Celebrate the end of the summer with delicious pork and steak dishes. Chef Alex Guarnaschelli shares his secret to having the best food at your Labor Day barbecue.
Recipe: Marinated skirt steak (on this page) Recipe: Roasted pork "rack" with spicy harissa (on this page)Marinate the steak:
Heat a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet and add half of the oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, season the steak on both sides with salt and use a pair of tongs to carefully drop it into the hot oil in the skillet.
Cook it on the first side for 1 minute and then turn it on the second side for another minute.
In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, Worcestershire Sauce, rosemary and fennel seeds. Remove the steak from the skillet. It will still be barely cooked.
Use the back of a spoon to spread the garlic mixture on both sides of the steak and allow it to "rest" for 10 minutes. Refrigerate for a few hours and allow it to marinate or simply sear it again and serve.
Prepare the vinaigrette:
In a small bowl, combine the Feta cheese with the red wine vinegar, oregano and olive oil. Stir to blend. Set aside.
Finish the steak:
When ready to serve the steak, wipe out the grease and anything sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
Heat the skillet again and add the remaining oil. Sear the steak again and cook to desired temperature.
For medium rare, cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the steak from the skillet and place it on a flat surface. Cut against the natural "grain" of the meat to tenderize.
Top with the Feta dressing. Serve immediately.
For this recipe, you’ll need 1 large roasting pan with a heavy bottom.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
For the Harissa:
In a small bowl, combine the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and caraway seeds. Toast in the oven for 1-2 minutes. You should faintly detect the scent of the spices. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to cool. Add the paprika and chili flakes to the spice mix.
Using a mortar and pestle (or a food processor) grind up the garlic cloves until they become like a paste. Season with salt. Add the spices and blend. Work in the olive oil. When blended, transfer to a container and top with some additional olive oil.
For the pork:
Heat a roasting pan large enough to hold the pork rack over medium heat. Add the oil. When it begins to smoke lightly, season the pork on all sides with sea salt and place it, skin side down, in the hot pan.
Brown it for 2-3 minutes and turn it on its second side. Brown for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and cook for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 325 degrees and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the meat. Your goal is between 150 and 155 degrees.
Remove the tinfoil from on top of the bones and cook for an additional 20-40 minutes. For well done, cook the meat to 160-165 degrees before removing from the oven.
Remove the pan from the oven and place the pork on a flat surface to "rest,” 10-15 minutes. Slice the pork into "chops,” allowing 1 bone per portion. Arrange them on a platter and squeeze with a bit of lemon, additional salt, if desired, and a dollop of Harissa. Serve immediately.
Serves 8-10
© 2012 MSNBC Interactive
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