Pan Seared Ribeye with Roasted Poblano & Cilantro Schmear
A cast iron skillet is essential to this dish, inspired from a recipe by Chef Michael Symon and Bobby Flay of The Food Network
I got this idea from watching a show with Chef Michael Symon on the Cooking Channel and then linking it to a recipe I saw years earlier from Bobby Flay on the Food Network. I must admit I don't use too many recipes from the Food TV networks, but once in a while, I am intrigued with an idea or a technique; case in point here. Bobby's schmear used spinach, but mine is with cilantro. Michael's schmear was made with roasted garlic; I used a roasted poblano pepper instead. What was similar is that both Michael and I seared our steaks in bacon fat in a cast iron skillet, finished it in the oven, then applied the schmear as the steak came out of the oven to rest.
Pan Seared Ribeye with Roasted Poblano & Cilantro Schmear
Ingredients
- 2 USDA Prime or Certified Angus ~ 1-lbs beef ribeye steaks, bone-in
- 3-4 strips of bacon, diced
- 1 large poblano pepper, stems and seeds removed, quartered
- 1 large shallot, quartered
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, rough chopped
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 4 tbsp olive oil for roasting the shallots & peppers, plus 2 tbsp for rubbing into the meat, plus 4 tbsp for the schmear
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 8-10 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325°F.
- Toss the shallots and poblano peppers in the 4 tablespoons of olive oil with salt and pepper, then lay out on a baking sheet, placing the peppers cut-side down.
- Roast the shallots and peppers in the oven for 45 minutes until the shallots have become caramelized and the poblano pepper slightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Rub 1/2 tbsp olive oil on each side of the ribeyes, season with salt, pepper and the fresh thyme, and rub into the meat. Allow the steaks to sit for 1 hour before cooking
- Raise the oven temperature to 425°F with a rack in the top 1/3 of the oven.
- In a cast iron skillet on the stove over high heat, cook the bacon until all fat is rendered. Save the bacon bits and set aside.
- Place the steaks into the hot bacon fat. Brown the steaks on both sides, about 3 minutes per side over medium high heat.
- Put the cast iron skillet and the steaks in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until the steaks are medium-rare to medium.
- While the steaks are in the oven, proceed to making the schmear. Place the cooled poblano peppers and shallots in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds. Then add the cilantro and red wine garlic vinegar and pulse again. Finally, drizzle in the 4 tablespoons of olive oil while the processor is running to create an even, thickened schmear. You may need to cut off the processor and using a rubber spatula, push the ingredients from the sides to the bottom of the processor, then continue pulsing.
- Remove the steaks from the oven and leave in the cast iron skillet. Liberally apply the schmear to the top of the steak, then cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Bear in mind, the steak will continue to cook a bit while still in the hot cast iron skillet.
