Tri-Tip Molto Bene with Grilled Asparagus
So the last two (three?) weeks, nothing happened.
I ate only cheese pasta and zucchini, didn’t do any dishes or laundry, watched SYTYCD auditions and several Criminal Minds marathons, and listened to the same albums on repeat while I went slightly mad in my hot, peeling attic room writing a novel (!) every night til 4 am. Bad. I think we got drunk a few times and ate some frozen custard too.
This is our last post together for a while. I’m moving to a renovated concrete warehouse loft this week and John’s going back to Jersey for 4 months. BUT THE BLOG WILL GO ON. I know you all care.
What this means: approximately 50% of the photos will be shittier than the rest because I will be taking them now. There will be some new backgrounds and surfaces from both of our other houses. I might show off pictures of my apartment in hopes Apartment Therapy will magically find it (one of many internet pipe dreams). That’s about it.
btw: John is on the twitter over here. I’m on the twitter here. I am as senseless and strange in 140 characters as I am here. Promise.
Also there is literally no reason why this recipe is called Molto Bene steak. It just is. We didn’t pick it.
Molto Bene Steak with Grilled Asparagus (adapted from James Purviance again)
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
2 sprigs of rosemary
STEAK. however much you want. We used 2 nice tri-tip steaks.
Asparagus, trimmed, also however much you want
Mix marinade ingredients. Put the steak in a ziploc bag and pour in the marinade, mushing it around. Throw in the refrigerator for 2ish hours to overnight and pull out 30 minutes before cooking time. Heat up the grill (can you do that yet? I think we almost can) and scrape the nasty shit off your grates. Grill over direct high heat with the cover closed as much as possible for 5 minutes a side. Don’t light it on fire or it will turn into a meat briquette. Drizzle the asparagus spears with more balsamic vinegar. Let the steak rest 5-10 minutes after taking it off. Immediately throw the asparagus spears on there until they get grill-marked and crunchy. Winner.
Bye John :(
Bye John’s camera and grilling skills :(
Crispy Roasted Chicken & Rapini
Who doesn’t love chicken skin? Cartman loves crispy chicken skin. The writers at our rival blog love crispy chicken skin. Everyone loves crispy chicken skin. Even vegetarians probably love it, even if they can’t admit it. It’s okay.
Tonight we made some chicken parts from Whole Foods into roasty, crispy chicken delight, without the brick recipes usually say you need. You don’t need it. Like most things we make, there is a) not a significant amount of actual recipe and b) a lot of technique and timing involved. Follow the timing. DGAF about the measurements, since we make them up most of the time anyway. Also, rapini = broccolini = broccoli rabe. Basically, asparagus-looking stalks with fluffy broccoli heads. They are delicious, but hard to find outside of pretentious grocery stores.
Roasted Chicken and Rapini (adapted from the Red Cat’s Roasted Chicken technique)
Ingredients
4 tbsp. canola oil (don’t substitute olive oil, you need the high smoke point)
2 1/2 boneless, skin-on chicken parts
Salt & Pepper
See? The ingredients are a joke. The skill is more important.
Preheat the oven to 450°. Season the chicken parts. Heat a cast iron pan over high heat until a water drop flicked onto it evaporates, and then add the canola oil. When the oil shimmers, put in the chicken skin-side down and cook 3-5 minutes until crispay. Remove from heat and put the pan in the oven for about 20 minutes. Cook it until the internal temp is 175ish.
Rapini
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp canola oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 bunches of rapini
1/4-cup water or chicken broth
2 tbsp salted butter
Lemon
Salt, pepper, & crushed red pepper flakes
Pour oils into saute pan over medium heat and saute garlic until golden. Add rapini, tossing in the oil, add water or broth, and cover. Reduce heat and cook until liquid is almost evaporated, about 8ish minutes. Remove cover, season with salt/pepper/hot flakes, and stir in butter. Serve on top of the chicken.
PS. Esquire uses this recipe in the ‘Cooking for Men’ section, aka, how to make every woman want you. Cosmopolitan uses a dumb variation of this called ‘engagement chicken’ to get men to propose. Basically, make this chicken if you don’t want to be forever alone.
