Smoked Paprika and Balsamic Steak with Garlic Herb Butter

Smoked Paprika and Balsamic Steak with Garlic Herb Butter

Happy Canada Day! Many grills will get sparked up to celebrate our nation's 145th birthday today so I decided to feature a simple but incredibly tasty marinade for those holiday weekend steaks. Since the garden has finally come to life here in Newfoundland and my herb garden is in full  growth mode, I've also borrowed the steakhouse idea of  melting delicious herb and garlic butter oozing down over the succulent, perfectly grilled steak. The red color from the paprika and the contrast of the beautiful creamy yellow butter makes for a beautiful presentation that will have any carnivore salivating.

I add a little honey to this marinade because I like the fact that the natural sugar caramelizes on the grill to create great grill marks and extra char flavor but this an optional ingredient.
As with all grilled marinated steaks, the marinating should take place in the fridge but the steaks should be taken out of the fridge for a half hour to an hour before grilling. Grilling a cold steak can make it very difficult to cook the steaks to the perfect level that you prefer and can also make your steak tougher.

• 4 strip loin steaks

Smoked Paprika Marinade

Mix together:

• 6 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove finely minced garlic
• 3 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp honey

Add the steaks and marinade to a Ziploc bag, push out as much air as possible and seal. Work the marinade all over the steaks inside the bag. Marinate in the fridge for one to three hours, flipping the bag over at least once. Let the steaks come up to room temperature before grilling. Serve with melting garlic herb butter.

Garlic Herb Butter

Begin by lightly sautéing together over medium low heat:

• 2 to 3 cloves minced garlic
• 4 tbsp butter

You only want to soften the garlic here and not brown it so it will only take a minute or two. Don't have your pan too hot. Cool the garlic and then mix it together with:

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3 - 4 tbsp chopped fresh herbs of your choice. I used chives, oregano and rosemary.

Place the prepared butter onto some plastic wrap and form into a log. Refrigerate until the shape of the log stays intact but take the butter out of the fridge to warm up to room temperature before serving.

Smoky Chipotle Fried Chicken

Smoky Chipotle Fried Chicken

I have had this idea for a while now and was inspired to push it up in my "recipes to complete" list after having enjoyed some succulent , juicy brined poultry last week in our Lemon and Rosemary Brined Roast Turkey. Brining poultry is something you just  must try  if you never have; it adds great seasoning and extra juiciness throughout the meat, making it tender and perfect.

While it works well for roasting, I think it works even better for fried chicken. I have never brined chicken parts for more than a full day but when I unexpectedly had to leave it for a second day I was flabbergasted by the result. I had been wanting to try a very simple smoky spiced fried chicken for a while now, using two of my favorite smoked spices, smoked paprika and chipotle powder, so  I thought this was the perfect opportunity. 

I don't say this lightly at all...this was the best fried chicken that I have ever eaten. 

Smokey Chipotle Fried Chicken

It was amazingly moist and juicy. The meat was completely seasoned throughout from the brine and using a tip I saw on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives",  I added some butter to my canola oil to fry the crust to an amazingly perfect crispy texture with just the right amount of smoky spice. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. I absolutely know I will make this again and again. This is one recipe you absolutely have to try!

We served this outstanding fried chicken with grilled corn, mashed potatoes, buttermilk biscuits and gravy. Does it get any better than that?  Need a recipe for great Buttermilk Biscuits? Click right here!

I begin by washing:

• one large chicken, about  3 1/2 to 4 pounds

Cut and trim the chicken into 8 pieces ( 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings and 2 breasts)

Place the chicken in a large plastic container and cover it with the brine mixture. Cover and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. If you need to add a little more water to completely cover the chicken, that's not a problem.

Tabasco Brine Mixture

 Begin with 2 quarts (liters) of water
  

Add:

• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Stir until the salt and sugar is dissolved, then add:

• 3 tbsp black peppercorns
• 8 cloves thinly sliced garlic
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup Tabasco sauce (add more if you like)

After 48 hours, remove the chicken from the brine mixture. Toss it into the flour and spice dredge.|

Flour and Spice Dredge

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 heaping tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 heaping tbsp chipotle powder

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until very well combined. Add the brined chicken pieces. Toss well and press the chicken pieces into the flour dredge with your palms to get good contact with the meat. \let stand for ten minutes, then toss again and press down with your palms again. Now it's time to warm up your oil.

In a 12 inch cast iron skillet heat 1 inch canola or corn oil with 1/2 cup real dairy butter until it reaches 35O degrees F. Just below medium heat works well on my stove but use a thermometer to be sure.  A cast iron skillet is the best for fried chicken. Be extra careful to regulate the heat properly of using anything other than cast iron. Even cooking is essential.

Drop the dredged chicken pieces into the hot oil/butter mix and cook for approximately 35- 40 minutes depending on the size of your chicken pieces, turning at least once halfway through the  cooking time. I start with the dark meat pieces and add the breasts about 10-15 minutes into the cooking time because these will cook faster. I always use my meat thermometer to ensure that the largest pieces have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, which is perfect for fried chicken. The chicken should be a beautiful golden brown when it comes out of the oil. Let it rest on a wire rack to drain for 5 minutes before serving.