Chimichurri

Great steaks don't need condiments. A well-seasoned, appropriately marbled ribeye is one of life's great pleasures all by itself. I promise you, in a true steakhouse, the chef winces and the waiter rolls his eyes when you ask for A-1 to cover up the inherent flavor of your dinner with preserved raisins (check out the ingredient label). However, in South America, they have found a way to actually add to the steak experience without masking anything. It is called chimichurri and it is bright and fresh and incredibly makes something already wonderful even better.

This is not a personal recipe, but from what I can tell, it is the classic version. You can make it before dinner and hold it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it alongside (or all over) the steaks. Simply mix 1 cup of fresh packed parsley with 5 medium garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons of oregano into a food processor. Then add in 1/2 Cup of olive oil, 1/4 Cup red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and pulse until smooth.

Mexican Pork

Pork is the best protein. It would probably be more gracious to say "pork is my favorite protein" and admit reasonable minds could differ, as I am certainly a fan of beef, fish, shrimp, scallops, mussels, oysters, clams, chicken, turkey and even duck. However, that simply wouldn't be honest. Pork is the best; if you don't think so, I think you're wrong. I bet none of my catholic friends have given up bacon for Lent. Ever have Paducah barbecue? Memphis ribs? No debate.

Mexican is my favorite genre of food (although we could talk about French, Asian, even German). Thus, tonight's post combines my favorite type of cooking with the best ingredient on earth, yet it doesn't disappoint despite high expectations. It is also super easy and highly versatile.

We start with a pork loin, which is ridiculously cheap these days relative to everything else at the grocery store. Cut all 2.5 lbs into inch cubes, season with salt and pepper and allow a big saute pan with olive oil to become searingly hot. Add the pork cubes, reduce the heat a little and cook them through, until the juices dissipate. Once the pork is cooked, add 1 Cup of chicken stock, 7 oz of store bought salsa verde (although it is fun to make, it is hard to find fresh ingredients for this all the time), 6 diced garlic cloves, 2 chopped tomatoes, 1 diced onion, and following spices: 1.5 tbs of cumin, 1 and 1/3 tbs chili powder, 1 tbs of dried oregano and a dash of cayenne pepper. Let this simmer for 45 minutes or until the sauce is thick. The pork will be tender and perfect.

With this pork, your possibilities are endless. Tacos, burritos (which is what we had tonight, with sauteed onions and peppers, plus guacamole and cheese), quesadillas, fajitas or 20 other more creative dishes. I wish we had room to raise pigs.

Shrimp & Grits

At our core, we are about southern comforts. Sure we love Oregon wine, Boston chowder and Kansas City beef. I've eaten my self sick in San Francisco and the Tex-Mex in Albuquerque was beyond belief. But in my DNA, the food I crave is from the South. If you can find something more Southern than this, let me know and I'm on my way.

The grits are absolutely enough, all by themselves, for a sublime experience. Boil 2 cups of water with 2 cups of chicken broth, 3/4 tsp of salt and 3/4 cup of "half an half". Then whisk in a cup of grits ("no self respecting southerner uses instant grits"), reduce the heat and simmer it for about 10 minutes until it is thick. Add 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 2 tbs of butter, 1/2 tsp of Tabasco and 1/2 tsp of white pepper. Keep this warm while you make the shrimp.

Start with 3 pieces of bacon. Don't apologize. Cook that in a skillet until crisp, then take it out, crumble it, and set it aside. To the bacon drippings, add 1 Cup of sliced mushrooms and cook them down, about 2 minutes. Then add 1/3 Cup of green onions and again, cook for about 2 minutes. Then add shrimp (seasoned with salt and pepper and dredged lightly in flour) and 2 cloves of minced garlic. When the shrimp are pink, deglaze the pan with 1/3 cup of chicken broth, 2 tbs of lemon juice and 1/4 tsp of Tabasco (or a lot more). Cook two more minutes and serve over the grits with the bacon and lemon wedges for garnish. Don't expect left-overs.