Can't Take The Heat: B Salez Dials In His Latin Roots With a Spicy Skirt Steak with Black Beans and Rice

Sultry, saucey and oh so Miami. As the weather heats up, so does my desire to salsa! This dish will dance on your tongue and delight your inner vixen and surprise your guests as well. There is heat in almost every aspect of this dish. You can leave the heat or cut back to your desired tastes but I invite you to experience this dish as you would a hot, sexy, salsa dance floor, face to face.

If the heat is to intense, you can always counter it by adding honey. Marinade the meat for up to 4-24 hours ahead of time to infuse the base flavor. Total cast of this dish? $26. Now THAT'S spicy! Get on Pandora or Grooveshark and type in salsa and get to cookin'!

SUGAR TIP*** Skirt steak can be really tender, the trick is to cut it correctly. You want to cut against the grain. Check out these videos to see how to find the grain (click here) and here to slice it (click here).


What You Will Need
1 white onion
skirt steak approximately 6 oz. each
3 tomatillos
1 lemon
olive oil
salt & pepper

mint leaves
basil leaves
cilantro leaves
serrano pepper
1 can of chipotle peppers
paprika
sriracha sauce
Soy sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
3 garlic cloves
1T. honey
12 oz. can of San Marzano Crushed tomatoes
1 cup of red wine
Jasmine Rice
1 cup of Chicken Stock
Black Beans
cotija cheese

What To Do
Begin by marinading the meat approx 4-6 hours. In a large container long enough to accommodate the steak, dice up 1/4 of the white onion and a half of a medium serrano chili and combine with 1/4 c. olive oil, 1 t. balsamic vinegar, 1t. soy sauce and salt pepper. Chop up a handful of cilantro leaves and add to the bowl. Mix the contents of the bowl and add the meat. Gently rub the marinade all over the meat ensuring to cover the entire piece. Cover and marinade until ready to grill.Bring the meat out and allow to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before grilling.

Timing is key with this dish. You will want to make the sauces while your rice is cooking and warm your beans last to keep them from drying out. The grill only takes approximately 10 minutes and the rice takes 20. Work quickly or start your rice after you have prepped. If you are doubting this time frame, make the sauces first as they can simmer on low while you make the remaining components. Once the rice is done, you should be able to serve all at once. Get the Weber fired up so your grill is nice and hot when you are ready to throw the meat on.

To make the Rice, add chicken stock 1 T. olive oil to a pan over medium high heat. Add 1 garlic clove chopped, 1/4 cup finally diced white onion and allow to sweat making sure that you are stirring constantly and not burning the garlic. Add the jasmine rice to the pan and stir. You will want the rice to toast a little before adding the chicken stock. Continue to stir the rice for approximately one minute. Then add the and chopped cilantro. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for approximately 20 minutes. Do not open while cooking...if you are lookin' it ain't cookin'.


To make your roasted tomatillo sauce, heat up the oven to approximately 350 degrees to roast your tomatillos. We roasted them in our toaster oven to help keep the house cool and use less energy. If you have one, it will save you time. Once, the oven is to temp, roast the tomatillos for approximately 15 minutes, just enough to loosen them up. Get out your food processor or similar device and dice up 1/4 white onion, a handful of the following fresh herbs: mint leaves, basil leaves and cilantro leaves. Combine with 1/2 lemon juiced, olive oil, a healthy sprinkle of salt, the other half of your serrano chili and 1 T. honey. Cover and blend until the mixture is smooth in consistency. Place in a medium sauce pan and turn on the heat to medium low.

While that is slowly simmering on the stove top, begin making your red sauce which is similar to a mole in texture. You will want to puree this in the food processor as well so give it a rinse and add the following:
12 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 can chipotle peppers
2 good sprinkles of paprika
1 T. sriracha
Puree and then pour into a medium to large sauce pan, turn the heat to medium low and allow to simmer.

Put your meat on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes a side.

Heat your beans in a small sauce pan. Before you add the beans, chop up the remaining 1/4 white onion and add to the pan with about 1 T. olive oil. I like a garlic clove in my beans so I mince on up and toss that in too but it is optional. Add the beans and cook over medium low heat stirring occasionally.

Remove the meat from the grill and let it rest on a chopping block for 3-5 minutes before slicing to serve. Plate and sauce! Top beans with cotija cheese.