Grilling Season

Since there's still plenty of outdoor season left, we wanted to share more grilling recipes. And the first will tie into the release of the new vintage of Silver Oak Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vine Grilled Hanger Steak with Polenta Fries & Garden Greens

Courtesy Silver Oak.

Of course, you can substitute anything easier for the Polenta Fries. We also suggest grilling this over old grape vines.

Steak
3 pounds hanger or flank steak
½ cup Herb-Dijon Marinade (see recipe immediately below)

Herb-Dijon Marinade
Makes 2 cups
1 cup olive oil
½ cup parsley leaves with stems, chopped
¼ cup thyme leaves, chopped
½ cup shallots, chopped
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Place ½ cup of the olive oil and the rest of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse for 30 seconds.
   
Add the remaining ½ cup of olive oil and pulse an additional 30 seconds. Do not let the blender run at full speed for more than a second or two because the high speed of the spinning blades will cause the olive oil to turn bitter.
   
The marinade will last up to a week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. When you refrigerate the marinade, you will notice that the olive oil solidifies. Be sure to gently warm the marinade for 10 seconds in your microwave and stir very well to reconstitute when using.

Polenta Fries
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup cornmeal
2 cups canola oil
1 cup rice flour

Garden Greens
4 ounces baby mixed lettuces
1 ounce extra virgin olive oil
½ ounce aged balsamic vinegar
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings
Sea salt
Black pepper
1 cup Salsa Verde (see recipe below)

Salsa Verde
Makes 3 cups
3 garlic cloves, smashed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup shallots, sliced
2 anchovies, smashed (optional)
2 bunches fresh Italian parsley leaves, stems removed
½ cup capers, chopped
2 cups olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh lemon juice

Sauté the garlic in a small pan over medium heat with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, stirring constantly and cooking just to the point when the garlic turns golden brown. Add the shallots and cook until translucent. Add the anchovies and cook until they dissolve into the oil. Remove mixture to a plate and chill in the refrigerator.
   
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the parsley leaves and boil for 1 minute. Strain and cool in a bowl of ice water. Strain the parsley from the ice water and squeeze dry.
  
Place the parsley, cooled garlic-shallot-anchovy mixture and capers into a blender. With the blender on high, slowly drizzle in the 2 cups of olive oil. When all of the oil has been added, let the blender run for 3 minutes to purée the ingredients.
   
Salsa verde can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to a month. Just before serving mix salsa verde with lemon juice to brighten the flavor.

Marinate the Steak

Place the hanger steak in the herb marinade and let soak for at least 3 hours, or up to a day.

Make Polenta

Brush a 9″ x 9″ casserole dish with olive oil, making sure to coat the entire bottom and sides of the dish.

In a sauce pot bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the salt and slowly sprinkle in the cornmeal while whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until the liquid returns to a simmer.
  
Remove from the heat and immediately pour all of the polenta into the oiled casserole dish. Working quickly with a rubber spatula, spread the polenta evenly over the entire dish to make level. Place in the refrigerator for 4 hours, or until fully chilled and firm.

Heat the canola oil in a deep-sided sauté pan to 375°F. Invert the casserole dish with the polenta onto a cutting board, using a rubber spatula to loosen the edges if they stick. Cut the polenta into 3″ x ½″ x ½″ fries, and coat each fry with rice flour.
   
Fry the polenta fries in the canola oil until golden brown and let drain on a wire rack.

Make the Salad

Toss the baby lettuces with olive oil, balsamic, Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings, sea salt, and black pepper.

Grill the Steak

Light your grill and grill the hanger steak to desired temperature. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
   
To serve, spread the Salsa Verde onto each plate, place 2-3 polenta fries on top along with slices of hanger steak and the salad. Bon Appetito!

Shrimp Skewers with Orange Chardonnay Mojo Glaze

Courtesy of Mirassou. And fewer moving parts than the previous recipe.

Prep time: 15 minutes.
Cook time: About 10 minutes.

Orange Chardonnay Mojo Glaze:

1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup Mirassou Chardonnay
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Shrimp:

16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 short bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

Place first 6 ingredients in a small pan; cook over medium heat until reduced by half. Let cool slightly then stir in cilantro; season to taste with salt and pepper. Thread 2 shrimp onto each skewer. Stir together oil and garlic in a small bowl; brush over both sides of shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side on a grill, in a hot grill pan or under the broiler. Drizzle with Orange Chardonnay Mojo Glaze.

Makes 4 appetizer servings.