Season the steak and substitute freely: hot pepper and nut sauce

Now, the above does not sound very in accord with Thanksgiving, does it?  Well.... now think about it, ragazzi.  May we have a show of hands amongst the NON vegetarians:  after the turkey feast, the turkey left overs, the turkey soup, who out there knows that s/he is going to be in the mood for a steak?

Hmmm.  See?  There's some kind of "rebound" effect.  You know there is.  You've just gorged on poultry:  soft, tasty, so good for you, so healthy.  And you're about to go on that diet to get it all off.  But just one last hurrah.  And you want it to be ... MEAT.  A steak.

For Annalena, the steak of choice is something like a skirt steak, or a hanger steak, something with "chew" to it.  Ribeyes are not for her, or sirloins, or any of the more tender cuts. To her tastes, they give up in flavor what they make up for in soft, easy texture.  Annalena doesn't mind working for her meat  (and she has, trust her.  But that's for another blog).

And there is nothing wrong, and everything right, with a good, simple, grilled steak.  But you know....   So, here's a sauce that will make that grilled steak even better.  And, the main reason Annalena likes telling you about this recipe, is because of how easy it is to substitute.

As you go through the prescribed ingredients, chances are, you will not have all of them in your home.  Annalena has ONE of the odd ones, and not the rest.  But this is one where substitutions work - to a point.  And Annalena will explain.  So, let's make a sauce.

We start with an ounce of ancho chili peppers.  Here is the place where Annalena does not think you can substitute.  Anchos are the dried version of poblano peppers (did you know that MANY of the peppers from Mexico have different names in fresh and dried form?  Jalapeno/chipotle, for example.  Did you know that?   Aren't you thrilled to be more of a food geek now?).  The anchos have the right amount of heat.  They are probably the mildest of the dried chilis.  So if you go to something else, Annalena advises caution and suggests that you cut them with some anchos.

An ounce of dried anchos is about 2 large, soft peppers.  (When you buy them, try to flex them in the plastic wrapper.  If they are not pliable, don't buy them.   They're too dried out.  Seems odd that a dried product can be too dried, but it's true for many things, including salt cod, and fruit).

Ok, so you have your chiles.  Get some boiling water going, and pour it over the chile peppers.  Let this sit for about 15 minutes, then fish out the peppers, run them under cold water, tear them open and get rid of the seeds and the stems.  While you're doing this please try to wear gloves if you can.  Hot peppers, even the dried ones, are loaded with oil that will get on your skin, and wreak havoc if you touch your mucus membranes later (such as taking out your contact lenses), and if there are any nicks on your hands, you'll find them with the chile oils.  Annalena knows these things.

All you want is the skin of the peppers.  Put this into a food processor, with a couple of big garlic cloves, sliced up and then pulse them to a fine mix.

Now, we're in substitution land.  You need half a cup of toasted pumpkin seeds.  If you have them, use them.  Annalena did not.  She had toasted almonds.  She used those.  She thinks walnuts would work, and maybe cashews too.  The toasting is important, but absolutely not necessary, because the anchos have a toasted, smoky flavor. Pulse those too.

Possible substitution number 2, coming up.  You need a quarter cup of almond butter.  Go ahead, laugh.  How many of you have almond butter in your house?

That many, huh?   Well, for those of you who don't, substitute a quarter cup of a smooth nut butter.  Cashew butter is better than peanut, but they will both work  (you may all laugh at the fact, by the way, that Annalena had cashew butter on hand, but not almond butter).    Also add a big tablespoon of sherry vinegar.  If this isn't around, use balsamic - prepferably the white stuff, or in a pinch, use red wine vinegar.

Now, leave the food processor running, and start streaming in a half cup of good quality extra virgin olive oil.  You'll see the sauce come together as a thick, wonderfully smelling paste.  If it seems too thick to you, add a bit of water.  Taste it, and then add some salt, or pepper, as you see fit.

To say this is good with steak, is to understate matters greatly.  But it is also good with potatoes.   And chicken.  And probably even left over turkey.  Indeed, turkey with mole' sauce is a much bigger thing in Mexican cooking than you would think, and this reminds Annalena much of mole'.

So, ragazzi, if you're deciding to bag the turkey and have a steak, or if you're looking for that weekend meal, now you have it.  Go forth, and enjoy.