food stuff

sunday supper, volume 4: harissa-marinated beef

I overcooked this big piece of sirloin tip, as you can see in the above photo. The goal was medium-rare for such a lean cut of beef, but a few careless extra minutes in the oven led to something more like medium-well. Nevertheless, a tasty marinade, caramelized cipollini onions, roasted potatoes with lots of black pepper, and a surprisingly light-bodied (a little too light-bodied) Australian Shiraz made the meal all right. And the leftovers were great for sandwiches.

Harissa Marinade (from Chow)

1/4 cup harissa
1 tsp sherry vinegar
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients. Makes enough for about 2 pounds of meat. Marinate 8 to 12 hours, or overnight. Sear in a hot pan for a few minutes on each side, then transfer to a 375-degree oven. Roast for 20 to 22 minutes for medium-rare. Let the meat rest for 15 minutes, then slice it against the grain.

This marinade is good on flavorful, lean cuts of beef such as sirloin tip, tri-tip, and flank steak. I’d like to try it on chicken too.