WY FOODIE: New WY Beef Recipe + Meet the Chef

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A new recipe — thanks to the Wyoming Beef Council!

Carnitas-Style Beef Tacos

Total recipe time: 45 minutes

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

4 beef flat rron steaks (about 8 ounces each)

18 small corn tortillas (6 to 7-inch diameter)

 

Toppings

Minced white onion, chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges

 

Marinade

1 cup prepared tomatillo salsa

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

Avocado Salsa

1-1/2 cups prepared tomatillo salsa

1 large avocado, diced

2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup minced white onion

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Instructions

  1. Combine marinade ingredients in small bowl. Place beef steaks and marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steaks to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes to 2 hours.
  2. Remove steaks from marinade; discard marinade. Place steaks on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 10 to 14 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 12 to 16 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally.
  3. Meanwhile combine avocado salsa ingredients in medium bowl. Set aside.
  4. Place tortillas on grid. Grill until warm and slightly charred. Remove; keep warm.
  5. Carve steaks into slices. Serve in tortillas with avocado salsa. Top with onion, cilantro and lime wedges, as desired.

MEET THE CHEF: Matty Melehes, Sous Chef

Ever want to look into the life of a professional chef? We interviewed Matty Melehes, JH Fine Dining Restaurant Group Sous Chef, to see what makes him tick…what his favorite eats are…and his must-have recommendation for your kitchen library…

WLM: What sparked your desire to become a chef?

MM: What sparked the desire was the idea that it’s a job that can be done anywhere in the word; the ability to have a trade but also travel. I also just have a passion for hospitality. I love dining and the whole dining experience. I love surprising people with dishes. I love presenting someone with a dish, seeing them enjoy what I’ve created, leave happy and return because they trust my work and what I do. To me, it’s all about the small victories.

WLM: What’s the one thing you enjoy making the most?

Fish, or really anything that comes from the ocean, holds a special place in my heart. The possibilities are endless. You can choose one genre you’d like to base your dish in and there are so many things you can do within that genre.

WLM: If you’re sitting down to enjoy your favorite meal + imbibement, what would you pick?

My ultimate meal would be enjoying a bottle of the Joie Rose (from Canada) while sitting on the dock of the fisherman’s wharf in Granville Island, Vancouver, eating BC spot prawns raw. Basically, you just rip them in half, suck the head and squeeze the meat out. They’re only in season for a few weeks and they are amazing.

WLM: Do you have a favorite go-to cookbook at home? Or are your at-home recipes all inside your brain?

When I’m home, I don’t follow recipes. What I enjoy about cooking is taking what I have, however limited, and coming up with new creations. My favorite culinary book, however, would definitely be The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. It’s an encyclopedia of ingredients that includes a wide range of ingredients from around the world and what pairs well with them. I like the book because it gives you the foundation of the ingredient and from there you can create a dish from the ground up yourself.

Thanks Matty Melehes, JH Fine Dining Group’s Sous Chef for the interview! I have to say, I’m going to take his word on the raw spot prawns… But those I’ve talked to said that he was spot on — pun absolutely intended. Thanks to JH Fine Dining Group — owners of establishments including (but not limited to!) Bin 22, Rendezvous Bistro, Q Roadhouse, Il Villagio Osteria, The Kitchen & Bistro Catering in Jackson…

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