Bo Luc Lac - "Shaking Beef"

One of my fondest memories of San Francisco is dining at the Slanted Door. On that trip, we stayed on the Embarcadero at the beautiful Hotel Vitale, which is conveniently located at Mission Street right across from the Ferry Market. (convenient for eating, that is!)

Last month I was delighted to see this simple recipe for Shaking Beef, which we first enjoyed at the Slanted Door. Its easy preparation makes it perfect for weeknight.

I hadn't planned on writing about this meal, but a few bites in I realized it was too good to keep to myself.


Bo Luc Lac
Adapted from Michael Huynh
New York Times, October 21, 2009
Serves 2

FOR THE MARINADE:

1 pound beef filet, (I used Wegman's organic), cut into 1-inch cubes

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SALAD:

1 medium red onion, cut into paper-thin strips

7 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

most of 1 head butter lettuce, cored, leaves torn into large pieces

1 shaved fennel bulb

1 bunch arugula, chopped

1/2 cup mint leaves

8-12 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons vegetable oil.

1. For the marinade: In a bowl, combine beef, garlic, Maggi or soy sauce, sugar, salt and black pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

2. For the salad: In a large serving bowl, combine onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, sugar, salt, vinegar and olive oil. Mix well, and season with black pepper to taste. Add lettuce, fennel, arugula, mint and tomatoes. Toss to mix.

3. Preheat a large skillet over high heat, and add vegetable oil. Add remaining 5 cloves minced garlic. Add half the beef cubes and sear on all sides, shaking pan, until medium rare, 1-2 minutes. Reserve, then repeat with remaining beef.

4. Transfer beef to salad greens and toss, or serve salad and beef separately, divided among four plates. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. If desired, serve with rice or crusty French bread.

Dinner in Tuscany

Staging my first blog photo shoot reminded me of the “Stop the Insanity” woman. You know, the one with the spiky blond hair who clearly never had heard of the Weight Watcher's Lifetime Membership, which is proof that the insanity never ends. Dragging a good lamp into the kitchen and posing a tomato like a supermodel made me question my sanity in the kitchen in a completely new way. All the days of admiring those gorgeous photos on smitten kitchen led to that moment, I suppose. Tonight needs no props, as my inspiration is our trip to Italy last summer.

Nothing, not even the stellar recommendations of the Moore Brothers cast and crew, could have prepared us for our arrival at Fallocchio, one of the guest houses at Fattoria Corzano e Paterno. It is a special place, one that stops you in your tracks and makes you thankful to be alive. I'm not sure if it was the scent of the enormous rosemary and lavender bushes or the view from our terrace, but before we could finish unpacking our rental car I turned to John and said, "I'm not leaving here in 3 days." We didn't.

Adjusting to the rhythms of the Tuscan countryside was easy. We frequented the cafes and shops in nearby San Casciano, enjoying each other and our new surroundings for long, lazy afternoons. We watched the locals emerge from the surrounding farmhouses for their annual festival, where gelato was served inside brioche, for a decadent please-don't-stop-this-insanity experience. And among the highlights of the trip was the opportunity to meet two winemakers whom we have admired for years: Paulo De Marchi of Isole e Olena and Aljoscha Goldschmidt of Corzano e Paterno. After a visit to her dairy, Toni Ballarin, cheesemaker at Corzano and Aljoscha's wife, recommended the best place to buy bistecca fiorentina, which is a classic Tuscan thick-cut porterhouse from Chianina oxen. I often deviate from the traditional cut by using a quick cooking, very satisfying skirt steak. A bottle of 2006 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico completes a lovely meal.

We are not dining in Tuscany tonight, but it sure tastes like it.

Tuscan Skirt Steak

1 1/2 - 2 lb skirt steak

a few sprigs each - rosemary, sage and thyme

1 clove garlic, minced

extra virgin olive oil (I used Corzano e Paterno)

gray salt

fresh ground black pepper

a sprig or two of basil, for garnish

Preheat grill. Cut steak into 2 or 3 pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Prepare serving plate with herbs, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill steak on medium for 5 minutes a side, then allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice meat and place atop prepared herb plate. Pour beef juices over steak, then dress with olive oil, gray salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Garnish with basil. Plan your next vacation.