This little entry will recount the tale of the first time M and I cooked together. We had talked about what to prepare for days, and finally settled on a favorite of ours, hangar steak. When we finally got over to New Seasons, they, of course, didn't have any. 
We opted, at the butcher's recommendation, for flat iron. The steak was prepped very simply: a good dose of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. The lovely piece of meat was then seared in a skillet on the stove before being taken out to 
a hot, mesquite charcoal fueled grill.Meanwhile, M was inside sauteeing (heirloom star) squash with onions and zucchini (all from the Gardener's garden) while boiling some sweet corn.
The meal came together quite nicely, as you can see in the photos (I've somehow screwed up my focusing technique, need to work on that). The steak was covered in a lovely red wine, shallot pan sauce, the sauteed squash was garnished with a little fresh parsley, and the corn was served with a little home-made butter and sea salt. We also had a couple of nice cheeses, including the Cabot Clothbound Cheddar (a cooperative venture of Vermont cheesemakers Cabot Creamery and Jasper Hill Farmcheese) that won best in show at the recent American Cheese Society meeting.
For wine, we had a stunning 2000 (although technically n/v) Leon Barral Valiniere. Here's a nice little description of the wine from A&B Vintners...
In the Valiniere we have one of Southern France's greatest reds. It is 80% Mourvedre, from the healthiest vines imaginable, and 20% Syrah and is velvet in a bottle. Mourvedre always needs a bit of time but this is well worth the wait. The 2000, although still a baby, is sublime right now, seamless, i.e. no hard edges, with unbelievable depth of fruit and great length on the palate. Those of you who love Mourvedre should be involved with this wine.And you all know me, I LOVE Mourvedre...
Fantastic meal, great times in the kitchen, an altogether lovely evening.
2 comments:
Wow, that looks good. The star squash, amazing - never had it. Looks like they were cooked whole…I imagine it's very similar to yellow squash?
A couple years ago New Seasons was selling hangar steak for $3.99 a pound(!). This is when I lived near the Kennedy School, and I thought it was a mistake - for a summer, I bought it nearly every weekend. Alas, the price (at least at the Interstate store) is now close to $7.
Last time I was at New Seasons I was looking for that Cabot Cheddar after hearing of its recent triumph, but wasn't lucky. Please tell where you were able to score.
We'd never tried a star squash either. I'm trading a friend (the gardener) wine for produce weekly, and this was one of the wonders she sent over. Sliced across the x axis to preserve the lovely shape, and sauteed with olive oil.
I asked -M- about the Cabot. She got it over at Steve's Cheese in NW Portland. She gleefully said that she scored the last piece. I'd say it's worth a call just to see.
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