Patatas Bravas with Romesco Aioli; Chimichurri Skirt Steak

One of my longtime friends is in town from Florida and I had to make him a nice meal before he heads back home. I have never been to Spain, but I have been to a few spanish restaurants. Patatas bravas is one of my favorite appetizers. So simple, yet so good! As good as they are, they are even better accompanied by some meat.

My protein option is skirt steak. I marinated it in a south american style chimichurri sauce. For the marinade, I pulsed the following in a food processor: parsley, cilantro, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and about a cup of olive oil. For the marinade, a thicker sauce is better. As a topping, a thinner sauce (add more vinegar) is better.

Patatas bravas are not complete with an aioli. I took a typical Romesco sauce (roasted red peppers, tomato puree, almonds, olive oil, oregano, and seasoning) and combined it with a standard mayo. After a quick puree in the food processor, the aioli is ready. It is nutty, creamy, and fruity. I was so happy with how it turned out. Chilled or room temperature, the aioli is amazing with the patatas bravas.

romesco sauce before aioli

romesco aioli

The patatas bravas are fairly simple. I roughly chop some potatoes and then fry them in large batches. This will cook them through on the inside. Once out the fryer, I let them drain. Right before serving, I turn up the heat on my oil and quickly fry in smaller batches. The potatoes brown very quickly and even develop a slight crunch. This double fry technique ensures that the potatoes cook exactly as they should! Make sure to season the potatoes with your best salt right out of the fryer.

after the first fry session, simply blanched

after the second fry session, crispy and delicious

The skirt steak was also very straightforward. Covered in the marinade, I put the skirt steak on a hot grill. I cooked it until it had grill marks on both sides. The marinade gave the steak a flavorful acidity and complemented the meat juices very well.

skirt steak with chimichurri marinade

the grill is steak's best friend

I made sure to cut the steak against the grain. I sliced the skirt steak into 3 sections, rotated each piece 90 degrees, and sliced them into 1/3 inch strips.

medium rare

 The dish, assembled.

chimichurri skirt steak with patatas bravas and romesco aioli

the kid from Florida, Chris

getting busy in the kitchen

bigtime

Beef Bulgogi Bibimpap

Beef Bulgogi is one of my favorite Korean dishes. Tender beef, sweet and salty glaze, and grill marks, go together perfectly. Even better is bibimpap, the classic vegetable and meat dish. Basically, take beef bulgogi, add in marinated veggies, rice, and top the mixture with an egg. Typically, bibimpap is served in a scorching hot pot that crisps the rice and cooks the egg. Veggies are scattered atop the rice in a colorful layout. Mine, however, is a a bit different: similar flavors, simple style.

To start, I made the marinade for the beef. I combined a good amount of mirin with some tamari, a bit of honey, lots of brown sugar, a touch of sesame oil, minced garlic and ginger, and chopped scallions. I mixed everything together and added it to the beef. Unfortunately, the best beef option at my local market was sliced eye round. It had been pounded as well. The ideal option is very thinly sliced rib eye. That is the way it is done in restaurants. Not only is it super tender but it is fatty and delicious.

marinated beef bulgogi

Below is my arsenal:

Beef, like pretty much all other types of meat, tastes the best on the grill. Beef bulgogi is no exception. The smoke from the grill is an added touch, and the sugars in the marinade caramelize onto the meat.

grilled beef bulgogi

To accompany the grilled meat, I made a bibimpap-esqe veggie salad. I thinly sliced cucumbers and bok choy, and julienned carrots. To that, I added a touch of sesame oil, mirin, a hint of tamari, and plenty of siracha. Of course, there is white rice. To top everything off, I placed a fried egg on top.

beef bulgogi bibimpap

I forgot to mention. I also made a quick siracha aioli. Take mayo, add as much siracha as you can handle, a touch of tamari, and pinch of honey.

beef bulgogi bibimpap

Grapefruit Glazed Chicken Skewers with Grilled Corn Salad

I just purchased an outdoor gas grill and I am obsessed with it. It is big enough to hold a significant amount of food yet it is nondescript enough for my roof patio. The grill is not only a wonderful tool for easy and relatively healthy meals, but it makes everything taste so much better. I have been grilling chicken for the past few nights and the flavor reigns supreme over any other simple cooking method. Best of all, chicken skin crisps and lightly chars when grilled properly.

The chicken skewers require very little prep before they go on the grill. I used bone on chicken thighs that I then deboned and cut into morsels. I don't want the chicken to burn on the outside before cooking through, so I simply seasoned it with salt and pepper, and marinated it in olive oil and lime juice. A glaze is applied at the very end of the grilling process before coming off the grill. Make sure to leave the skin on the chicken! Not only does it keep your meat moist, but it provides a great flavor and texture boost!

The vegetables for the corn salad also go on the grill. I cut and sliced bell peppers, onions, and yellow squash, and seasoned everything with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I cooked them on all sides until they got nice grill marks and became tender. I also grilled the corn. I removed the husks and let it cook directly over the fire. Make sure to keep the heat at an appropriate level so that the corn doesn't char before it is tender. Once all the vegetables are cooked, you dice them. For the corn, you slice the kernels right off of the cob.

The corn salad was dressed fairly simply. I used a bit of mayo, some mexican crema, white vinegar, dijon mustard, cilantro, agave, and paprika. I whisked everything until it became tight and seasoned it to taste.

You can glaze the chicken with whatever sauce you would like. Just make sure to apply the glaze at the end of grilling and briefly cook it until caramelized. My glaze was made with garlic, ginger, scallions, grapefruit juice, agave, honey, and soy sauce. Basically, I sautéed the scallions, garlic and ginger gently, and then added all of the liquids. I turned the heat up and cooked the mixture until thickened. Once it coats a spoon, it is ready.

grapefruit glaze

applying the glaze on the grill

the finished product!

Grapefruit Glazed Chicken Skewers with Grilled Corn Salad