Ribeye Steak with Salmorigano and Haricot Yaune

I was so excited when the Zuni Cafe Cookbook arrived in the mail yesterday because it's won the James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year award and IACP Cookbook of the Year award. Also, the restaurant won the James Beard Foundation Restaurant of the Year, and Judy Rodgers (who founded Zuni Cafe and wrote the book) won the James Beard Foundation Best Chef of the Year award. Not only do the recipes look delicious, the cookbook is very well-written and include many helpful details for the home cook, a glossary for ingredients, and even wine pairings for each main course (a nice touch for those who drink alcohol, though I currently can't). It's also a natural transition from the Alice Waters style cooking that I've been doing for the past year or so - French and Italian influenced Californian cuisine with a focus on fresh, seasonal, and organic/natural ingredients. Judy Rodgers actually interned at Chez Panisse at one time before she started Zuni Cafe.

The first recipe I decided to make was salmorigano, which is a salsa-marinade that can be used for marinating meat, or as a sauce for cooked food, such as fish or roasted or grilled vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, onions, eggplant, etc), or even as a sauce for grilled bread. It's traditionally made with fresh oregano, but this version of it uses dried oregano. I used salmorigano to marinate pieces of ribeye (one of my favorite cuts of meat) overnight - it definitely didn't disappoint! I paired the ribeye with haricot yaune (the yellow version of haricot vert) which was sauteed with onions and lavendar peppers.


Black and lavendar peppers from the Union Square Greenmarket

A few tips when buying steak: a) Look for lots of marbling (thin threads of fat throughout the meat) - marbling means fat which means flavor b) It should be about 1-1½ inches thick so that it doesn't dry out while it's being cooked c) Grass fed, naturally raised beef is your best quality meat, but if not, go for USDA Prime; and if not Prime, then Choice (one level below Prime). d) The best cuts are filet mignon or tenderloin (the most tender and expensive cut, though not the most flavorful), ribeye (well marbled, one of the juiciest and most flavorful cuts), New York Strip (best cut for grilling), Porterhouse (a combination of New York Strip steak on one side and tender filet on the other), and T-bone (very similar to a Porterhouse steak, except with less of the tenderloin muscle.)

Ribeye Steak with Salmorigano and Haricot Yaune Adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook Ingredients: • 4 ribeye steaks, 1-1½ inches thick, about 10 ounces each • 1 pound haricot yaune, washed and stems trimmed (or if you can't find them, substitute haricot vert) • 1 bell pepper, washed diced (I used lavender pepper, but you can use any color - preferably red, orange, or yellow, as green ones lend a bitter rather than sweet flavor) • 1 red onion, peeled and diced Salmorigano • 12 small garlic cloves • About 1½ cup extra-virgin olive oil • ¾ teaspoon salt • ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or chili pepper flakes\ • 3 tablespoons dried oregano • 1½ lemons, halved • 6 tablespoons simmering water Directions: 1. Remove your steak from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you plan to cook it and allow it to come to room temperature, since a cold steak will contract when it hits the heat and cause it to toughen. Preheat your oven to 425°F. 2. Salmorigano: Peel and crush the garlic in a garlic press. Add a pinch of salt, then add the oregano, oil, and black pepper or dried chili. Stir the mixture to combine. Just before using, add the simmering water, squeeze in the lemon juice, whisk, and taste. The sauce shouldn't be too tart or sour so as to overwhelm the other flavors. If you're using it as a marinade, allow each piece of steak to soak in the mixture for up to 1 hour. 3. Haricot Yaune: Sauté the onion in a non stick pan on medium high heat for about 10 minutes until it begins to caramelize. Then add the haricot yaune and sauté for 10 minutes more until they are soft. (I prefer them a bit on the softer side, so sauté for 6 or 7 minutes if you prefer them a little crunchy.) 4. Preheat a skillet to medium high heat. When it's hot, drop the steak in the skillet and sear each side for 30-45 seconds, depending on its thickness. Then place the steak in the oven for about 10-12 minutes, again depending on its thickness - this will produce a medium rare steak, so leave the steak in for longer if you prefer a steak that's more well done. Remove the steak and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes to let the juices settle before serving with a side of haricot yaune and caramelized onions.