Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

I usually wait for the weather to get really warm before we start grilling- but this past year, I have been grilling, even in the winter. It is so easy and convenient and you can’t beat the flavor. Now that the weather is perfect for spending hours and hours outside- it doesn’t really make sense to stay in and cook. We have been grilling almost every weekend for a couple of months now- even in the rain. The other day, I found myself outside without an umbrella- yes, I was too lazy to get one- so I stood out there with a plastic grocery bag on my head- it wasn’t pretty at all- I hope my neighbors didn’t see me. My point is that no matter what is happening outside, it is always a good idea to grill. 

With the 4th of July approaching, I though it would be nice to try out some dishes that would be delicious on the grill. There were boneless rib eyes on sale at Whole Foods. I marinated them in a mixture of garlic, oregano and parsley. The mixture smelled delicious while I was putting it together. I placed them in the fridge while I roasted some tomatillos and mangoes. I love sauces made out of tomatillos and since I always have mangoes on hand, I decided to pair them together with a few spring onions I got from the farmers market. I added some fresh lime juice and smoked paprika- one of my favorite spices. All the flavors worked perfectly together especially with the smoky grilled tomatillos and mangoes. I blended them all together and came up with a delicious sauce. We enjoyed it with the steak- in fact, I have half of it leftover and plan to serve it with grilled fish tonight.

I grilled potatoes and corn with asparagus to complete the meal. This menu is perfect for the long weekend, especially if you are entertaining. Everything can be prepared in advance. The only thing to be cooked right before eating are the steaks. The other two dishes taste really good room temperature. I would serve the raspberry pudding cake with this meal and also the sangria! Make sure to make lots of sangria so you can start before the guests come!

• 4 boneless rib eye steaks- about a pound and a half to two

Marinade

• 2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon oregano, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Pound all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle till it forms a smooth thick sauce (The mixture can be processed as well). Marinate the steaks with the mixture and place them in a zip lock bag. Refrigerate for 5-6 hours.
Take the steaks out of the fridge an hour before grilling.
Preheat the grill.
Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper and place them on the grill. Cook on each side for 7-9 minutes or till desired. Cover with aluminum foil and rest for 10 minutes.

Roasted Tomatillo and Mango Sauce

• 4-5 medium tomatillos, husks removed and coarsely chopped
• 2 medium mangoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2-3 medium spring onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Place the tomatillos, mangoes and spring onions on a grill pan. Mix the olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill till the vegetables are golden brown. Keep aside.

• Juice of one lime
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Process the grilled vegetables till smooth. Take the sauce out in a medium bowl and add the lime juice, honey, salt, smoked paprika and cilantro. Mix well and keep aside.