Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Steak Classico & Fettucini Alfredo


In the south we grill through out the winter, and my return home meal with my friends and son will be one of he and I's favorites...there is nothing like a marinated steak thrown on the grill...even though it is snowing and really cold out here in MO...I am still willing to fire it up...with the chiminea burning next to me out on the patio...my son cooks up some fettucini alfredo...a simple salad, and we are good to go!

Growing up we used to marinate our cheaper cuts of meat with Italian salad dressing to help tenderize and add more flavor...this is my own version I developed over time to avoid added sugars and preservatives to the food.



Steak Classico

2-3 Ribeye or steak of your choice
¼ cup of olive oil, or peanut oil,
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning,
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar,
1 ½ teaspoons of red pepper flakes

Marinate the steak for 2-3 hours (no more or vinegar will over tenderize meat)

Grill 7 minutes on each side for Medium Rare (pink perfection)

Fettucini Alfredo

1 pound dried fettucine
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the fettucine in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and saute until tender. Add heavy cream and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Return the pasta to the pot it was cooked in, set over medium-high heat along with the reserved cooking liquid. Add the butter-cream mixture and half of the Parmesan and toss to combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan