-rare, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cover loosely to keep warm.


Toast the bread on both sides under the broiler.

Meanwhile, reheat the sauce over low heat. Split the remaining garlic clove in half and rub the slices of toast with the garlic. Place a slice of toast on each plate. Divide the onion among the toasts. Slice the steak and place on the plates. Top the steak with the red wine sauce and serve.

4 servings

**I should note, too, that it was Matt who did most of the work cooking this meal, mostly because I am incapable of following directions and he is so anal about following directions that he measures the water and uses a timer when he makes ramen noodles.  I chopped, he cooked.