I don't know what "Dark Thursday" did to us, but we've sure been eating at home a lot. Nothing fancy and perhaps some a bit strange....I dunno, I'll let you decide.
This past weekend was recycle day for us. I used part of what I got for our old cans and plastic to buy some skirt steak from Seisel's. I had though about doing a Charcoal Grilled Skirt Steak or perhaps a Cumin and Sichuan Peppercorn Skirt Steak, but I just too lazy to get the charcoal going. So for lunch I made a simple pan seared skirt steak with some crumbled Danish Blue Cheese which I combined with a orzo and arugula salad.
For dinner I used the rest of the skirt steak to make what I call my Wa(t da) fu Steak.
I call it that because it's basically Wafu Steak, but I just kinda use what ever I have on hand. It's the three plus......soy sauce, mirin, and sake (the three). A tablespoon of white sugar, lemon juice, 1 dried chili, and two cloves of garlic (the plus). I like Shizuo Tsuji's method of salting (sea salt) then letting the meat stand to "extract the juices". I lightly sear the meat, remove from the pan, add onions, deglaze with the "sauce" and place the steak back into the pan to glaze.
It turned out rather well.......
Since I had blue cheese left from my first meat dish and creme fraiche from my mushroom ragout, I made the Missus's favorite Blue Cheese Dressing, fried up some bacon, and made a wedge salad.
Oh, and I made some tater tots...topped with a bit of aged white cheddar and truffle oil........
So, what have you been eating this week?
Your Wat da fu steak looks great - love the dark outside and rosy interior. And good call on the Alesmith X - one of my favorite lower-ABV (for San Diego, at least) beers.
Posted by: Mike | Friday, 16 September 2011 at 08:22 PM
Crap compared to what you've been eating! :o)
Posted by: AZ | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 01:04 AM
Way to gussy up those tots! Love it!
Posted by: caninecologne | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 07:32 AM
I just scanned the pictures and saw the tots and thought-mmmm what resto is that from? Looks so good!! Then i read that its a meal a home! Doh! Looks mighty delish
Posted by: Jenn | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 11:55 AM
Had 10lbs of beef bone at my disposal this weekend ;-)
Posted by: nhbilly | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 02:23 PM
Yumm, that sounds like a punchy wafu steak sauce! The tots look awesome too...
Posted by: Dennis | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 05:06 PM
dang, that wafu looks wonderful! i had a lot of cereal and soy milk for dinner this week. super lazy!
Posted by: santos. | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 08:08 PM
Hi Mike - It's so nice to hear from you! I can't take much credit for the choice of Alesmith. Some really great beer folks I know have always believed that anything with soy sauce/fish sauce/etc goes real well with Alesmith.
LOL AZ....I don't think so.
Hi CC - It's the truffle oil that does it....anything with potato and truffle oil....
Hi Jenn - It's really not much...just tater tots, cheese, and truffle oil.
Let me guess Bill...hmmm....perhaps a three letter word that starts with "P"? ;o)
Hi Dennis - I'm not sure what the deal is....just about every Wafu Steak (even the expensive ones) I've had at restaurants are really not very good.
LOL Santos! I'd probably do the same, but I'm lactose intolerant! ;o)
Posted by: Kirk | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 10:08 PM
all looks so good. homemade blue cheese dressing, yum!!
Posted by: Lynnea | Sunday, 18 September 2011 at 02:11 PM
Hi Lynnea - Home made tastes much better than the stuff that comes in a bottle.
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 19 September 2011 at 06:40 AM
Kirk do you ever plan your meals? I have been so busy most days now that I become freeze when dinner or lunch rolls around. Usually I have an idea and go with it but now with the baby it has been crazy trying to put dinner on the table. I need to get some ideas for fast and tasty meals. This post makes me jealous, and inspired. :P :)
Posted by: mills | Tuesday, 20 September 2011 at 11:06 AM
Hi Mills - It's so nice to hear from you, I hope all is well! Yes, sometimes I do, especially when the Missus sees some recipe or has something in mind. With these I just had the ingredients and kinda went for it.
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 20 September 2011 at 08:33 PM
As a kid, I think we grew up on tater tots and fishsticks! Like the idea of adding aged cheese to the tots. I'll have to try it sometime.
Posted by: CandiRae | Saturday, 24 September 2011 at 08:24 PM
I'm craving steak and tots now dangit!
Posted by: foodhoe | Thursday, 29 September 2011 at 06:00 PM
LOL FH!
Posted by: Kirk | Friday, 30 September 2011 at 06:38 AM
Kirk= HUGZ We are doing well, we moved to another part of Germany, and well we're catching colds left and right here. *sigh* DH told me I need to stop being a hoarder, our pantry is over full. I really need to start planning meals I think. :P :) I love reading your blog of course but I don't have enough time to write as much as I would love to. Let me know whenever you decide to come near Deutschland. HUGZ
Posted by: mills | Sunday, 09 October 2011 at 01:30 PM
Hi Mills - We will do that! It's always nice to hear from you!
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 10 October 2011 at 07:26 AM