Getting Saucy
The newest addition to our condiment cache
There's a special place in our hearts for condiments, as evidenced by the jars of jams, spreads and pickles that crowd our refrigerator. So when chef Drew Belline of the just-opened No. 246 in Decatur, Georgia, offered us a recipe for romesco, we were hooked long before we knew it was designed to accompany steak. Romesco is a robust paste of roasted red peppers that has been thickened with nuts and bread. At No. 246, an Italian-imported wood-burning oven blisters the peppers, but home cooks can easily recreate the singed skin in the oven. Make room on the condiment shelf because this sauce is here to stay.
Skirt Steak with Hazelnut Romesco
Yield: 4
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- INGREDIENTS
Romesco Sauce:
4 Roma tomatoes, quartered
3 medium red peppers
¾ cup plus 2½ tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head garlic
½ cup almonds
½ cup hazelnuts
1 cup cubed day-old bread, toasted in olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Skirt Steak:
1 pound skirt steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 sprig fresh thyme
About The Chef
Drew Belline, a graduate of Johnson and Wales University, previously worked at New York City's Craft and at Atlanta's Bacchanalia, Quinones at Bacchanalia and Floataway Café before opening No. 246 with partner Ford Fry in Decatur, Georgia.
No. 246, 129 E. Ponce De Leon Avenue, Decatur, Georgia; or no246.com



