Fabulous Latin barbecue, on a budget
Born in Miami, Lourdes Castro grew up loving the big, bold flavors of South Florida.
She's taken that love of food and translated it not only into her latest cookbook, "Latin Grilling," but also in the classroom, where she's an adjunct professor of food science at New York University.
The release of "Latin Grilling" cemented Lourdes as one of the foremost authorities on Latin cooking.
She is, simply put, a natural in both the kitchen and the classroom.
She's also the "Chef on a Shoestring" this week on "The Early Show on Saturday Morning."
And in that role, she sought to grill up a great, three-course Latin-inspired barbecue, chock full of those big, bold flavors, on our budget of only $40.
She was also automatically entered in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition, in which the "Shoestring" chef with the lowest ingredients cost is invited back to make our year-end holiday feast - and spend whatever he or she wants!
MENU
- Grilled corn on the cob with a spicy chipotle sauce
- Chipotle rubbed skirt steak tacos served with homemade tomatillo salsa
- Grilled pineapple skewers with pineapple ice
FOOD FACTS
Source: Epicurious.com
Chipotle chile: This hot chile is actually a dried, smoked jalapeno. It has a wrinkled, dark brown skin and a smoky, sweet, almost chocolaty flavor. Chipotles can be found dried, pickled and canned in adobo sauce. Chipotles are generally added to stews and sauces; the pickled varieties are often eaten as appetizers.
Skirt Steak: The term skirt steak refers to a cut of beef steak, from the plate. It is a long, flat cut that is prized for its flavor rather than tenderness. Sometimes a flank steak is used interchangeably with a skirt steak, but it is a different cut of meat. Skirt steak is the cut of choice for making fajitas. To minimize their toughness skirt steaks are either grilled or pan-seared very quickly or cooked very slowly, typically braised. Because of their strong graining skirt steak is sliced across the grain for maximum tenderness. To aid in tenderness and flavor, they are also often marinated.
Tomatillo: This fruit, which is also called Mexican green tomato, belongs to the same nightshade family as the tomato. In fact, it resembles a small green tomato in size, shape and appearance except for the fact that it has a thin parchment-like covering. Although tomatillos can ripen to yellow, they are generally used while still green and quite firm. Their flavor has hints of lemon, apple and herbs. Tomatillos are available sporadically year-round in specialty produce stores, Latin American markets and some supermarkets. Choose firm fruit with dry, tight-fitting husks. Store in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to a month. Remove husk and wash fruit before using. Cooking enhances the tomatillo's flavor and softens its thick skin. Tomatillos are popular in Mexican and Southwest cooking for use in a variety of dishes including guacamole, and many sauces. They can be used raw in salads and salsas for a more acidic taste. Canned tomatillos are available in ethnic markets. (epicurious.com)
Enjoy all our "Early Show" recipes!
RECIPES
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Crema
INGREDIENTS
4 husks of corn, silks removed (see Cooking Notes)
Chipotle crema:
- 1 canned chipotle chiles
- 1/4 cup Mexican crema, or sour cream
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
METHOD
Place the corn in a large stockpot, bowl, or any container large enough to hold all the ears of corn and fill it with water. If you do not have a sufficiently large container, use your kitchen sink.
Allow the corn to soak for 20 minutes. Remove from the container, shake off the excess water, and tightly squeeze the husks against the kernels of corn to get rid of any excess water.
Meanwhile, prepare the crema by placing the chipotles and the crema in a food processor and pureeing until well combined. Alternatively, using a knife, finely chop the chipotle and stir them in with the crema. Set aside.
Heat your grill to high (550 degrees) and close the lid. Wait at least 15 minutes before lowering the heat to medium high (450 degrees F) and continuing.
Place the corn on the grill rack and grill the ears for 5 minutes. Turn the corn over and grill for another 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes. In the meantime, keep your grill on with the lid closed.
Take the grilled ears of corn and pull back the husks, exposing the kernels. Do not remove the husks though. If possible, tie the husks back (see Cooking Notes).
Increase the grill temperature to high (550 degrees F).
Place a sheet of aluminum foil on one side of the hot grill. Place the pulled back husks over the foil, allowing the exposed kernels to sit on the grill grates. (This is done so the husks don't burn before the corn can char.)
Close the grill lid and allow the kernels to char for about 5 minutes per side, or until they become dark and golden brown on all sides. Remove from the grill and set aside.
Prepare the corn for your guests by slathering the corn with the chipotle crema and serve with a wedge of lime.
COOKING NOTES
Using corn without husks: You can still make this recipe if the corn you buy comes already husked. Soak the corn in water as is called for in the recipe. Before grilling wrap the corn tightly in aluminum foil to act as a substitute for the husks. Grill the corn as instructed in the recipe and when the time comes to char the corn, simply remove and discard the foil paper.
Canned chipotle: Chipotles are smoked jalapeno s. The smoking process concentrates their flavor and makes them a bit hotter than a regular jalapeno . You can control the heat by keeping or removing the seeds that cause the heat, which are found inside the chile, Look for chipotles that are packed in adobo sauce. Do not confuse the ingredient list to ask for 2 cans of chipotle chiles; it is asking for 2 individual chipotles found in a can.
TECHNIQUES
Removing silks from corn: The silks are the thin strings found inside the husk. Since they are inedible, they need to be removed. To do so, gently pull back the husks halfway down the ear of the corn and pull out the silks. It is fine if a few are left behind, they will eventually burn off. Fold the husks back over the corn.
Tying back corn husks: After the corn has been grilled, the husks will have dried out. Take two pieces of dried corn husk that has been pulled back and separate them away from each other. Wrap them around the corn husks and tie them into a knot (you may need to be a bit delicate so as not to break the husks).
ADVANCE PREPARATION
The chipotle crema can be made a day in advance and kept refrigerated. The corn can be prepared a few hours in advance up to the point of charring. Because the corn tends to shrivel up and dry out, it is best to char the corn shortly before serving.
For more of Lourdes' recipes, go to Page 2.
Chipotle Rubbed Skirt Steak Tacos
INGREDIENTS
1 pound skirt steak, trimmed of extra fat and cut into steaks that will fit in your grill
Brown Sugar Chile Rub
- 1 tablespoon chipotle powder
- 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoona ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Honey Lime Glaze
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 8 corn tortillas
- 2 limes, cut into small wedges
Fresh Tomatillo Sauce
METHOD
Heat your grill to high (550 degrees) and close the lid. Wait at least 15 minutes before lowering the heat to medium high (450 degrees F) and continuing.
Prepare the rub by placing all of the ingredients in a small bowl; mix well to combine and set aside.
About 5 minutes before you are ready to grill, pat the rub all over the steak. I find it helpful to sprinkle some of the rub onto a cutting board and then press the steak onto it, making sure to cover all sides and crevasses of the meat. Allow the beef to rest for about 5 minutes before grilling.
Oil the grill grates with a vegetable oil -soaked paper towel held with a long pair of tongs.
Place the steak on the grill and cook with the lid open for 3 minutes. Turn the steak over and cook for another 3 minutes with the lid open. Remove the steaks from the grill and place on a cutting board. Using the same paper towel-tong system, clean the grill of any spice clumps and reapply vegetable oil.
Prepare the glaze by placing the honey and lime juice in a small bowl and mixing with a fork until well combined. Liberally brush the glaze on one side of the beef and place the meat, glaze side down, onto the grill. Brush more glaze on the top of the steak and allow to cook for 2 minutes.
Turn the steak over and cook for an additional 2 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 125 degrees F to 130 degrees F for medium rare, or continue cooking until your reach your desired level of doneness. Keep basting with glaze if you cook the beef longer.
Remove the meat from the grill and set it on a cutting board to rest for at least 5 minutes.
In the meantime, place the corn tortillas on a dish and cover with a damp paper towel. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, until heated through. Alternatively, lightly sprinkle each of the tortillas with water and wrap small batches (about 5 tortillas each) in foil. Heat the foil packets on the covered grill for a few minutes. Place the heated tortillas on a dish and keep warm by placing a hot damp towel over them.
Now chop the beef into bite sized pieces. Begin by slicing the meat into long strips against the grain and then cutting those strips crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. If you have any remaining glaze, slather some of it on the meat.
Set out platters and bowls containing the beef, the warmed corn tortillas, fresh tomatillo salsa, and lime wedges and allow your guests to help themselves.
COOKING NOTES
Chipotle powder: Chipotles are smoked jalapeno s so expect a both smoke and heat (great flavors to grill with). Chipotles are sometimes dried and then ground into a powder. This allows you to use it as a spice. Just keep in mind that it packs a fiery punch.
ADVANCE PREPARATION
The rub can be prepared days in advance and stored for weeks so long as its kept in an airtight container and left in the freezer (you will need to break freezer-stored rub apart with your fingers before using). If left at room temperature, the brown sugar will dry out and harden. You will not only have small hard sugar balls in the rub, the meat will not benefit from the sweet flavor.
Fresh Tomatillo Sauce
Makes 1 cup
INGREDIENTS
- 5 tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed
- 1 jalapeno s, stems removed
- 2 scallions, roots and tops trimmed
- 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro stems and leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
METHOD
Place all sauce ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
COOKING NOTES
Tomatillos: Often mistaken for a green tomato, this fruit is part of the gooseberry family and has a fresh, tart flavor. Tomatillos vary in size but average about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Their size has no relation to their flavor so pick the freshest looking ones that are firm with a bright green color and no blemishes.
TECHNIQUES
Cleaning tomatillos: Most tomatillos come with a thin paper husk attached. It usually comes off easy, but in the event you get a husk that is difficult to remove, soak the tomatillo in cold water and the husk should come right off. Tomatillos tend to have a sticky coating; this is easily cleaned off with a rinse of water.
ADVANCE PREPARATION
This sauce can be made up to a day in advance with no effect on its color or flavor.
For Lourdes' Grilled Pineapple Skewers and Pineapple Ice recipe, go to Page 3.
Grilled Pineapple Skewers & Pineapple Ice
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pineapple, cored and chopped, about 6 cups
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 lime, quartered
METHOD
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool.
Puree half the pineapple chunks (about 1 1/2 cups) in a blender until smooth. Pour the simple syrup and pineapple puree in a 9 by 9-inch nonreactive baking pan and stir well. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer.
After one hour, stir the mixture well with a fork. Return to the freezer and allow the mixture to freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Heat your grill to high (550 degrees) and close the lid. Wait at least 15 minutes before lowering the heat to medium high (450 degrees F) and continuing.
Oil the grill grates with a vegetable oil soaked paper towel held with a long pair of tongs. Skewer 2 or 3 of the remaining pineapple chunks onto each of the skewers, placing pieces of the same size on each of the 4 or 5 skewers. Grill each skewer for 2 minutes per side, or until you see grill marks develop. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Remove the pan from the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Using a fork, scrape the fruit ice into individual serving cups and garnish by topping with grilled pineapple adding a lime wedge.
COOKING NOTES
Simple Syrup: This is the name given to sugar that is dissolved in water. It is not enough to just stir some sugar in water; it has to be lightly heated so that the sugar actually dissolves. This is done to prevent the ice from taking on a gritty texture.
Lime: The lime is used as both a garnish and a seasoning. The acid in the lime brightens up the flavors of the pineapple and balances the sweetness of the fruit.
TECHNIQUES
Soaking wooden skewers: In order to prevent the wooden skewers from catching fire on the grill, they need to be soaked in water for about 15 minutes. I find the easiest way to do this it to submerge them in a pitcher filled with water.
ADVANCE PREPARATION
This is definitely a recipe to start in advance. The pineapple ice can be made several days in advance. You can even scrape the ice early, placing it in an airtight plastic container in the freeze; let it soften for a few minutes before serving. (You may have to scrape a bit again.) In order to prevent freezer burn, I wrap the container in plastic wrap before placing it in the freezer. The grilled pineapple can sit a room temperature for a few hours.
So, how did Lourdes do in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition?
Her grand total ingredients cost was $36.46.
That was good enough to land her on our 2011 Leaders Board!:
1.Marco Canora $36.33
Hearth
2. Christopher Cipollone $36.42
Tenpenny at The Gotham Hotel
3. Lourdes Castro
"Latin Grilling"