How to Roast a Lamb_ New Greek Classic Cooking - Michael Psilakis [31]
After resting, transfer steaks to oven for 2 minutes, to warm up the outside without cooking any further. Smear the htipiti nice and thick on top of each steak, then cut lovely thick slices; divide among 4 dinner plates. Squeeze the lemon over the top and scatter with a little sea salt and the remaining oregano.
For the Greek Creamed Spinach, in a large skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. When it is hot, add the shallot and scallion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, to soften slightly. Add the spinach and cover the pan for a minute, just to begin cooking the spinach. Toss for a few minutes, to wilt without collapsing. Season well with salt and pepper and thoroughly stir in the Greek Béchamel Sauce and dill. Remove from the heat.
WHEN IS IT DONE?
I like to use a cake tester or small metal skewer to gauge the doneness of any kind of protein. Pierce the steak through to the center and leave the skewer in place for a few seconds. Then press it gently against your lower lip. If it’s not warm at all, that’s steak au bleu, as they say in France. The hotter the skewer, the more done the steak. For me, when it’s warm, that’s medium-rare. If it’s really hot, you’re way overdone. You can also use the touch test: pinch the steak on its side between your index finger and thumb; if it gives easily, that’s rare. The more it bounces, the more done it is. If the meat springs back quickly like a rubber ball, it’s overdone. Medium-rare is about a third of the way between soft and really firm.
WHY THE REST?
I guarantee you that some people spend a fortune on a steak, then—when they think it’s done—put it on a plate and run to the table. Resist this urge. When you cut into a steak right away, all the tasty juices run onto the plate. When protein is exposed to heat, it reacts violently and sends all the blood and juices into the center. During the resting process the meat relaxes, and juices gradually make their way out to the edges again so that by the time you slice, the meat is equally pink all the way through and there should be almost no escaping juice. Also be sure to rest it on a rack to allow air circulation around the entire piece of meat. Hot meat resting directly on a surface will not cool evenly, as the heat will be transferred back and forth from the steak to the surface it is resting on. Here, I return the steaks to a very hot oven, just briefly, right before serving, so the surface of the meat will be hot enough to melt the htipiti.
Creamed Spinach
Beef Stew
BEEF STEW WITH LEEKS
BODINO STIFADO ME PRASO
SERVES 4 TO 6 FAMILY-STYLE, WITH POTATOES, RICE, OR ORZO
Braises like this are perfect for meat with tough muscle tissue and tendons (which come from the part of the animal that works hard), a great example of poverty cooking. This less expensive cut of meat develops its own natural and luscious sauce as it cooks. You want a little marbling in the meat, because it melts down as you cook and adds a lot of flavor to the sauce. You can use brisket, shanks, shoulder—all fairly tough meats—but save the filet mignon for the grill or a pan. It takes a little time to cook and become tender, but it’s a relatively easy setup, and once you get it onto the stove you don’t have to worry about it for about an hour. So you can do your laundry, or walk the dog, or make a salad.
A couple of days later, if you have any leftovers, you can shred the meat, then return the meat to the sauce and add your favorite pasta. The resulting dish is a Greek version of beef Stroganoff.
The herbs are very important to the flavor development here, since I’m using water instead of stock, so use fresh herbs if possible.
3 tablespoons blended oil (90 percent canola, 10 percent extra-virgin olive)
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1½-inch chunks
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
½ large Spanish or sweet onion, finely chopped