Roasting foods, and especially vegetables, has a way of “concentrating flavors [and] making [them] taste like better versions of themselves. (p. 442 All About Roasting A New Approach To A Classic Art by Molly Stevens). The dry heat of the oven helps to caramelize the sugars in the vegetables giving them a sweet, smoky flavor while crisping up the edges at the same time. In order to really bring out the best flavors when roasting vegetables, you need to coat them in some kind of fat, like butter or oil. This helps to prevent the vegetables from shriveling up as well as helping the seasonings to attach to the vegetables. In essence, it makes them irresistible.
Last night’s dinner was entirely roasted and seared. And in my humble opinion, they were roasted and seared to perfection. 🙂
Let’s start with the roasted vegetables. I had a colorful array of peppers that I cut into thin strips, and added some quartered mushrooms, sliced onion, whole garlic cloves, sliced very thin, and sliced tomatoes. I tossed it all in a little olive oil and lemon olive oil, along with some salt & pepper, then put them in the oven to roast at 400*F of about 205*C for about 30 minutes or so.
Don’t they look pretty and colorful? 🙂
While roasting the vegetables, I also roasted some new potatoes at the same time. I par-boiled them first with a dash of vinegar, then drained them and tossed them in olive oil, salt and pepper and some parsley and put them in a pan to roast next to the vegetables. Vinegar helps form a thin crust on the outer layer of potatoes. This crust is what’s necessary to help them keep their shape and not become mushy or fall apart when boiling.
While the potatoes and vegetables were cooking, it was time to sear the steak. I marinated it in some olive oil mixed with salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and garlic for about 2 hours before searing it in a very hot skillet mixed with a combination of olive oil and butter.
This is my absolute favorite way to enjoy a good steak. The skillet has to be VERY HOT, and then it needs the right amount of fat, that has a high smoke point and won’t burn, hence the combination of both butter and olive oil. I sear it for about three minutes per side first, then depending on the thickness of the steak, I usually sear it for another 2 minutes per side once again. USE a timer for this one. I always say cooking is not a science, where baking is, however when it comes to searing meats, it is an exact science indeed. This will give you a delicious crust on the outside while the inside remains juicy and tender. A perfect steak for me is rare to medium rare, with an internal temperature no higher than about 130*F or about 55*C. I even recommend removing the steak from the heat a little before it gets to this internal temperature, because it will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from the heat and tent it.
Once everything was cooked to perfection, it was time to plate it all up. I served it all with a cheesy bread twist Cheesy Bread Twists and a glass or two of a big, bold red Tempranillo. Delicious!
Eat well whenever you can. Life is short and tomorrow is never guaranteed, so live it up and enjoy every moment. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
A Jeanne in the Kitchen 