Duck A La Pizzaiola Food

STEAK PIZZAIOLA

Steps:

• Sprinkle the steak all over with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak and sear until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add the garlic to the skillet. Once it sizzles, add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften slightly, about 4 minutes. Add the pepperoncini, tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes and 3/4 cup water and stir to combine. Bring to a rapid simmer, then nestle the steak in the sauce and simmer, turning once, until medium rare, about 7 minutes.
• Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest about 5 minutes. Continue simmering the sauce until thickened, about 3 more minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain and divide among plates. Top with the sauce and parsley. Serve with focaccia.

STEAK PIZZAIOLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the rolls cut-side up on a baking sheet, brush with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and bake until lightly toasted, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steaks all over with salt and pepper.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and cook the steaks until they reach the desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove to a cutting board to rest.
• Meanwhile, add the roasted peppers, garlic, onions and pepper flakes to the skillet. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the onions have started to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine, stirring and scraping the bottom to deglaze, another 30 seconds. Add the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepperoncini and oregano. Bring to simmer and cook for a couple minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Remove from the heat and taste, adjusting the seasonings if needed.
• Slice the steak and shingle over the top of the skillet. Sprinkle over the parsley and Parmesan cheese. Serve with the toasted ciabatta rolls.

DUCK A LA PLANCHA WITH BLOOD ORANGE SAUCE

Steps:

• For the duck: Score the fat side of the duck breast. Lightly cover the fat with some salt and refrigerate the breast overnight.
• Roast the coriander and fennel seed, and then crush. Mix together with the sea salt, black pepper and orange zest. Brush the duck breast with some orange liqueur, and then pack the meat side with the herb/zest mixture. Wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.
• For the blood orange sauce: Combine the sugar, vinegar and shallots in a pot over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to a syrup. Add the orange liqueur to deglaze and continue cooking to reduce slightly. Add the duck stock and blood orange juice and continue simmering. Stir in the xanthan gum and simmer until thickened, and then season with salt and pepper. Strain the sauce and keep warm.
• For cooking the duck: Heat a cast-iron plancha, griddle or skillet to high heat. Sear the duck fat-side down until crispy, about 12 minutes. Remove, brush off some of the herb/ zest mixture and continue to cook, meat-side down until medium rare. Serve with the blood orange sauce.

BURGERS A LA PIZZAIOLA

Steps:

• Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.
• In a food processor, pulse together the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, cheeses, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Process until blended. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the beef and, using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until combined. Form the mixture into 8 (4-inch diameter) patties, each about 3/4-inch thick. Grill each side until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• Brush the cut side of the rolls with olive oil and grill until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.
• Place the burgers on the bottom half of the rolls and add desired toppings. Add the top half of the rolls and serve.
• Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.
• In a food processor, pulse together the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, cheeses, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Process until blended. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the beef and, using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until combined. Form the mixture into 8 (4-inch diameter) patties, each about 3/4-inch thick. Grill each side until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• Brush the cut side of the rolls with olive oil and grill until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.
• Place the burgers on the bottom half of the rolls and add desired toppings. Add the top half of the rolls and serve.

MEATBALLS A LA PIZZAIOLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a food processor, pulse together the shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and salt. Process until blended. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the beef and pork and, using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Form the mixture into 36 equal-size meatballs (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter).
• Insert 1 cube smoked mozzarella cheese into the center of each meatball and form the meat around it, completely enclosing the cheese.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat half the oil over medium heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining oil and meatballs.
• Place the browned meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes for medium doneness. Set aside to cool slightly, and serve with warm marinara sauce.

STEAK PIZZAIOLA

Steps:

• Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt.
• In a large skillet, preheated over high heat, pan-broil the steaks, until the large ones are almost done to taste, or the small ones are well browned. If using large steaks, you probably will not be able to fit them all in the pan at once. Do a couple at a time, then remove them and set them aside while cooking the rest. The small steaks should fit comfortably in the pan side by side, but if they crowd the pan, do not brown them all at once. When all the steaks have been cooked, pour off any fat in the skillet.
• Add the 2 cups of tomato sauce and dried oregano to the pan, scraping up any brown film or bits in the pan. Return the cubed steaks to the pan if you are using them and they were set aside. Bring to a simmer over high heat. If using cubed steaks, cover the pan and adjust the heat so the tomatoes simmer gently for about 40 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
• Place each steak on dinner plate and top with sauce. If the sauce on the cubed steaks is not thick enough, uncover pan at the end of the cooking time and reduce.
• In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan, combine the oil and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is fully tender and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Or, over medium-low heat, combine the oil and the garlic. Cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil a couple of times to release its flavor, until it barely begins to color on both sides. Remove the garlic.
• With a food mill, puree the tomatoes directly into the pot and stir well. Add salt and either hot pepper flakes or black pepper to taste. Increase the heat slightly and bring to a brisk simmer. Adjusting the heat as the sauce cooks down, and stirring frequently, simmer briskly for about 12 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced.
• Season with herbs according to the recipe you are preparing. For the most basic sauce, add a few torn basil leaves or a tablespoon of finely cut parsley while the sauce is simmering. Then add a little more at the end of cooking.

MEATBALLS A LA PIZZAIOLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Dice the smoked mozzarella into 1/2-inch cubes. Set aside. In a food processor, pulse the shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until blended. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the beef and pork and, using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until combined. Form into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs. Insert 1 cube smoked mozzarella into the center of each meatball and form the meat around it, enclosing the cheese. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour equal parts olive oil and vegetable oil to fill the pan halfway. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 350 degrees F. In batches, fry the meatballs until dark brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Place the fried meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet. Put in the oven and bake until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then serve immediately with marinara sauce, if desired.
• Photograph by Joseph DeLeo