Simple, Fun And Yummy

The Early Show's resident Chef Bobby Flay joined us on Saturday with a great meal for our Chef on a Shoestring challenge.

As usual, we gave him a $30 budget to create a delicious meal for four.

The recognition that Flay has gained at Mesa Grill for his mouthwatering dishes has built his reputation as a major force not only in New York's culinary scene, but also nationwide. In May 1993, Flay was voted the James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef of the Year, an award that honors the country's most accomplished chef under the age of 30. The French Culinary Institute, his alma mater, honored him in 1993 with its first-ever Outstanding Graduate Award, which recognizes the school's most accomplished alumni.

And his first book, "Bobby Flay's Bold American Food," won the 1995 International Association of Culinary Professionals award for design. Not one to rest on laurels, Bobby has authored other cookbooks: "From My Kitchen to Your Table" and "Boy Meets Grill."

Flay started cooking at the age of 17 when he took a job at New York's Joe Allen restaurant. Eventually, he so impressed the management that Joe Allen paid his tuition to the prestigious French Culinary Institute.

After restaurateur Jonathan Waxman introduced him to southwestern ingredients, Flay was determined to explore the possibilities of southwestern cuisine as an important and distinct culinary style for America.

From 1988 to 1990, Flay experimented with his new culinary passion at New York's Miracle Grill, where his colorful Southwestern creations earned him something of a cult following. When Flay's own Mesa Grill opened its doors in 1991, his reputation as a major New York chef was sealed. He continued to soar with Bolo, his second New York restaurant, which Bobby (Bo) and partner Laurence Kretchmer (Lo) opened in November 1993. Dedicated to exploring Spanish cuisine, Bobby's innovative menu at Bolo dazzles adventurous palates daily.

Bobby recently opened Mesa Grill in Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

Flay's menu as our Chef on a Shoestring: an appetizer of Queso Fundido; an entrée of Skirt Steak Tacos; and for dessert, Cinnamon Flan.

Terminology:

Poblano Chile: Flay is using roasted poblano chile in the queso fundido. It is a dark (sometimes almost black) green chile with a rich flavor that varies from mild to snappy. The darkest poblanos have the richest flavor. This chile is about 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide and 4 to 5 inches long, tapering from top to bottom in a triangular shape. According to "The New Food Lover's Companion," the very best poblanos are found in central Mexico, though they are now also grown in the U.S. Southwest. Fresh poblanos can be found in Mexican markets and in many supermarkets. Their peak season is summer and early fall. They're also available canned. Ripe poblanos turn a reddish-brown color and are sweeter than the green. In their dried state they're known as ancho or mulato chiles. Poblanos can be used in a variety of dishes, but are perhaps best known as the chile of choice for chiles rellenos.

Skirt Steak: Flay is using skirt steak, which is flavorful, but inexpensive. It's great for Southwestern dishes: fajitas and tacos. Cut from the beef flank, the skirt steak is the diaphragm muscle (which lies between the abdomen and chest cavity). It's a long, flat piece of meat that's flavorful but rather tough. According to "The New Food Lover's Companion," properly cooked, skirt steak can be quite tender and delicious. It can either be quickly grilled, or stuffed, rolled and braised.

Flan: A Spanish baked custard coated with caramel.

Recipes:

Queso Fundido with Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette

Queso Fundido Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
6 ounces goat cheese, sliced into 6 slices
freshly ground black pepper
roasted poblano sauce (see recipe below)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
blue corn tortilla chips

Preheat broiler. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the grated Monterey Jack cheese.

Scrape the mixture into an 8-inch cast iron pan and place the slices of goat cheese over the top, season with salt and pepper. Place the pan under the broiler and broil until the goat cheese is golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the Poblano Vinaigrette and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with chips.

Roasted Poblano Sauce (Poblano Vinaigrette) Ingredients:

2 poblano pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/4 cup canola oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Roast Poblano Peppers:
Using tongs, roast Poblano peppers over an oven flame until blackened on all sides. Remove and place in plastic bag for five minutes. Then peel off the skin.

Skirt Steak Tacos with Roasted Tomato Salsa
Serves: 4

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:
6 plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 jalapeno chile, coarsely chopped
1 small red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno and onion in a baking dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast until tomatoes and onions are soft. Transfer the mixture to a food processor, add the vinegar, oil and cilantro and process until smooth, season with salt and pepper and serve in a bowl.

Tacos

Ingredients:
eight 6-inch flour tortillas
1 1/4 pounds skirt steak
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 head romaine lettuce, thinly shredded
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, halved and thinly sliced
8 ounces sour cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and heat in the oven while the steak is grilling.

Heat grill pan over high heat. Brush steak with oil and season with the cumin, salt and pepper on both sides. Grill on one side until golden brown and slightly charred, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the steak over and cook to medium-rare doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Let rest 5 minutes then slice against the grain into ¼ inch thick slices.

Fill each tortilla with 3 to 4 pieces of meat, lettuce, onion and avocado and drizzle with the roasted tomato salsa and sour cream.

Cinnamon Flan
Yields: 8

1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups heavy cream
2 cinnamon sticks
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Have eight 4-ounce ramekins and a large roasting pan.

Combine 1 cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a heavy-bottomed pot or pan. Place over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar begins to melt. Swirl the pan over the heat until the syrup darkens to a medium amber color, about 10 minutes; don't stir with a spoon. Remove from the heat pour into the ramekins. Tilt the ramekins so that the caramel evenly coats the bottom and a bit up the sides, place in the roasting pan and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, bring a kettle of water to a boil for the water bath and keep it hot. Combine the cream and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium-low flame. Bring the cream to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole eggs and yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar; add a pinch of salt. Whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Temper the egg mixture by gradually whisking in the hot cream mixture; don't add it too quickly or the eggs will cook. Pass the mixture through a strainer into a large measuring cup to ensure that the flan will be perfectly smooth and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour the custard into the caramel-coated mold.

To create the water bath: pour the hot (not boiling) water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the mold; be careful not get water into the custard. Carefully transfer to the middle oven rack, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the custard is barely set and just jiggles slightly. Let the flan cool in the water bath, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to serve, run a knife around the inside of the ramkins to loosen the flan. Place a dessert plate on top of the flan and invert to pop it out.

Chef's Note: Since the recipe makes eight, Flay suggests reserving the other four for dinner the following night.