After taking over his kitchen on Thursday night, I stepped out of the way and let Patrick cook dinner for my family and a few of our friends on Saturday. And I am glad I did. He grilled up some beautiful Tri Tip steak, roasted potatoes, and put together a unique asparagus dish with roasted red peppers and slivered almonds. All of it was spectacular. And I’ve been bugging him for the recipe, which he briefly relayed to me over dinner, but have heard nothing. So I’m going to have to attempt to recreate it from memory. Perhaps if I’m lucky he will post any corrections in the comments (hint, hint to the brother).
Tri Tip is one of those things I really miss about California. It’s hard to find here; most butcher’s cut it up and sell it as steak tips, which aren’t nearly as impressive. Tri Tip is exceedingly juicy and tasty, and Tri Tip steaks are pretty big:
Patrick made a lovely herb and lemon marinade. If I remember correctly, he pureed chives, parsley, and garlic with lemon juice, olive oil, and a green chili or two.
The meat sat in the marinade for probably about 45 minutes, and on the grill for about 10 minutes. And it turned out perfectly medium rare, just the way I like it.
The potatoes were excellent: crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Patrick apparently doesn’t have the undercooked potato problem that I do. He used small red new potatoes, sliced in half, and drizzled them with olive oil, rosemary, and thyme. They roasted for probably 30 to 40 minutes.
And the asparagus? A truly creative and delicious side dish that I will most certainly be trying again. He combined whole asparagus spears with sliced red pepper, slivered almonds, olive oil, and salt and pepper and roasted them in a baking dish for about 10 minutes.
Yes, this is image heavy and instruction light. I was busy drinking wine and catching up with old friends while he slaved in the kitchen. Bravo to the chef!