Raise the ‘steaks’

By Express News Service

HYDERABAD:  The weekend is finally here and nothing can beat a chilled beer with a sizzling steak on a Saturday afternoon. Give your ‘Steak Saturday’ a twist with these recipes, which will add a little pizzazz and turn your regular steak into something fancy

Pomelo Pith ‘Chicken’ Tonkatsu

Ingredients

FOR TONKATSU:

• 1 ripe pomelo 
• 1tsp onion powder,
• 1tsp garlic powder| Salt to taste
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs (use regular ones if unavailable)
• 4-5 tbsp maida
• Oil for deep frying
• Cabbage tomato and lime wedge to serve on the side
• For sauce
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbspmirin
• 1 tbsp sugar1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Method for Tonkatsu

• Peel the pomelo and keep the skins aside
• Cut it into quarters. Sneak your fingers between the skin and separate the fat pith of the fruit. This is the ‘chicken’
• Bring a pot of water to boil, blanch the pith for 2 mins
• Strain and squeeze the pith. Repeat this twice. Scrape off the remaining peel on the surface, if any, using a knife
• Marinate the ‘meat’ with garlic powder, salt, onion powder and oil. Let this sit at least for an hour
• Set up your dredging station. In a plate, take maida, a few pinches of salt and pepper. In another, make a slightly thick batter of water and maida, season this. Place the panko crumbs
• Heat oil on a medium flame in a deep pot
• Pat the ‘meat’ in the flour mix, followed by the slurry and finally into the crumbs
• Fry the ‘meat’ till golden brown
• Cut it into strips and serve with shredded cabbage, tomato and lemon wedges on the side

Method for sauce

• In a small bowl, stir together ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, mustard and garlic powder. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for a month

— Ratish Mehrotra, Chef at Nue Cafe

Truffle mushroom stuffed chicken steak

Ingredients

200 gms chicken breast

For filling

• 30 gms shitake mushroom
• 50 gms button mushroom
• 5 gms thyme, 4 cloves of garlic
• 50 gms chopped onion| Salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
•  ml truffle oil 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 sprig chopped parsley

For sauce

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ onion chopped
• 1 tbsp flour| 20 gms butter
• 1 bay leaf | 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 5 gms fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato puree

Method

• In a medium pan, add olive oil, garlic and onion, sauté well. Add chopped mushrooms, truffle oil, seasoning. Sauté till moisture evaporates
• Take it off the heat and let it cool
• Slit the chicken breast from the side to centre to open it
• Gently tenderise it, sprinkle salt and pepper, stuff the mushroom in the middle and seal the edges with flour paste
• Marinate the chicken with garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, herbs, a spoon of Worcestershire sauce. Refrigerate it for about 30 minutes
• In another frying pan, add butter, garlic, onion, bay leaf. Saute well. Add 1 tbsp of flour. Cook till the raw flavour goes
• Add chicken stock, stir it well to ensure no lumps. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree and seasoning. Reduce it to a pouring consistency
• Grill the chicken steak at about 250 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes
• Strain the sauce in a bowl, check the seasoning and adjust the consistency
• Once chicken is done, remove from the grill and cut into slices
• Pour sauce on the steak and drizzle truffle oil on top. Serve hot with grilled veggies, country potatoes and fries

— Chef Raghu Ramaswamy, Chef de cuisine at Fusion 9