This year for my birthday I wanted nothing except for my husband to make me one of his gourmet meals and for my car to get cleaned. My husband is a gem! He detailed my car for me and prepared an excellent dinner. The day was perfect!I left the menu choice to him. He was after all doing all of the work. He choose to make a dinner around one of his favorite recipes that he had not yet made for me – Venetian Steak. My cooking revolves around chicken and fish, I have not ever mastered the art of cooking a good steak. I cook steak so infrequently that I just don’t have much success with it. But I do love a great steak. Last night’s dinner was delicious – and to be honest, not the healthiest. But hey, it was my birthday dinner.
Gavin started marinating the steak on Thursday and this was Saturday’s dinner. The time marinating in the fridge really allows the steak to soak in the bath of wine and spice. It does need the time to marinate to fully get the benefits of the amazing flavors.
Venetian Steak
Time: About 20 minutes, plus marinatingINGREDIENTS:
1/2 bottle rich, full-bodied red wine, preferably Amarone
2 tablespoons sugar
6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 8- to 12-ounce rib-eye steaks, about 1/2-inch thick
Salt and pepper.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine wine and sugar in a large pot and bring to boil; lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and orange zest, and remove pan from heat to cool.
2. Put steaks in a large baking dish and pour marinade over them. Marinate steaks in refrigerator for at least several hours and up to three days.
3. Take steaks out of the marinade, season with salt and pepper, and cook them in a very hot skillet, about 2 minutes each side for medium rare. (You can grill or broil them if you prefer.) Slice the meat about 1/4-inch thick and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.
