Grilled Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Mandarin Orange Sauce

This light, bright mandarin orange sauce is a little sweet, a little tangy, a little spicy, and a whole lot flavorful. If you don’t have lemongrass, use large strips of fresh lemon peel—big enough to remove easily before pureeing the remainder of the ingredients. (For another recipe using lemongrass, check out Shrimp and Vegetable Spring Rolls with Lemongrass Sauce.)

Although I included red meat in this recipe, the dish is still lean and nutritious. Once the fat is removed from the steaks after grilling, each serving contains about three ounces of thinly sliced beef.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 1 11-oz can mandarin oranges in light syrup
• 1 tbsp peanut oil
• 3 red or green Thai chiles, finely chopped
• 1 stalk of lemongrass (light part only), trimmed and cut crosswise into 4 pieces
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar

Partial Sauce Ingredients

For the Beef and Vegetables

• peanut oil, for brushing, plus 1 tbsp
• 2 8-oz rib-eye or New York strip steaks, 1-inch thick
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tsp water
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups 2-inch green bean pieces
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 cups thin slices of mild peppers and hot chiles (to taste), in a variety of colors

Seasoned Steaks Ready to Grill

Stir-Fry Vegetables and Garlic

Preparation

For the Sauce

1. Strain the oranges, reserving the syrup in a small bowl. Place half the oranges in another small bowl and reserve for the stir-fry. Coarsely chop the remaining half.
2. Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add the oil. Add the chiles, lemongrass, shallot, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened and very fragrant, 2 minutes.
3. Add the reserved syrup, chopped oranges, soy sauce, and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook slowly, 5 minutes.

Sauce Solids Beginning to Cook

Sauce with Liquids Beginning to Simmer

1. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Discard the lemongrass pieces and place the remaining ingredients in a food processor. Process until the solids are minced. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl. 

Mandarin Orange Sauce

For the Beef and Vegetables

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with oil (or prepare an outdoor grill). Season the steaks with salt and pepper and grill until medium-rare, 3-4 minutes per side. (Don’t overcook the steaks on the grill—the meat will cook again in the stir-fry.)
2. Remove the steaks to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Trim the steaks of as much fat as possible and cut the beef into thin slices, about 1/4-inch thick.

Grilled Steaks

Grilled Steak Slices

1. Combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl. (Re-stir before using.)
2. Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Add the green beans and garlic and stir-fry 1 minute.
3. Add the broccoli, peppers, and chiles and stir-fry 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
4. Add the steak slices, mandarin orange sauce, and cornstarch mixture (re-stir before adding). Stir-fry until the beef is hot throughout and the sauce barely thickens to a velvety texture, 2-3 minutes.

Green Beans and Garlic Beginning to Cook

Broccoli and Peppers Added

Stir-Fry with Beef and Sauce Added

Divide the stir-fry among 4 shallow bowls and garnish with the reserved mandarin oranges.

Slow-Cooker-Pork Cubanos with Fried Plantain Chips

The Cuban sandwich, sometimes called a “cubano,” is a deceptively simple combination of roast pork, ham, cheese, pickles, and mustard between two pieces of bread. But this isn’t your average ham and cheese. The cubano sandwich is more complex in flavor and texture—especially when made with select bread and slow-roasted pork.

If you can’t find authentic Cuban bread, most recipes call for substituting Italian or French breads—not baguettes; those are too skinny and crusty. I used an Italian continental loaf in this recipe, cut diagonally into 6-inch-long slices, about 1/3-inch thick. It has a soft middle texture with just enough chewy crust to bring it together.

Italian Continental Bread Loaf

While you can easily purchase pork pre-cooked in delis and markets, the best cubanos include homemade, slow-roasted meat, braised in common Cuban flavors: orange, lime, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and cilantro. Simply place all the ingredients in a slow cooker and walk away. Several hours later, you’ll have richly flavored, succulent meat ready to pull and pile onto one of the most scrumptious sandwiches you’ve ever tasted.

Eye of Pork Roast

Slow-Cooker Aromatics for the Pork

Since most roasts you find will make more than enough for the four sandwiches in this recipe, freeze the leftover meat to use for tasty, pulled-pork barbecue sandwiches within a few weeks.

Turn the cubanos into a complete Cuban meal by adding a side of plantain chips—thin slices of the fruit simply fried in a little peanut oil and seasoned generously with salt and pepper. They’re crispy around the edges with a little banana softness in the center.

If you’re not familiar with plantains, be aware that they don’t peel as easily as bananas. One quick way to remove the peel is to snip off both ends of the plantain, then cut it in half crosswise. Cut each half in half lengthwise to make plantain quarters. Each quarter should now be easy to peel.

Quartered Plantain Ready to Peel

Plantain buying tip: Fruit with a yellowish-green peel (with some dark spots) is best for frying. Bright green plantains can be a bit tough and bitter, and the very ripe dark brown ones are too soft to turn into chips. Go middle of the road for this recipe.

Semi-Ripe Plantains

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Cubanos

• 1 small onion, sliced into thin rings
• 1 orange, sliced into thin rings
• 1 large lime, sliced into thin rings
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• 1 tsp cumin, divided
• 1 tsp dried oregano, divided
• 2 lb boneless pork loin (eye of pork roast)
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 loose cup cilantro sprigs
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 8 slices Cuban or similar-style bread, about 6 inches long and 1/3-inch thick
• yellow or Dijon mustard (yellow is most authentic), to taste
• 8 thin slices cooked ham
• 8 thin slices Swiss cheese
• dill pickle slices, to taste
• olive oil, for brushing

For the Plantain Chips

• 3 large, semi-ripened plantains (yellowish green, not dark brown)
• 1/2 cup peanut oil, plus more as needed
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

For the Cubanos

1. Place half the onion, orange, and lime slices in the bottom of a slow-cooker. Add 2 garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon each of the cumin and oregano. Lay the pork on top (the roast may be in 2 pieces) and season with salt and pepper.
2. Repeat with the remaining onion, orange, lime, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Scatter the cilantro springs over all and pour the broth around the edges.

Pork Ready to Cook

1. Cook on high for 4 hours, then reduce the heat to low and cook 2 hours longer, until the pork roast is fork-tender. 
2. Remove to a large plate and let rest until cool enough to handle. Pull the meat into shreds with your fingers.

Pork Roast out of the Slow-Cooker

Pulled Pork Roast

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
2. Spread 1 side of all bread slices with mustard. Lay 2 slices of ham on each of 4 bread slices. Spread about 1/2 cup of shredded pork each on top of the ham. Top with cheese slices and pickles and place the tops on the sandwiches. Press gently.

Mustard and Ham Added

Roast Pork Added

Cheese and Pickles Added

1. Brush the grill pan with oil and place 2 sandwiches in it. Use a grill press or large, heavy spatula to press down the cubanos as they grill.
2. Grill until the bread is golden brown and has grill marks, 3 minutes on the first side, 2 minutes on the second. Remove to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining 2 sandwiches.

Cubanos Beginning to Grill

Cubanos after Turning

1. To serve, cut each cubano diagonally in half and place 2 halves on each of 4 plates. Divide the plantain chips (recipe follows) and serve alongside.

Grilled Cubanos

For the Plantain Chips

1. Quarter and peel the plantains (see explanation above), then cut each quarter into 3 thin, lengthwise slices.

Plantain Slices

1. Heat 1/2 cup peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Working in 2 batches, lay the plantain slices in a single layer in the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second.
2. Use tongs to remove the chips to layers of paper towels and season with additional salt while hot. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining plantain slices. Add a little more oil to the skillet if needed.

Plantains Beginning to Fry

Plantains after Turning

Fried Plantain Chips

Ground Chicken Quesadillas with Pineapple-Peach-and-Avocado Salsa

Quesadillas are easy, simple, and versatile. Keep the filling to a minimum so that the ingredients stay inside the tortillas when grilled, and create a flavorful condiment to spoon on top.

Fresh fruit and warm chiles complement each other in this salsa for a sweet, spicy, and savory balance. Choose a firm-ripe peach and avocado so that the fruits retain their texture in the dish, and use chunks of fresh pineapple for the best results. Canned pieces sitting in water or syrup are already beginning to go soft.

I made these quesadillas by folding each tortilla over its filling. An alternative method is to spread the filling over the entire surface of one tortilla and top with a second tortilla, as in this recipe for Smoked Salmon and Black Bean Quesadillas with Guacamole and Fresh Salsa.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Salsa

• 2 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 firm-ripe peach, peeled and chopped
• 1 red wax pepper (or half a medium red bell pepper), stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks, chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 firm-ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped

Salsa Ingredients

For the Quesadillas

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 habanero chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1 large, round tomato, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 fajita-sized flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
• cooked black beans (optional)

Preparation

For the Salsa

1. Combine the first 7 ingredients (through lime juice) in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
2. Stir in the avocado just before serving. Re-season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Salsa before Adding Avocado

Pineapple-Peach-and-Avocado Salsa

For the Quesadillas

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken, garlic, scallions, chile, and onion and cook, breaking up the chicken, 6 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes have broken down and most of the liquid is absorbed, 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes.

Chicken and Vegetables Beginning to Cook

Cooked Chicken Mixture with Tomatoes and Seasonings

1. Heat a grill pan (or cast-iron skillet) over medium-high heat.
2. Lay 1 tortilla on a work surface and spread 1/4 of the chicken mixture down 1 half. Top the chicken mixture with 1/4 cup of cheese and fold the other side of the tortilla over the filling. Press gently to flatten. Repeat with the remaining 3 tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese.

Tortillas with Chicken Mixture

Cheese Added

1. Brush the grill pan with oil and place 2 quesadillas in it side by side. Use a grill press or large, heavy spatula to press down the tortillas as they cook, 2-3 minutes on 1 side, until golden brown and grill marks appear.
2. Turn and grill until the other sides are golden brown and the quesadillas are hot throughout, 1-2 minutes longer. Remove to a cutting board and repeat with the other 2 quesadillas.

To serve, cut each quesadilla into 2 wedges and place on each of 4 plates. Spoon the salsa on top and serve with a side of black beans, if desired.

Quesadillas Beginning to Grill

Quesadillas after Turning

Grilled Quesadillas