healthy, happy cows
Hi. I’ll have 8 oz of the free-range–no-antibiotics–natural–no-artificial-growth-hormone–happy-cow steak. No; not that one, the one behind it and to the right, please. Sound familiar?
It’s sad that the barriers between industrialization and gastronomy have been breached, but it’s the truth. After reading Michael Pollen’s Omnivore’s Dilema, I’m scared, or rather disgusted, to buy any other meat. I’ll usually pass on the massaged cattle lavished with all-they-can-drink sake, unless the parents are paying, and simply go for the healthy, happy cow instead. Slightly more expensive than the hormone-injected alternative, but I make it stretch to fit the occasion. If it’s dinner for two, I’ll break open a bottle of wine and enjoy a nice steak perhaps alongside some pureed parsnips or celery root. If it’s for a party, I’ll serve it as an appetizer and share it with my guests.

Steak crostini with parsley pesto and goat cheese is an appetizer I came up with while in college. I was invited to a dinner party and was expected to bring something grand – usually what happens when friends find out you like to cook. I had to strike a balance though: too fancy and I would’ve been thought of as showing off; too simple and I would’ve risked disappointment.

A good quality steak can do wonders if executed properly. Once your meat leaves the butcher, it becomes your responsibility. Season it well, let it sit at room temperature before cooking, don’t over cook it, and allow it to rest before slicing. These four points along with some good judgement can go a long way when preparing meat.

I originally made this dish with regular pesto because that was one of the things I had in my fridge before the party. In retrospect it was passable, but a bit too overpowering for the steak. I tried it again by pulsing parsley into my pesto and it was wonderful. You get a slight herbal note from the basil, but at the same time you’re greeted with a clean, crisp flavor from the parsley.

I used a whole wheat baguette when I made the appetizer last night and thought it was fantastic. This was also not part of the original dish, but I felt that it added an appealing nutty component to the crostini. On a side note, we’ve really come a long way in terms of whole wheat products – they don’t taste like cardboard anymore.

The reason why I added two thin slices of steak to each appetizer as opposed to one thicker slice is because it makes the crostini easier to eat. If you’re serving this at a party, you definitely don’t want your guests struggling with a big hunk of meat while they’re mingling and sipping on cocktails.
Steak Crostini
yields approx 18 crostini
Components
- 1 8 oz steak
- 4 oz goat cheese
- 1/4 cup parsley pesto*
- roasted peppers, garnish
- 1 fresh baguette
Putting them all together
- Allow steak to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.
- Season with salt & pepper and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side, until medium rare.
- Allow meat to rest before slicing.
- Slice the baguette on a (~1/4 in slices), brush with some of the basil oil and broil until golden brown.
- Once all the components are ready start by smearing a little more pesto on the toasted baguette slices.
- Top with a little goat cheese and two thin slices of the steak.
- Garnish with diced roasted peppers.
note: To make your own parsley pesto simply replace some of the basil with parsley in your favorite pesto recipe or pulse some parsley into some high quality store bought pesto and call it a day.

Posted in appetizers, Italian, recipe, savory by Antonio Tahhan on February 26th, 2009. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Meeta Says:
yup if daddy darling is paying then i prefer the hand massaged beef steak too! but i am with you – i buy my meat, poultry etc. from my organic store and make sure that there is nothing added to it except pure happiness! and i after tasting the difference i do not mind paying the extra few bucks. like these bites a lot tony. perfect for my dinner party this weekend! hugs!
February 26th, 2009 at 7:11 am