Dad is on my mind. I want to celebrate him. Treat him. Let’s treat all the fathers – Father’s Day is coming up.
Let’s create something spicy, something flavorful, something unique, something fantastic, and something “dadmatic!” (I definitely just made up that word – but want something special for the dad’s in my life to celebrate them in the coming weeks!)
Thus, Berbere Grilled Skirt Steak & Roasted Potato Salad 😋
For the uninitiated, berbere is a traditional Ethiopian spice blend composed of chiles, garlic, fenugreek and a handful of warm spices, such as allspice and cinnamon.
One of the dads in my life does not care for allspice and cinnamon in his “savory” dishes. Thus, sans those two elements (I added just a touch of cloves for the wine pairing), I’ve created a tomato based Berbere sauce, filled with flavor and spice, to marinate the steak before grilling and with which to douse the oven roasted potatoes – don’t forget the subtle addition of fresh feta and pine nuts!
AND, of course we must pair this special meal with an extra special wine:
Torre de Oña
by La Rioja Alta Reserva
FINCA MARTELO
2014
A Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain.
EXCELLENT pairing, if I do say so myself!
Berbere Grilled Skirt Steak & Roasted Potato Salad
2 cups homemade Berbere Spice Sauce* (Recipe Follows)
2 lbs. skirt steak
2 lbs. tri-colored baby potatoes, halved (red, white, purple)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 serrano pepper, seed and finely chopped
4 Tbs. butter, chopped into Tbs. sized pieces
sea salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh feta, crumbled
2 Tbs. pine nuts
Marinate the skirt steak in 3/4 of the Berbere Spice Sauce for 4-6 hours (in a plastic bag).
Fire up the grill to high heat. Once hot, reduce to medium heat.
Grill the steak for 8-10 minutes on each side, or until your desired doneness (still rare inside for my preference), but with nice grill marks on the outside of each side.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss together the potatoes, onion, pepper, butter, and salt and pepper with the remaining Berbere sauce. Roast, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 60 minutes, until fairly soft.
Cool to room temperature and toss with the feta and pine nuts.
Serve alongside freshly slide skirt steak and with glasses of special Finca Martelo!
*Berbere Spice Sauce
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup red onion, minced
juice and zest of 4 fresh limes
3 Tbs. smoked paprika
1 Tbs. fresh garlic, minced
1 Tbs. ground cardamom
1 Tbs. Aleppo pepper flakes
1 Tbs. ground coriander
1 Tbs. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. fenugreek
1/2 cup tomato sauce
In a small bowl, mix the sea salt, minced onion, and lime juice. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Next, mix the paprika, garlic, cardamom, Aleppo Pepper flakes, ground coriander, ground ginger, cloves, black pepper, and fenugreek – toast over dry, low heat while stirring until spices are fragrant (~1-2 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. When cool, stir the spices into the lime juice mixture and add the tomato sauce. Mix well.
