Active Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
Yield: Serves 4
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If you are a true steak and garlic lover and enjoy the smooth, complex flavors of a picante chile sauce, then this is definitely the dish for you. If you are particularly bold, you might want to try stuffing slivers of hot red chile into the steaks along with the garlic. To mellow the flavor or the garlic, sauté it in a little oil for about 3 minutes before stuffing the steaks with it. Lentils are popular in many countries of Latin America, and here they make a robust side dish that stands up well to a hearty, flavorful steak recipe. Occasionally, lentils have a slightly bitter taste, and blanching them before cooking prevents this potential problem.
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RECIPE INGREDIENTS
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DIRECTIONS
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TO PREPARE SAUCE: Place the chiles in a single layer in a heavy skillet and dry-roast over medium heat for about 3 minutes, shaking the skillet frequently so they do not burn. Transfer to a mixing bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand for 30 minutes, until the chiles are rehydrated and soft.
Preheat the broiler. Place the tomatoes under the broiler and, turning them often, blacken the skins. Set aside.
Place the cumin and oregano in a small, dry skillet and toast over low heat for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy sauté pan or skillet and sauté the garlic and onions over medium heat for about 8 minutes, until just browned. Transfer to a food processor or blender and add the blackened tomatoes, toasted cumin and oregano, salt, rehydrated chiles, and 1/2 cup of the water in which the chiles rehydrated. (Taste the water; if it is bitter, use 1/2 cup of fresh water instead.) Puree until smooth, adding a little more water if necessary. Just before you are ready to serve, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a clean, deep, heavy skillet; when very hot, add the chile puree. Cook over high heat for about 4 minutes, stirring continuously; add a little more water if necessary to prevent the sauce from becoming too thick.
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TO PREPARE LENTILS: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the lentils, and blanch for about 3 minutes. Drain the lentils, place them in a clean saucepan, and cover with at least 1 inch of cold water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large, heavy sauté pan or skillet and sauté the garlic and onions over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, until soft. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the tomatoes, and salt, and pepper to taste, and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked lentils and cilantro, cook 5 minutes longer, and keep warm. Add a little water if necessary.
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TO PREPARE STEAKS: Use a paring knife to make 6 horizontal slits in the side of each steak (3 slits per side). Stuff the slices of garlic in these slits and season the steaks with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy sauté pan or skillet and sear the steaks over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare or 6 minutes per side for medium.
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TO SERVE: Ladle the sauce on warm serving plates and place the steaks on the sauce. Spoon the lentils next to the steaks and serve immediately.
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