There's a distinct and welcome scent that hits American neighborhoods at the first sign of balmy weather. Never mind that the weather can turn on you in an instant; spring is in the air and it's time to grill again. Steak, anyone?
Welcome back your tastebuds with Bruce Sherman's kicky, horseradish-accented grilled steak. With butter-glazed radishes, fresh-dug new potatoes and an intensely green, intensely fresh parsley sauce, it's worthy of an Earth Dinner celebration.
And if you'd like to celebrate on future dates, Sherman's entree is amenable to seasonal variations, too. He suggests "an arugula crust for the steak, with carrots and mature potatoes, in summer; a mushroom crust, with squash and fall spinach, in autumn; and a bone marrow-accented crust with shell beans and kale in winter.
Our thanks to Bruce Sherman and Chefs Collaborative for permission to publish this recipe.
Potatoes:
2 pounds new potatoes
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons Organic Valley butter, cubed
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
salt and white pepper
Horseradish-Crusted Steaks:
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) fresh breadcrumbs
1 ounce (1/4 cup) Organic Valley Shredded Parmesan Cheese
4 tablespoons Organic Valley butter, softened
1 1/2 ounces (about 2/3 cup loose - not packed) grated fresh horseradish
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper
4 Organic Prairie Boneless New York Strip Steaks (each 8 ounces), thawed
olive or vegetable oil
Radishes:
16 ounces (about 2 large bunches) radishes (Easter Egg or other variety), halved top-to-bottom
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Organic Valley butter
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt and grinding of pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
Parley Jus:
2 bunches fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, leaves picked and stems discarded
1/4 cup salt for boiling water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon pureed roasted garlic (get recipe from Organic Valley)
salt and pepper
Light the grill. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
To prepare potatoes: Quarter potatoes lengthwise into wedges. Put them in pot and cover with cold water. Place on high flame and bring to boil. When boiling, remove from heat and strain. Run cold water over to stop cooking. Strain again. Reserve.
To prepare steak topping: Place breadcrumbs, Parmesan, butter, horseradish, lemon juice and pinch of salt in food processor. Blend until smooth, 3-4 minutes. Reserve.
To prepare parsley: Bring 6 quarts water to boil. Add 1/4 cup salt when boiling. Place parsley leaves in boiling salted water. Count one minute after reboil and immediately remove leaves and place in ice water bath for 3 minutes. Strain, dry and coarsely chop.
Place chopped parsley and 1/2 cup of the ice water in blender. Blend on high speed, adding extra water as necessary, until completely emulsified into thick bright green liquid, 3-4 minutes. If lumpy, pass through fine mesh strainer. Reserve.
To prepare radishes: Place halved radishes in skillet just large enough to hold them in single layer. Add butter, water, salt, sugar and pepper. Bring to boil, turn down to simmer and cook until just tender. Transfer radishes to a bowl. Reduce liquid down to glaze. Add radishes back in, stir and reserve.
To cook steaks and finish potatoes, radishes and parsley jus: Toss reserved parboiled potatoes with olive oil and salt and white pepper to taste. Place in roasting pan in pre-heated oven. Roast until golden brown and tender, 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, lightly rub steaks with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place on grill and cook to the desired degree of doneness. When meat is done, remove and rest for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat broiler (or turn on oven broiler as soon as potatoes are done, and reserve potatoes in a warm place.)
Liberally spread a 1/4-inch layer of horseradish topping fully atop each steak. Place in broiler until nicely browned. Meanwhile, heat briefly 1/2 cup of the parsley puree with the olive oil and roasted garlic. Whisk well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss warm golden potatoes with chopped chives and butter. Season to taste. Warm through radishes and toss in chopped parsley. Place roasted potatoes, a small pile of glazed radishes, and a pool of the parsley jus on each plate. Place crusted steak atop a pool of parsley and serve immediately.
Spring: new-season maple syrup; rhubarb; radishes; asparagus, fresh-dug or "wintered-over" root crops, including Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips; wild things like ramps, morels and wild onions; greenhouse spinach and lettuce; peas; cultivated sorrel; farmed rainbow trout; last fall's hickory nuts (hand-shucked over the winter)
Summer: strawberries; sweet corn; tomatoes; summer squash; cucumbers; Hmong vegetables like bitter melon and Thai eggplants; sweet peppers; Swiss chard; edible flowers; sweet onions; grilled chicken, steaks, hot dogs and bratwurst; cantaloupe; sour cherries; blueberries; blackberries; plums; homemade ice cream
Fall: wild rice; cranberries; heirloom apples like Golden Russet and Black Willow Twig; cabbage; pears; kohlrabi; cooked greens (like collards, kale, mustard greens); shiitake mushrooms; fall raspberries; pork chops; smoked whitefish and chubs; seasonal microbrewed beers; apple cider
Winter: potatoes; pie pumpkins and winter squash (think acorn, butternut, buttercup, etc.); brussels sprouts; burdock roots; celeriac; sauerkraut; dried apples; dried cherries and cranberries; Wisconsin artisanal cheeses; sausages; organic turkey; hardwood-smoked bacon; butter cookies and egg nog for the holidays
Q&A with Bruce Sherman
return to Midwest Earth Dinner plan
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