Salsa Rosa Tossed With Spaghettini Topped With Grilled Flank Steak Recipes

CHICKEN MILANESE WITH SALSA ROSA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• With a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound the chicken cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/8-inch thickness. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper and press the seasonings into the meat with your fingers.
• Make the coating: Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Work in the olive oil by hand, then spread the mixture on a dinner plate. Spread the flour on another dinner plate. Break the eggs into a shallow bowl and beat lightly. Dip the cutlets in the flour, coating both sides and shaking off the excess. Then dip in the egg, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Finally, coat the cutlets on both sides with the seasoned bread crumbs, pressing them into place. As each cutlet is coated, place it on a tray. Cover the cutlets and refrigerate until you are ready to fry them.
• Heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add olive oil to a depth of 1/4-inch. When the oil is almost smoking, add as many cutlets as the skillet will hold comfortably; do not crowd the pan. Cook until the cutlets are golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Turn and cook on the second side about 30 seconds to 1 minute longer. With tongs, lift the cutlets as they are done, allowing any excess oil to drain back into the skillet, and transfer to cookie sheet lined with paper bag to drain excess oil. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
• When ready to serve, place chicken cutlets on cookie sheet to finish cooking, about 2 minutes.
• Place the arugula in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough extra-virgin olive oil to coat the leaves lightly. Add a squeeze of lemon and some salt and pepper. Toss, taste, and adjust the seasoning.
• Divide the cutlets among 4 plates, placing them in the center. Spoon a little Salsa Rosa on each side of the cutlets. Mound the arugula salad on top. With a vegetable peeler, shave a little Parmesan on top of the salad.
• Michael's Notes: If you like my version of Chicken Milanese, and I know you will, try the same method on pounded veal, turkey breasts or on very thin swordfish steaks.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush the bell peppers lightly with olive oil and place on the baking sheet. Bake, turning every 10 to 15 minutes, until the peppers are blistered all over, about 30 minutes total. Transfer the peppers to a brown paper bag, and close tightly so they steam as they cool. You can roast the peppers under the broiler or over a gas flame, if you prefer, but I like to do them in a hot oven. It takes a little longer, but you don't have to monitor them as closely.
• While peppers are steaming, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over high heat. Add the whole chiles, lower the heat to moderate, and cook, turning occasionally, until the chiles are softened, lightly browned, and blistered on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the chilies cool in the oil for several minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the stems.
• Add more oil to the skillet, if needed, to make 2 tablespoons. Reheat the oil over moderate heat and add the garlic. Cook until lightly browned, about 30 seconds, then add the oregano and saute briefly to release its fragrance. Add the tomato puree and salt, bring to a simmer, and simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
• Remove peppers from bag, peel and remove the stems, seeds, and ribs; avoid the temptation to rinse the peppers, which would wash away flavor. You should have about 4 cups.
• Combine the red peppers, serrano chiles, and tomato sauce in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the vinegar and the black pepper to taste and puree again. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
• Yield: about 4 cups

GRILLED FLANK STEAK WITH SALSA CRUDA

Steps:

• Prepare the grill and let it burn down to medium coals. Core the tomatoes and cut an X through the skin on the bottom of each.
• In a bowl, toss the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and chiles with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Secure the chilies with metal or soaked wooden skewers so they won't fall through the grill grate. Place the tomatoes on the grill, X-side down and away from direct heat, with the other vegetables. Cover the grill and cook, turning the onions, bell pepper and chiles to char evenly all over, until the tomatoes have softened but are still firm enough to stand on their own and the onions, bell pepper and chilies are blistered, about 15 minutes. Put the pepper and chiles in a bowl and cover to steam and loosen the skins. Let the tomatoes cool to room temperature. In a large, shallow bowl, combine 4 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, vinegar, oregano. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
• Peel the grilled vegetables. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and squeeze out the seeds into a sieve suspended over a bowl to catch the juices. Finely chop the onions and tomatoes. Return the tomato pulp and any juices from the chopping board to the bowl holding the tomato juices. Seed and chop the chiles. Cut the bell pepper into small dice. Mash the chiles and taste to determine their heat.
• Add all vegetables with garlic olive oil mixture. Mix well before topping pasta or flank steak.
• Season the flank steak with salt, pepper, and brush with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Grill, turning once, until done to your taste, about 10 minutes for rare meat (to cook indoors try a cast iron, skillet or bistecca pan). A minute before removing steak from the heat, top with oregano and Gorgonzola. Transfer to a cutting board, drizzle with another 1 tablespoon olive oil, and crumble the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano over the top. Let rest for about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the bread on both sides until brown and crunchy on the outside but still soft within.
• Carve the meat on the diagonal into thin slices and arrange on a platter or plates, on top of crusty bread. Top with about 1/4 cup of the Salsa Cruda, per slice of bread drizzled over each portion. Serve immediately.

GRILLED FLANK STEAK WITH MUSTARD GREENS

Steps:

• Prepare the grill pan and let it get smoking hot. Pour a tablespoon of the olive oil on one side of the meat and rub in. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle half of the oregano on top and lightly press into meat. Flip and repeat process on the other side. Grill, turning once, for about 10 minutes or until done to your taste. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.
• While steak is cooking, heat the remaining oil until hot in a large saute pan. Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute, or until light brown. Add the greens and toss occasionally. After about 3 minutes the greens will have cooked down. Season with a large pinch of salt and cook another 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Splash with vinegar to taste.
• Cut the flank steak across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Serve with the greens and finish with drizzle of hot sauce, as desired.

GRILLED FLANK STEAK CROSTINI WITH MUSTARD GREENS

Steps:

• Bring the flank steak to room temperature.
• Prepare an outdoor grill or preheat a stovetop grill pan.
• Season both sides of the steak with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on 1 side of the meat and lightly rub it in.
• Sprinkle half of the oregano on top and place the steak on the grill, herb side up.
• Grill on 1 side for about 5 minutes or until the juices of the meat come to the surface of the steak. Turn the steak once and continue cooking for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until done to your taste. Let rest for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile: In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil until hot. Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute, or until light brown. Add the greens and toss occasionally.
• After about 3 minutes, the greens will have cooked down. Season with a large pinch of salt and a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper. Cook another 3 minutes. Splash greens with 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and hot sauce, to taste, if using. Transfer the greens to a plate.
• For the crostini: Brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the slices on the grill or grill pan and cook until crispy, about 1 minute on each side.
• Cut the flank steak across the grain in 1/4-inch slices. Place a slice of steak on top of each crostini, top each with the greens and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and hot sauce, as desired. Can be served warm or at room temperature.