Sunrise and Beef Piquant

It was an ominous pre-dawn sky yesterday morning -- suitable for the day I'd marked down to get our tax information together.

We're approaching the equinox -- the sun's almost in the middle of our due east view.

But that's not what I'm here to blog about. I want to tell you about a recipe that has stood the test of time. 

It's from The Gasparilla Cookbook -- produced by the Tampa Junior League back in 1961 and still in print.  It's the food of my childhood -- Southern, Spanish, Cuban, Italian, Greek. 

I got my first copy in 1962, the year before we got married, and it was my go-to cook book for a very long time. I wore that first copy out and got a replacement in '89 -- it's fairly stained and battered now. And the thing is, all these years later and the recipes are still terrific.

 

Bef Piquant is a good thing to do with a cheap cut of meat -- add in the potatoes and carrots and you've got a meal.  I also served some buttered broccoli and a salad.

After this was well underway, I realized, with something of a shock, there's no garlic in it. Another time, I may add a bit but honestly, it's awfully good just this way. 

The smell filled  the house for hours and when it was time to eat, I totally forgot to take a picture of the finished product. Oh, my, it was good.  The meat falls off the bone and is a big mouthful of flavor. 

Try it -- you'll see.

 Beef Piquant - in preparation

2 to 3 pounds chuck or round steak, at least 2 inches thick

1 lemon

2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons brown sugar

3 generous dashes Tabasco sauce ( I used quite a lot (2 tablespoons, maybe) of Sriracha hot sauce instead for more heat)

2 medium onions, sliced and sauteed in 2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon capers

Optional -- potatoes and carrots

Place steak in center of a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil  in a shallow pan. Rub both sides of steak with cut lemon. Spread both sides of steak with mustard.  Place under broiler and brown both sides. Remove from oven, salt and pepper, squeeze lemon juice over the steak. Sprinkle with Worcestershire, brown sugar, and Tabasco. Add capers and onions, which have been sauteed. You can add in  potatoes and carrots, if desired. Bring foil up to seal in an airtight package. Bake at 300 for 3 hours.