Ras el Hanout flank steak, chermoula, roasted cauliflower, cardamom and clove pickled beets

Tonight took me back to the North African flavors and earthy heady smells of the spice markets in Bahrain and Dubai.  From the Arabic phrase meaning “top shelf”, this eight spice mix (+ salt) kicks up your flavor game every time.

Ingredients (ras el hanout):

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

The How To: Toast each spice (-salt) in a dry pan and mix!

Ingredients (chermoula):

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
• 1 cup cilantro (small stems ok)
• 1 cup Italian parsley
• 1/2 inch skinned, chopped fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 green onions
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Zest and juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 roasted jalapeño, seeds removed
• Sea salt flakes to taste

The How To: Toast each spice (-salt) in a dry pan, add to a food processor and pulse until saucy!

Ingredients (pickled beets):

So, this is a bit of a short cut. Remember those pickled eggs we made for burger night? Eat the eggs, leave the beets, and add 1 T cardamom seeds and 1 T whole cloves to the pickled beet mix. Let sit for a week. Voila! Beets.

Okay, now that we have those three batches of excellence out of the way, let’s get that steak ready.

Ingredients (all the rest!):

• 1 flank steak
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 head of cauliflower

The How To:

1. Remove the flank steak about three hours prior to cooking.
2. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup of olive oil with 3 1/2 T ras el hanout. Massage mixture on flank steak and let marinate for about three hours on a broiler pan.
3. About 60 minutes prior to putting your steak in the oven, preheat the oven to 420 degrees.
4. Cut your head of cauliflower (stems included) and massage with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. When finished, remove from the oven, and turn the oven to broil.
5. Broil the steak for four minutes each side, flipping once. Pull it when the internal temperature is 125 degrees; it will carry over cook to 135 degrees, or medium rare.
6. Turn the oven back to 420 degrees, and warm up your cauliflower while the steak rests (about 8 minutes).
7. Slice the steak against the grain and on the bias into thin slices.
8. To serve, top with chermoula and picked beets.

So, what’s it cost?

• 1 flank steak: $9.96
• Ras el hanout: $.67
• Chermoula: $2.44
• 1 head of cauliflower: $2.99
• Pickled beets: free from burger night

Total cost is $16.06, or $5.53/person.