Garlic Grilled Peppered Steak with Balsamic Sauce

2 lbs Flank steak or tri-tip cut into 8 oz pieces
4 tablespoons black peppercorns slightly cracked
2 tablespoons
salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 c red onion minced
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1 c Cabernet Sauvignon( the alcohol cooks out completely)
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Tenderize meat lightly with a mallet. Dust with pepper and salt. Press salt and pepper into steak with the palm of your hand. Transfer to a baking dish and place in the refrigerator. Marinate 4 hours.
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat add olive oil and onions and lightly saute until onions are carmalized. Add garlic and cook until it begins to brown. Deglaze with wine and balsamic vinegar. Add sugar and let simmer and reduce for 30 minutes or until mixture reduces to 3/4 cup.
Place steaks over a hot grill. Cook for 5 minutes and flip cook for 4 minutes. When desired doneness is achieved remove steaks from grill and let rest.
Strain wine mixture and return to heat to reduce for 5 more minutes or until thick syrup is created.
Serve over a green salad

Three Cheese Risotto

If you like rice you have to try Risotto!!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 c chopped onions
salt and white pepper
6 c chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 cups Arborio rice
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 c grated Ramano cheese
1/4 c Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives

In a large saute pan, over medium heat add the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes or until slightly soft. Add the stock and garlic. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 6 minutes. Add the rice and simmer for 18 minutes stirring constantly or until mixture is creamy and bubbly(I taste it at this point to see if the rice is cooked or not). Add the butter, cream and cheeses. Reseason with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes and top with chives.
Serve immediately

Ginger Garlic Pork

2 lb. pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons canola oil

Cut pork into 1 inch rounds. Stir soy sauce, mustard and rice wine vinegar in a large bowl. Add the pork and marinate for 20 min. In a shallow bowl mix flour cornstarch, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Lightly press the pork and dredge in the flour mixture. Heat the oil in in a saute pan and cook pork until browned on both sides.

Gravy
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 yellow onion diced
3/4 c diced fresh ginger
3/4 c diced garlic
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 cup white cooking wine(can substitute extra chicken stock)
2 c water plus 4 tablespoons
2 c chicken stock
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons cornstarch

In a medium sauce pot over medium heat add the oil. When oil is hot add onions, ginger,garlic and pepper and saute until onions are translucent. Deglaze the pan with wine then add 2 c water and the stock,soy sauce and honey. Simmer for 1 hour or until reduced by half. Strain the gravy and return to the pot over low heat. Combine the 4 tablespoons water and the cornstarch in a small bowl. Slowly stir into sauce and cook until gravy has thickened.

Serve over rice