“The second item I prepared was classic Thai street food: Crying Tiger Beef. But instead of cooking a whole piece of marinated skirt steak (the traditional method), I bias-sliced a partially frozen steak and marinated the sliced beef. When the block was screaming hot, I quickly seared the steak strips to medium-rare, about two to three minutes per side. (The longer food stays on the block and the higher the food’s moisture content the more salt it will pick up from the block.) To accompany the steak, I grilled marinated asparagus on the salt block until crisp-tender and served it with Jasmine rice.”

Read the entire article on salt block cooking by Mike Stines here.

Ingredients

1 pound Top Round beef steak

Marinade:

3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon less sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Thai Birdseye chiles (prik ki nu), seeds removed and finely minced
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Partially freeze the steak. Bias-slice the steak across the grain into 1/4-inch thick strips.

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Add the steak strips and marinate, refrigerated and covered, for two to four hours. Remove the steak from the marinade and drain well. Discard the marinade.

Prepare the salt block for high heat cooking. Sear the steak strips for about two minutes or until done as you like.

This alternative to hamburgers makes a great light meal when served with a side salad. Also excellent as a cocktail party hors d’oeuvre.

Ingredients

1 pound ground lamb

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large shallot, finely diced (about three tablespoons)

1 clove garlic, minced (about one teaspoon)

1 tablespoon ketchup

Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chiffonade cut mint

8 small hamburger or slider buns, such as King’s Hawaiian, halved and toasted

Lemon-Mint Aïoli (recipe follows)

Optional toppings:

8 slices Swiss or Gruyère cheese

8 leaves lettuce, cut to size

8 tomato slices

For the aïoli:

1 cup good-quality mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup chiffonade cut mint

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

Combine all the aïoli ingredients in a small bowl and reserve. (This also makes a nice salad dressing or can be served atop vegetables.)

Place a grill pan over medium-low heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the shallots are soft, about three minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and cool.

Combine the shallot mixture, lamb, cumin, ketchup, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Form the mixture into eight patties each 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick, about 2 1/2 to 3 ounces each. Brush the patties with the remaining oil and grill until cooked through, about three to four minutes per side. Let the patties rest for two minutes.

Assemble the sliders by liberally spreading the aïoli on each surface of the cut bun. Top with cheese, lettuce and tomato, if desired. Place the patties in the buns and serve.

Heat Scale: Mild

Vindaloo, one of many types of curry, originated in the western region of India. It is derived from a Portuguese dish “carne de vinha d’alhos,” pork marinated in wine and garlic. It can be prepared with beef, chicken, lamb or seafood; although not traditional, potatoes sometimes are added. Almost universal on Indian restaurant menus, Vindaloo is one of the hottest curry dishes. Traditionally, it is extremely hot, so adjust the amount of chiles to your tolerance level.

This recipe has three steps: preparing the marinade, making the curry paste, and cooking the curry. The curry paste and marinade may be made one day ahead.

Ingredients

Curry Paste

1/4 cup whole grain mustard

2 to 4 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes (or four to six dried chiles)

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

Marinade

1 yellow onion

3 tablespoons coriander seed

4 to 6 dried Kashmiri or Thai (hotter) chiles

1 tablespoon cumin seed

8 cloves garlic (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)

1 (two-inch) stick cinnamon

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1 (one-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 pounds lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into two-inch cubes

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 yellow onions, halved and sliced thinly

8 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)

1 (13 1/2-ounce) can coconut milk

Instructions

Prepare the curry paste by combining all of the ingredients in a glass bowl.

Prepare the marinade by grinding the coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, fenugreek and fennel in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Process the chiles with the garlic, onion and ginger to form a paste. Place the meat into a container. Pour the marinade over the meat and marinate, refrigerated, for at least three hours or overnight. Remove the lamb from the marinade and drain. Combine the curry paste with the vinegar. Rub the paste onto the meat.

Put oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry until it is dark brown but not burnt. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the meat, stir and brown for about five minutes. Pour in the coconut milk. Add more water, if necessary, to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about an hour or until the lamb is tender. Stir occasionally and add more liquid if necessary.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve over hot Basmati rice with mango chutney and Naan bread.

Yield: 2 servings with leftovers
Heat Scale: Very hot