Black-eyed pea salsa with chili powder, fresh tomatoes and bell pepper—a perfect complement for curry-marinated steaks—can also liven up grilled fish or chicken breasts. Recipes below.
We’ve just returned from a wonderful visit to the mountains of northern New Mexico—Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos and Los Alamos. For next week’s post, I plan to try to cook one of our favorite traditional New Mexican dishes we had there. This week, though, things are a little too hectic for the cooking of anything interesting. So I’m revisiting something from the Blue Kitchen archives. And while it has nothing to do with New Mexican cuisine, it’s got a lively, big flavor that reminds me of some of the great meals we had on our trip.
I love red meat. Growing up, though, ground was about the only kind of beef I knew, aside from the occasional stringy pot roast—burgers, meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, more meatloaf… I wasn’t introduced to the wonders of steak until I was in college, and then it was at one of those cafeteria-style joints called BEST STEAK HOUSE [or something equally overpromising] where you watch hairy-armed men tossing steaks on permanently charred grills with flames shooting up all around as the fat sizzled off. A steak dinner with baked potato and iceberg lettuce salad set you back maybe four or five bucks, and it was love at first gristly bite.
I have since graduated to better cuts of meat—and from medium-well to medium to medium-rare to rare. But the pure primal satisfaction that is steak remains undeniable.
Although one of my favorite ways to prepare steak is what I call my French bistro steak, seared in butter and the pan deglazed with red wine, the black-eyed pea salsa and curry marinade make these steaks another big favorite at our house.
Black-eyed peas are another food item very popular in the South [like the okra in my Creole Chicken and Okra Gumbo]. According to About.com, the black-eyed pea “is thought to have originated in North Africa, where it has been eaten for centuries. It may have been introduced into India as long as 3,000 years ago, and was also a staple of Greek and Roman diets. The peas were probably introduced to the New World by Spanish explorers and African slaves, and have become a common food in the southern United States, where they are available dried, fresh, canned, and frozen.”
Even though the salsa for this dish is named for black-eyed peas, there are lots of flavors at play here. When you first start cooking the green pepper and chili powder, the aroma will be less than encouraging. Don’t worry, though—when the other ingredients are added, it all comes together fabulously. And when it gets together with the steaks with their peppery curry marinade, the results are amazing.
Curried Steaks with Black-eyed Pea Salsa
Serves 4
For Salsa:
2 tablespoons canola oil [see Kitchen Notes]
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup water
15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 cups firm, ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced [about 3 medium]
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced [white and green parts]
For Steaks:
1-1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1-1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 tablespoon curry powder
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 strip steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each
salt
Prepare the salsa. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, chili powder and green pepper. Sauté for 1 minute, lower heat to medium and stir in water and black-eyed peas. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in diced tomatoes, mixing well. Transfer to bowl and sprinkle green onions over top. Set aside to cool.
Prepare steaks. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, pepper, curry powder and lime juice. Brush steaks on both sides with marinade and allow them to rest for 15 minutes, turning once.
Salt steaks on both sides and grill or broil [I used a grilling pan on the stovetop] for about 3 minutes on one side. Turn and grill for an additional 2 minutes on the second side for medium rare. Transfer to plates and spoon black-eyed pea salsa over them.
Kitchen Notes
Oil. When sautéing something over medium-high or high heat, I go for an oil with a high smoke point and neutral flavor, usually canola or grapeseed oil. You can also use vegetable oil, but it doesn’t share their healthy properties.
On the topic of oils, everyone goes crazy for extra virgin olive oil. Great for salad dressings and for dipping bread in, not so great for cooking. First, it has a lower smoke point than regular olive oil—which is already plenty low for anything other than a low to medium flame. And second, it has a more assertive taste. So for cooking, I go for a decent quality olive oil that’s a little less virginal.
Also this week in Blue Kitchen
Nothing new this week at WTF? Random food for thought. Ditto for What’s on the kitchen boombox? But if you didn’t check out last week’s posts, now’s the perfect time.
Black-eyed pea salsa sounds intriguing. We picked up some black-eyed peas but I have no idea what to do with them. Thanks for the tip.
I bet you picked up lots of culinary inspiration from NM–Taos and Santa Fe got me out of a cooking funk a few years back. And steak–good heavens do I miss steak…
OMGosh! I made a really similar salsa for the burgers you inspired! How coinkidinky is that? lol South Western food….lucky duck, you! The salsa and steak combo looks great, Terry! 🙂
On my last trip to NM, I found along the high road from Santa Fe to Taos a wonderful farm stand by the side of the road (in Esperanza — am I remembering correctly?), where local farmers brought their beans to sell. I’d never seen such a variety of dried beans, peppers and flours! Thank goodness we were driving, so I could stock up. I bought many different varieties of beans, fresh-dried and inexpensive, and had them for months after we got home. It was the perfect souvenir of New Mexico.
We haven’t had a steak in a while. That looks so so good.
Black eyed peas are so good. This is a great combination.
[eatingclub] vancouver—This is certainly one nice use of them. And another is a traditional New Year’s Day dish in the South that I haven’t tried, I must admit, is Hoppin’ John. Might be worth Googling.
Dr. Food—The whole trip was really quite inspiring, including the food. I may have to post a few photos next week.
canarygirl—Wow. I really like how my turkey burger inspired you. Everybody, be sure to check out canarygirl’s Spicy Chicken Mexi-burgers with Red Bean “Salsa”.
Lydia—I think maybe it was Española? I’m envious that you made the trip by car. Just the copious amount of driving we did within the state made us wish we’d had the time to drive from Chicago and watch the landscape change along the way.
Thanks, Mary! Your Black Bean Salad sounds like it would be a great complement to this steak too [minus the black-eyed pea salsa]—or maybe to last week’s burger.
You rock!!! Love the combination , looks delicious specially in meats
It has been awhile since I have been to NM, but I do remember having some of the most wonderful food while I was there. The fresh tortillas….mmmmm. Takes me back.
I’ve got a steak calling to me in the fridge at home with no set plans on how to prepare it. This sure sounds good (especially the salsa!)
That steak looks so tempting. The Best Steak House on Grand Avenue must have had the stringiest and gristle-filled meat ever served. Endless Greek relatives of the owner got their US business start there. I wonder if it still exists? A gold mine like that is probably still going strong. Really look forward to seeing photos from your New Mexico trip. NM is a fascinating state.
That looks and sounds like a tasty meal!
Thanks, Sylvia! Argentines do appreciate beef, don’t they? Even those transplanted from Brazil like you.
Kristen—Memories of the food there has me looking for a Chicago source for New Mexican red chile powder.
Mike—Nothing like the siren call of a good steak, is there?
Helmut—The Best Steak House on Grand Avenue is exactly the place that introduced me to steak! I remember still seeing it on a St. Louis trip not too long ago, so maybe it is still in business. I must admit, though, going to a Chicago version of the place a year or so ago after years of eating decent steaks, it had somewhat lost its charm.
Thanks, Kevin!
Never considered the possibility of using black-eyed peas in salsa – how cool is that?
Glad you had a great time in NM! I’m looking forward to reading your posts on the food you had there – and maybe even where you ate. That will be my next trip – I always go back over Labor Day weekend.
OH man, that does sound GREAT. I love steaks too, always have, always will. And now that I’ve found my great love of beans, I can’t think of a more perfect combination. Thanks Terry! Can’t wait to see what your favorite dish in the SW was!
Beautiful rendition of a steak, taking it beyond the every day.
I’m looking forward to hearing about your perception of New Mexico. It is where my family lives, where I got married, and where I’ll be in a couple of weeks. In total, I spend almost a month in Taos each year. I love it dearly, but because I know the ins and outs of its rural frustrations, I also know it is a place where I could never live.
Toni—After our visit, I certainly understand why you love New Mexico so. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
ann—Beans and legumes in general are great, aren’t they? Versatile and chock full of good stuff. And I’m always happy to share new ideas with a fellow carnivore!
Christina—I’d love to hear some of those ins and outs. From the people we met, even in little, out-of-the-way places, and things we saw around the state, we felt like there was much that New Mexico gets right.
The salsa makes a delicious dip for tortilla chips – I’ve seen it called “Texas Caviar” 🙂