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Steak with Three-Pepper Bomba and Braised Greens

Steak with Three-Pepper Bomba and Braised Greens

Ingredients

For the Bomba Sauce:

  • About 1/4 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 12 cremini mushrooms, finely chopped

  • 1 small/baby eggplant, finely chopped

  • 2 shallots, finely chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • Salt and pepper

  • 2 field (mild) red peppers

  • Hot pickled Italian cherry peppers, chopped or buy sliced and finely chop (I use Cento) plus about 2 tablespoons vinegary juice from the jar

  • 1/4 cup Calabrian chili paste

  • About 1/3 cup peeled hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped  

For the greens:

  • 3 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 6 anchovy filets, chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 1/4 cup dry vermouth

  • 1 large head escarole, coarsely chopped or shredded

  • 1 bunch Tuscan kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped or shredded

  • Salt and pepper, freshly grated nutmeg

  • 1 cup chicken stock

  • 1 lemon  

For the steaks:

  • 2 to 2 1/2 pounds (4 portions) hanger steak, flank steak or flat-iron steak, at room temperature

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • Olive oil, for drizzling

  • 3 tablespoons butter

  • 2 cloves crushed garlic

  • A few sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme 

Directions

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat with EVOO. Add mushrooms and brown; add eggplant, shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and stir to soften, 5 minutes. Remove from heat.  

Char and blister red peppers over a flame or under broiler. Place in a bowl, cover tightly with foil and let cool. Peel, seed and finely chop peppers by hand or in a food processor.  

In a bowl, combine hot pickled peppers, their juice, the mushrooms and eggplants, chopped roasted red peppers and the nuts. Adjust seasoning and add EVOO to your desired thickness.  

For the greens, heat EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium heat in a large skillet. Melt anchovy filets into oil, stir in garlic and cook 1 minute; add vermouth then wilt greens into pan; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add stock and reduce heat to simmer. Braise greens 20-30 minutes. Before serving, douse greens with lemon juice.  

For the steaks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat steaks dry then season with salt and pepper. Add a drizzle of EVOO to the hot pan and cook steaks 8 minutes, turning occasionally. Reduce heat and melt butter. Add garlic and rosemary or thyme and swirl it in the butter, spoon butter over steaks to baste for 1 minute then remove steaks from pan and let rest.  

Slice steaks against the grain and fan out the pieces on plates. Place a hearty smear of bomba on the steak and serve greens alongside or in side dish for serving at the table.