Weekend Reads
Personally on the weekends and I have a quite and relaxing morning I love to read through some cooking magazines. When I get a new one in the mail during the week it is something that I always look forward to during the weekend. Do I always find something.... no, but it almost without a doubt inspires me to get into the kitchen and whip an old favorite up or something completely new. Below are a list of some of my go to food magazines, either buy a copy or subscribe for a year you can't go wrong. Enjoy the reading and happy!!!
Weekend Reads
Personally on the weekends and I have a quite and relaxing morning I love to read through some cooking magazines. When I get a new one in the mail during the week it is something that I always look forward to during the weekend. Do I always find something.... no, but it almost without a doubt inspires me to get into the kitchen and whip an old favorite up or something completely new. Below are a list of some of my go to food magazines, either buy a copy or subscribe for a year you can't go wrong. Enjoy the reading and happy!!!
Serves: 4 - 5
Prep. Time: 30 mins Total Time: 4 hr 30 mins
INGREDIENTS (marinade)
2 pounds skirt steak
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves - microplaned
¼ cup honey
3 tablespoons sriracha
2 limes - juice and zest
INGREDIENTS (crispy rice)
2 cups basmati rice - uncooked
3 Thai chiles
¼ cup fresh ginger - grated
2 limes - zest and juice
4 garlic cloves - grated
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 bunch scallions
10 Thai basil leaves
10 mint leaves
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1½ tablespoons fermented fish sauce
2 teaspoons white sugar
White pepper to taste
INGREDIENTS (salad & dressing)
3 English cucumbers - seeded and smashed
2-3 pints cherry tomatoes - smashed and drained
2 bunches of scallions - thinly sliced
6-8 radishes - julienned
½ bunches mint - julienned
½ bunch Thai basil - julienned
1 cup dry roasted peanuts - roughly chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2½ tablespoons white sugar
2½ tablespoons water
2½ tablespoons lime juice (approx. 3 limes)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Add all the ingredients from the marinade in a large bowl and whisk to combined. Add the skirt steak to the bowl (ensure all pieces of meet are submerged) and place it in the fridge for 1-3 hours.
2. For the rice, cook the rice according to the instruction. Ideally the rice should be cooked the night before or if doing the day of use an oven with convection baking capabilities to dry out. If using the oven pre-heat using the convection baking option to 175 deg F for 1-2 hours stirring every 20 minutes until you are satisfied with the moisture content of the rice. This will allow for the paste to be more evenly distributed and for the rice to crisp up better.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 425 deg F and line a ½ sheet baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
4. While the oven is preheating blend all the ingredients outlined in the crispy rice ingredients (minus the rice) to create a paste, blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust according to your preferences, noting that the chili gets a bit more muted once it cooks on the rice.
5. Add the paste to the dried-out rice and mix until all the rice is completely coated – use a large bowl for this step for ease.
6. Place the rice into the oven and bake for 1 hour – 1 hour and 20 minutes, until desire crispiness of the rice is achieved. To ensure even crisping of the rice remove the sheet pan every 20 minutes and toss/mix. Note the rice will soften a little when the dressing is added.
7. While the rice is cooking make the dressing (nuoc mam). Combine the sugar and boiling water and allow the sugar to dissolve. Add the lime juice and fish sauce. Adjust any of the ingredients according to your tastes. Set aside.
8. Once the rice is done cooking remove it from the oven and allow the rice to cool close to room temperature (approximately 15 minutes).
9. While the rice is cooling, cook the skirt steak over a charcoal grill to the desired doneness.
10. Once the rice is mostly cool, transfer the rice to a large serving platter. Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, scallions, herbs, sesame seeds, and peanuts, stir to combine. Pour over the nuoc mam and serve.
11. Slice the skirt steak after it has rested and top with thinly sliced scallions and sesame seeds.