Showing posts with label steak seasoning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label steak seasoning. Show all posts

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Home made salsa --and how to use it to season steak

Did I mention this was a great garden year? Here it is two days before October and we have not yet had a frost.  This has been a blessing especially for my neighbors who started heirloom tomatoes from seeds.  The seedlings did so well, that they ended up planting 103 tomato plants!!  Needless to say they have been supplying tomatoes to many lucky people who are fortunate enough to live nearby.  I am blessed to be one of them, and along with the tomatoes from my own plants, I have had plenty to make all kinds of wonderful dishes.  
Now, I like salsa.  The flavor combination of all the ingredients is delightful, but I like it MILD.  It is difficult to find really tasty MILD salsa.  So years ago, I started experimenting with different recipes to come up with one that is both mild and flavorful.  If you like heat, this one is not for you, but if you, like me, do not like the feeling of a burning tongue when you eat salsa, give this recipe a try.  I found the basic recipe in the "Better Homes and Gardens Presents America's All-Time Favorite Canning and Preserving Recipes" book (copyright 1996).  It is on page 39 entitled "Chunky Homemade Salsa" and modified it to meet our family's taste.

You will need:

An 8 quart stainless steel pot
Colander and large bowl to set it in
Large heat resistant spoon for stirring
4 cup measuring cup
Water bath canner or large stock pot to process the jars of salsa
Jars and lids for canning (see canning tips in my other post, or go to Ball (TM) Getting Started With Canning for more information.)

Assemble the tools above.  Wash jars and lids and place in the dishwasher or a pan of water and heat them.  Keep them hot until ready to fill.  Prepare the fresh ingredients:

8.5 lbs of tomatoes (about 25 medium)
4 or 5 Anaheim chili peppers
3 jalapeno peppers
3 or 4 sweet bell peppers
2 cups coarsely chopped onion (about 1 large onion)
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
6 cloves garlic, minced 
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Wash, seed and core the peppers.  (Tip:  Wear rubber gloves while working with the peppers to prevent the oils from burning your hands.)  Measure 1/3 cup jalapenos, and 2 cups of Anaheim and bell peppers combined.  Place in a large bowl.  Chop onion, measure and add to peppers.  Mince the garlic and chop the cilantro and add to the peppers and onions.  Add the vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper to the bowl.  Set aside. 

Wash, peel, seed and core tomatoes.  (Tip:  Dip washed tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for 10 - 15 seconds then transfer to a bowl of cold water.  The skins will come off very easily).  Cut the tomatoes in half or quarters and put in the colander over a bowl and allow to drain for 30 minutes.  Coarsely chop tomatoes and measure out 16 cups and place into the stainless steel pot.  Cook over med-high heat, stirring frequently until boiling.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes or until thickened to desired consistency while continuing to stir frequently.  (Tip:  If you use a heavy bottomed pot, it will be less likely to stick or burn.)  Add the pepper mixture and return the sauce to boiling increasing the heat to med-high and stirring frequently.  Once the mixture reaches boiling, you can remove from heat.

Fill the large stock pot or canner with hot water and set on stove top to heat.  (Tip:  If you live in an area with hard water, add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the water in the canner to avoid a white scale from forming on your jars.)  Put the canning lids into a small pot with boiling water.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Ladle hot sauce into hot jars and wipe the rims with a clean, wet cloth.  Put the lids in place and secure the bands.  Put into the canner and submerge in the hot water.  There should be at least 1 inch of hot water over the top of the jars.  Bring to a boil and process half pints or pints  in the water bath for 35 minutes.  Remove from  the canner and set aside to allow the jars to seal.  Once they are sealed you can store them in your pantry.  This should yield you about 6 pints.  

It seems that whenever I make a canning recipe, there is always some left over after I've filled all the jars, not quite enough to fill another.  This was the case today, and I had about a 3/4 cup left over.  As it happens I had thawed some steaks for dinner and thought I'd try something different to season them before grilling.  This is what I came up with:

3/4 cup fresh home made cooked salsa
2 tbsp taco seasoning (McCormick's, French's, Schilling, whatever brand you have).
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground paprika

Combine these ingredients and stir thoroughly.  In a large bowl, place a little of the sauce on the bottom and add a layer of steaks.  Spoon a generous amount on top of the steaks and spread over them completely.  Add another layer of steak and spoon more salsa mixture on top.  Continue until all your steaks are layered with the sauce.  Cover and set aside for at least 1/2 hour.  Prepare your grill and heat it to high.  Place the steaks with the sauce on the grill at high heat for 1 - 2 minutes and turn over.  Spoon any remaining sauce over the steaks and sear for 1 - 2 more minutes.  Turn the heat to low and cook until done to your desired taste.  I served this up with a simple salad and fresh corn on the side.  It was delicious.  I hope you have the opportunity to try this. Enjoy!


Goodnight,
Tammie