This was the hardest meal that I have made in a long time.  When we sat down to dinner, I said,”This better be the best meal I have ever made.”  I literally stood in the kitchen for 4 hours chopping and making sauces.  All this for steak, potatoes and broccoli.  They were all good.  I could not really judge how good as I was too tired.  The steak comes from Fine Cooking. the broccoli from a magazine called Dinner Special, and finally the potatoes from Martha.

Ingredients:   Steak

4 oz. (8T) unsalted butter

1/2 Large ripe Hass avocado, cut into small dice

2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 t fresh lime juice

1 t finely chopped Serrano chili

1 t toasted ground coriander

Kosher salt

2 T EVOO

2 t granulated garlic

2 packed dark brown sugar

1 t chili powder

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 #-2# flank steak

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, Serrano, coriander and 1/2 t salt, and mix well.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the oil, garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves about 2 minutes.  Allow the mixture to cool, then rub it all over the steak.  Let sit for 15-30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile prepare a medium-high grill.  Grill the steak flipping once until medium rare, about 8 minutes.  
4. Transfer to a cutting board, smear with a good amount of the butter mixture, tent with foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  Slice against the grain and serve with the remaining butter.

Ingredients:  Broccoli

3 T EVOO

2 T Sriracha

1 T soy sauce

1/2 t brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 1/4# broccoli crowns, stems peeled and heads halved

Fresh cracked pepper

1/4 C chopped cilantro 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  In a bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients.
2. Place the broccoli on a baking pan lined with aluminum foil.  Drizzle the oil mixture over the broccoli.  Toss to coat evenly.  Season with pepper, then spread the broccoli in an even layer.
3. Roast for 10 minutes, turn the broccoli, then continue roasting 5 minutes more, or until tender and the edges are crisped.  
4. Transfer the broccoli to a bowl, toss with the chopped cilantro and serve.  

Martha has a section of her magazine called The Workbook.  The following potato recipe certainly qualifies as Work.  I cut this recipe in half.  I made and have preserved lemons in a jar in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

2 # Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1# cubes

1/3 C + 1 T EVOO

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large or 2 small jalapeños, sliced into 1/8 “ rounds, seeds removed if less heat desired.  

1 T finely chopped garlic

1/3 small red onion, thinly sliced

Preserved Lemon, chopped (about 1/2 C)

3/4 C packed parsley leaves

1/4 C packed mint leaves

1 t fresh lemon juice.  

Directions:

1. Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with water by 2”.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 5-6 minutes.  Drain and dry.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Toss potatoes with 1/3 C oil on a rimmed baking sheet, season with salt, and roast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 40 minutes.  
3. Add jalapeños, garlic, onion and 7 T preserved lemon.  Cook, tossing once, until onion and jalapeños are softened, about 8 minutes.  Season with salt.  (Watch the salt.  I seasoned the water I boiled the potatoes and skipped all the in-between salting.  Preserved lemons are also very salty.)
4. Meanwhile, toss parsley, mint and lemon juice with remaining 1t oil and remaining 1 T preserved lemon.  Season with salt and pepper.  
5. Serve the potatoes warm or a room temperature, with herb salad sprinkled over top.

These potatoes were very good but no one ate the herb salad topping.  The potatoes and the broccoli were finished, but we have about 1/2 steak leftover.  The fact that both the potatoes could be cooked in the oven at the same temperature was a real help while Jim grilled.  I prepared everything during the day then went swimming.  Finished the cooking and I think we ate around 10:00 PM.  

This did rank a great bottle from Jim’s cellar.  He served Grand Cru Chateau Giscour from Margaux,  2004.