Fresh Tart

When I started asking food friends what they think makes a great meatloaf, three separate people said ask Chef Stephen Trojahn of Gastrotruck, because his smoked meatloaf sliders are amazing.

So I sent him a note, and he kindly shared the following tips!

1. Start with excellent, grass-fed beef.
2. Test & taste your mixture (by frying off a bit first), adjust seasoning as needed.
3. If you don't have a smoker, add a few slices of smoked, finely diced & rendered bacon to the mixture.
4. Let it rest. It's even better if you let it come to room temperature then chill overnight.

I took those ideas and incorporated them into a recent favorite recipe by Chef Damon Wise. Both Trojahn and Wise endeavor to add layers of flavor to their meatloaf, with Trojahn adding the killer touch of cooking his in a smoker. If you have a smoker, do that! Absolutely delicious.

(Gluten-free note: I substituted gluten-free bread with excellent results.)

Recipe for tender, smoky Meatloaf at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine.  May I suggest adding a pat of herb butter to your grilled steaks?  The butter melts over the hot beef, of course, pooling with the steak's juices to create an obscenely addictive sauce.  It's a classic bistro presentation, alongside pommes frites, and is so delicious that you'll soon be adding pats to everything.  Grilled fish, boiled new potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, crusty bread...on and on, all improved by that gorgeous green butter.  Simple.  Divine.  Mon Dieu.

Dinner tonight?  Could be...

Grilled Steaks with Herb Butter
Makes a litte more than 1/2 c. of butter; recipe doubles nicely

steaks (your favorite cut)
Kosher salt (or other coarse salt; not table salt)
1 stick (1/2 c.) cold butter
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 small shallot, chopped
1/4 c. chopped fresh herbs (any combination you like of basil, parsley, rosemary, sage, oregano, chervil...)
zest of 1/2 lemon
dash or two of Tabasco sauce (optional)

One hour before grilling, sprinkle coarse salt generously on both sides of the steaks.  Cover lightly and let sit at room temperature while you heat the grill and prepare the butter.

Put butter, garlic, shallot, herbs, lemon zest, and Tabasco sauce (if using) in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until butter is smooth and uniformly green.  Taste and add salt as needed.  Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter.  Add the butter in spoonfuls to create a long log, about 1-inch by 8-inches.  Roll the plastic wrap around the butter and gently roll the log of butter back and forth on the counter, to make the log relatively even and round.  Twist off the ends of the plastic wrap to seal and put the butter in the freezer to firm it up.  (Butter can be made 2 days ahead; chill in the refrigerator, covered.)

Heat the grill.  Thoroughly pat the steaks dry with paper towels.  Grill the steaks to desired doneness.  Just before the steaks are done, slice off several 1/4-inch thick slices of butter.  Top hot steaks with a pat of butter and serve.  (Leftover butter will keep for a week in the fridge, a month in the freezer.)

Here's a fast way to jazz up your weekend steaks.  I've posted this recipe for Korean Bulgogi before, but it deserves another look on a sunny Friday.  It finally stopped raining here which means improved moods and...grill time!  Yes!

This marinade is perfect for a top sirloin (although I had strip steaks in the freezer; any cut would be delicious) - slash deeply, whisk together the marinade, and set in the fridge for a few hours.  Sear over hot coals (or in my case, gas flame) until crusty-yet-pink.

Slice as thinly as you can and serve as is, or wrapped in lettuce leaves with rice and bean paste.  My son loves this flavorful steak although he lost out on this go-round.  My husband thought everyone had eaten, not realizing Nathan hadn't eaten before baseball practice, and polished off the whole platter.  Around here it's go fast or go hungry, baby.

If you're thinking grilled fish instead of beef, check out my recipe for Miso-Glazed Salmon at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine.  It's easy and salty-sweet-fabulous.  Have a tasty weekend!

Korean Bulgogi
Serves 4-6

1 1/2 lbs. boneless top sirloin, trimmed of fat
6 scallions, trimmed & thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. peeled gingerroot, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
generous grinding of black pepper

Serve with:
Bibb lettuce leaves for wrapping
Bean paste or hoisin sauce
White rice
Kimchi
Sauteed Asian mushrooms
Sesame seeds

Score steak deeply (nearly through to the other side) on a 1-inch crisscross diamond pattern.  Turn over and score the 2nd side.

In shallow dish, combine remaining ingredients.  Add the steak & turn to coat.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning from time to time.

Prepare a hot grill.  Grill until medium-rare, about 4 minutes/side.  Slice into very thin strips & serve at once.

Grillin' and chilin', a real warm-weather day.  Puppy Louis spent all day outside, playing in the park and back yard, snoozing on the deck, and acquiring a fair number of burrs (luckily, they slide out of his fur pretty easily).  We spent all day outside too, reading and...playing with Puppy Louis.  I might even be a little pink, which is miraculous given that these days my sunbathing includes long sleeves/pants, a scarf, a hat, sunglasses, and a boatload of sunblock.  The sun is not my friend, even though it makes me so very, very happy.

We had a late din, nothing more than a burger, kind of perfect.  I've said this before, but I reiterate each season...

Great Burgers

1. Buy best-quality ground beef, not too lean.

2. Gently work generous salt and pepper throughout the meat before you form the patties.

3. Gently form the patties (if you pack 'em, you puck 'em), until they just hold together.

4. Press the center of the formed burger to make it a bit thinner than the rest (the sides seize up as the burger cooks; a thinner center ensures even cooking).

5. As you cook them, do NOT press down on them (who started that?), you'd just squish all the juicy goodness out of them.