Fudging Quince. Pt. 2.
...I called Melissa and Ruben to let them know we were taking a road trip and they were kind enough to invite us to crash at their condo located in Queens.
On that trip, Chuy and I ended up getting lost the day we drove up to New York and ended up in Chinatown. We had to stop and look at the map to see how to get out of that traffic mess. Imagine, no google maps or apple maps to rely on back then. We finally made it to Queens but not without getting lost again. The second time, we drove past Melissa's place and ended up in Jamaica. The first morning in Queens, we walked to an area filled with all kinds of restaurants owned by Cubans, Argentineans, Colombians, and other Central and South American nationals. You could see the colorful displays in the windows, the lively music, and the festive energy. What was fun to see was all the types of empanadas available in many of the breakfast menus. As an ode to that trip, I want to share with you the following recipes that remind me of my friends and a time when cell phones were still used for calls and texts only, smartphones were a rarity available only to a few and folded maps were a tool still found in many glove compartments but slowly being driven to extinction since Garmin was a strong player in the navigation world. Will a classic, old-school paper map take you through the best routes all the way to Argentina into La Bombonera o el Monumental? That’s the question, my friends.
Reminiscing on those times of cross-cultural friendship, I thought about the next two recipes, ate de guayaba and a steak & eggs with chimichurri hashbrowns breakfast recipe.
RECIPE: STEAK, CHIMI-HASHBROWNS, AND EGGS
INGREDIENTS:
2 4 oz flat iron steak
4 eggs
2 small red potatoes, poached
4 tbsp Chimichurri by Chef Oz™
1/4 tsp sea salt
½ tsp cracked black pepper
Garnish:
1/2 cup fine diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup fine diced red onions
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tbsp evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
DIRECTIONS:
RECIPE: CHIMI-HASHBROWNS
1. Place each potato in a folded paper towel sheet and smash with your hand
2. Preheat frying pan on medium heat
3. Using a medium bowl toss crushed potatoes with Chimichurri by Chef Oz™
4. Place potatoes in a pan and allow them to crisp. About 4 minutes.
5. Once they are crisp on one side, press down with a spatula and then turn. Allow for another three minutes to get crispy.
For Chimi-hashbrowns you can cook as crispy as desired by allowing extra time on each side before turning.
Flat iron steak:
1. Preheat the stove grill on medium-high for about 5 minutes.
----Start the chimihasbrowns----
2. Mix salt and pepper and rub steak on both sides.
3. Place each steak on the grill and cook 1/2 the time on each side for
MEDIUM RARE: 135°F
MEDIUM: 140°F
RECIPE: GARNISH
Mix bell pepper, red onions, lime juice, and evoo in a small bowl.
Ready to use.
To plate, place the steak and chimihashbrowns on a plate with the eggs on top. Garnish with pepper relish and more chimichurri if you want.
This ate recipe will take time to make. Once you make it you can enjoy ate and cheese after lunch or prior to dinner, as a snack, or with your cheese platter.
RECIPE: Ate de guayaba
INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs of fresh guayabas
1 lb of Mexican sugar
Enough water to cover guayabas in the pot
DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook guayabas until the pulp is soft, about 15 minutes on a light simmer
2. Blend guayabas and strain
3. Add guayaba pure back into the saucepan, add sugar
4. Bring to a medium simmer and cook for approximately one hour
5. Allow for the paste to cool down before pouring on a loaf style pan
6. Place ate in the fridge for about 40 minutes to allow it to thicken up and form a shape.
Ready to eat.