For some reason, Montana’s political snafus of the week duly noted, trying to fish Cuba this year is making more and more sense.
Stories abound of astounding fly fishing (see video above) and mouth-watering, spicy foods.
The cigars and rum you’re already picturing clearly in your minds eye.
While we’re a long, long way from Cuba, it is possible to explore the world of Cuban food goodness right at home.
We’re due for a break in the unseasonably cold weather plaguing the neighborhood of late. That means it’s beyond time to fire up the grill, break out the rum and a fresh bag of limes.
For those of you still locked in the icy death grip of winter, to hell with the cold. Grill anyway.
How about Palomilla – a steak in an adobo styled garlic-lime marinade? My formally trained chef friends in the know argue that palomilla is a peasant’s dish cut from the bottom round, a rather ‘pedestrian’ cut of meat as some family members would intone. As this cut of meat is tough, it’s usually sliced thin 1/3 to 1/2 inch and marinated.
For your palomilla look for prime top butt, sirloin or shell steaks, but no matter – the steaks must be thinly sliced.
Bottom line – grill jockeys know that pedestrian cuts of meat, flavored well, seared and grilled medium rare, then thinly sliced can be gastronomic genius. So go to it.
The Grilled Goods
4 beef steaks, see above, cut 1/2 inch thick
3 large sweet onions, cut 1/2 inch thick
olive oilThe Lime Garlic Marinade (Adobo)
6 gloves garlic
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup sour orange juice (fresh lime juice with a dash of regular orange also works well)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Make the Marinade. Place all the ingredients in your trusty blender and process to a smooth puree. Adjust the seasonings – my chef friends would say ‘the mixture should be highly seasoned’. It should make your mouth pucker and almost make your eyes water.
Marinate. Though you really don’t have to, the flavors are much deeper if you marinate the steaks for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.
Grill. Heat your trusty grill to medium high. Brush the onion slices with the olive oil, salt and pepper ‘em and grill for 3-4 minutes per side until charred and marked.
The steaks only need 2 – 3 minutes per side, and don’t forget to rotate 90 degrees after a minute or so to get those uber professional looking grill marks. Baste at least once per side with the adobo.
Pull the steaks and onions, brush one more time with the adobo (reserve a small amount if you did marinate your steaks) and let rest for 2 or 3 minutes. You won’t be able to wait any longer.
We’ve done this with grilled polenta before and it was muy bueno.
Enjoy.
Cuba Libre.
Tags: Friday Feast
{ 3 comments }
That’s it… I’m going shopping.
She Who Must Be Obeyed said I had to hit the store too. cuba libre.
Think you may need some margaritas to go with that beef.