Steak with Peach Basil Salsa

Dan here today.  Greetings everyone.  I just consulted our post history and discovered that it’s been over a month since the last time I wrote something.  Never fear, though.  I have put the intervening weeks to good use.  I backpacked through Europe.  I watched a baseball game in every stadium in the country.  My band played a few shows at some local clubs.  I think we’re just one big break away from a record deal.  (I play the keytar, if you were wondering).  And I topped it all off with a vision quest in the Arizona desert, where I found out that my spirit guide was a spotted iguana.  But I’m not here to talk about all of that today.  I’m here to talk steak with peach basil salsa, which Beth and I made during our trip to the mountains back in August. 



I first came up with the idea while we were in Snowmass for the food festival there.  We watched a cooking demonstration by a chef who specializes in Mexican food, and I think I got a little bit salsa happy.  A little bit of light googling gave me an idea of what should go into the salsa, and from there, I was off to the races.  Unfortunately, the first time I made it, in a dress rehearsal for the family trip, I tried to go cheap and use skirt steak.  I know they use that in fajitas, but I don’t think I handled it correctly.   The steak turned into meat gum when we tried to eat it.  When I made it the second time, I made sure to buy some nice tender sirloin, and the results were much better.  Anyway, here is the recipe:

Steak with Peach Basil Salsa

Ingredients:
2 16-oz sirlion steaks
2 peaches, cut up into chunks
A large handful of basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper (and maybe paprika) to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
1.  Let the steaks sit out for a little while (maybe 30 minutes), so that it can start to come up to room temperature.

2.  Combine the peaches, basil, and a bit of salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Ta-da!  You have salsa.

3.  Season the steaks with salt, pepper, and a little paprika if you like, then smear them with the olive oil. 

4.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Cooking time is something I still struggle with and will vary with the thickness of the meat, but I did about four minutes on a side, and the steaks came out a perfect medium rare – clearly done but still juicy and tender. 

So there you have it.  And I actually managed to get this post up before peach season officially ends (We’ve had some delicious Utah peaches at our local Sunflower the past couple of weeks), so you won’t have to wait to make it until next year.