I’ve gotten into a better habit of planning out meals a week ahead of time so I can get all of the shopping done at once and so I’m not sitting there at 5pm, uninspired as to what I should make for dinner. I went the nerdy direction and created a shared iCal with the dinner (and sometimes lunch) plans for better coordiation with our schedules as well.
I’m keeping a short running list of things I want to make soon in Evernote, so that’s solving the inspiration problem. Larry also shares the note so he can add requests, such as his hankering for fried chicken.
I had fried chicken on the calendar for tonight, but then remembered it needed to marinate overnight. So, I rejiggered and pulled something else from my list – grilled skirt steak.
So, the steak. It’s pretty simple – a wet rub of chipotle purée and some oil, salt and pepper. That’s it, nothing fancy. This will work fine with flap steak too, and flank in a pinch but it won’t be as tender or flavorful.
Once the steak comes off the grill it gets a bit of chipotle/cilantro butter on top to melt while the meat rests. That’s the good stuff. It’s completely delicious – the butter tames the spice, and the flavors are perfectly in balance. We both loved this meal. I especially liked how the chipotle butter found its way into all of the craggly bits of the steak.
To go alongside the steak, I threw together another quick, deceptively simple, yet delicious dish. Carrots and Tokyo turnips, first steamed for a bit in the oven then roasted with a mixture of maple syrup and sriracha. Larry was in heaven. This would be a perfect meal to make for my dad, next time I see him. Served alongside some whiskey, of course.
- Grilled Skirt Steak with Adobo Butter (Fine Cooking #143)
- Steam-Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple, Sriracha, and Thyme (Fine Cooking #143)
