What's on the Grill #94
Black Pepper-Ancho-Crusted Beef Filets with Hot & Sweet Mint Glaze with Maple-Glazed Grilled Sweet Potatoes and Sauteed Garlic & Ginger Kale! Tonight's dinner was all Zoë's idea with recipes provided by The Flay. I could not have picked anything better, that is for sure.
Oddly enough, Zoë is not a big meat eater and doesn't like anything remotely spicy. This of course summed up the entire meal and I for one am not complaining.
I have a love-hate relationship with filet. There is no denying their lovely butter like consistency, but left on their own, I often find them lacking. A sauce is a must.
Both recipes are culled from Boy Gets Grill (p. 200 and p. 86, respectively). I have come to really appreciate The Flay's constant balance of heat and sweet. The Glaze for the filets included Dijon mustard, honey, prepared horseradish, and mint. I just really enjoy the sweetness of the honey with the bite of the horseradish.
The Flay calls for only one side of the filet to be rubbed. I know I have heard of a reason for this before, but I can't remember why. Usually I would rub both sides, but since The Flay is in the driver's seat...I'll do it his way.
Since I am a medium rare guy and Zoë is a well done, it-has-best-not-be-living-or-have-shown-any-sign-of-life girl, I butterflied hers...and treated it with extra special care before dropping it on the 700 degree grate. No pain there.
Sweet potatoes are a grilling must and the heat - sweet balance continued here with the use of maple syrup and what else? Ancho chili powder! The potatoes are parboiled and then cut into quarters, longwise. Once on the grill, the glaze is brushed on regularly. (A bit too regularly in my case...the grill needed some major cleaning today!)
I love Kale and first gained exposure to it while making a modified colcannon last year. For a quick and easy side of greens, take a bunch of Kale, rinse it well, and remove the stalks from the leaves. Coarsely chop the leaves. Dice two gloves of garlic and grate approximately 2 tablespoons of ginger. Heat your wok. Add oil to the wok and toss in the garlic and ginger. Once the garlic and ginger starts to brown, toss in the Kale. Stir fry until the leaves have turned bright green and wilted (Maybe ten minutes? I honestly have never timed it out!)
Parting thoughts? Zoë thought the potatoes were too spicy. I didn't think they were spicy enough. Also, I needed a bigger filet. I hate when that happens. My friend Matt, who loves filets, always buys a third. I should have followed his lead!