The Big Kahuna.

In the end nothing says love like the rendered flesh of a defenseless herbivore. As we have been building toward a real Valentines day climax it only makes sense to go with the best. Then make it better. Meat, like love, and like sex, only improves with excess.

herbivore

                                                (Lobo)


To start if you are in the Boston area go to the Butcher Boy. You can try and tweak nasty stuff to make it taste good if you have no money, but this is Valentines day. Open the dam wallet and go for the gusto. Just because we are thwarting our corporate masters does not mean we have to be cheap. So 2 filets please, 2 strips of the house bacon,Mmmm bacon, 2 portobello caps, and some gorgonzola. Oh yeah, grab a pear, a bunch of asparagus, some shallots, and a quart of cream.

So right now she should be moping up the last of the pasta sauce from yesterdays post.( I hope you bought some wicked good bread because we aren't making any. So shift gears and go for the gold with the tunes. you are going to have to leave her alone for a few moments although ideally the seating and the stove are in view of each other.









There, that should hold her until the steak hits the plate. By the way, we will rock out later in the week people, I promise. You can't tell me though that the Stones or Green Day or anyone in between bring the romance like these guys. I'll say it! go for it! Prove me wrong!



Anyway, the oven needs to be preheated to 450 degrees. The steaks should be on a plate, salt and pepper on both sides, coning up to room temperature. There should be a jelly roll pan in the oven coming up to heat. Your cast iron skillet should be dry and on semi-high heat. Everything in place? Go!

1. Oil the steaks not the pan. Wrap in bacon, Mmmm bacon. Tie with butcher string.
2. Into the pan they go, it'll smoke so blast the fan and cover the detectors, for 3 minutes. Flip.
3. 2 more minutes, bang into the oven. Working fast!
4. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, Mmmm butter, to the pan, now some chopped shallots. You didn't chop them ahead? You idiot, do I have to think of everything?
5. Toss in the caps open side up for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt.
6. Take the caps and place them on the steaks. Turn off the oven, turn on the broiler.
7. Put more butter, Mmm butter, in the pan, add the asparagus, You didn't blanch the asparagus? You idiot, do I have to do everything?
8. Mean-while pull out the steaks, add gorgonzola to the mushroom caps, and return to the oven.
9. Give the asparagus a splash of balsamic to deglaze the pan. Add a little salt and a few hot pepper flakes. Take it off the heat.
10. Right now the steaks should be between medium and medium rare. If you want them cooked more than that you shouldn't even be doing this recipe because the filets don't have enough fat to take that much heat.
11. Plate the Steak with the asparagus take the pear...
12. Dam! I forgot the pear. You can just save it for dessert. More is better with dessert.

So eat! We were going to bake the pear with some cheese, balsamic, and thyme, now we are just going to hold it till tomorrow for the big finish.