CutandBaste.com

Ingredients:

• 4 grass-fed beef sausages (or really any other sausage)
• 2 stalks baby leeks, rinsed and chopped into long strands (see image)
• 2-3 cups maitake mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup cornmeal for polenta
• 1 quart chicken stock

Prep:

1. Over low heat in a medium pot, saute garlic in olive oil or butter and cook for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add stock, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil.  Slowly add cornmeal while continually whisking until all has been added.
3. Cook about 35-45 minutes until cornmeal is cooked through (no longer gritty), whisking every 5-10 minutes to avoid lumps forming.
4. Meanwhile, saute sausages in olive oil over high heat until browned and almost cooked through.
5. Remove, add more butter to saute pan and saute mushrooms and leeks until cooked through (~15 minutes).
6. Very important: taste all components for salt & pepper and adjust accordingly.

Sources:

Polenta: Cayuga Pure Organics

Sausage: Arcadian Pastures

(Brooklyn Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket)

For marinade:

• 2-3 shallots, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 tablespoons ginger, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Soy sauce, teriyaki, etc
• White wine
• Chicken stock

• 1-lb decent quality steak, sirloin or other
• 10 (or more) hot peppers (red chili, serrano, jalapeno, etc)
• 2 large cloves garlic, sliced crosswise very thin
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 5 tbsp fish sauce
• 5 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice (1 medium size lime)
• 1 head Bibb or Boston; or 1 heart of Romaine lettuce.
• 12 sprigs fresh mint (optional), remove the leaves and discard the stems
• 1/2 hot house cucumber or 1 small cucumber (seeds removed), peeled and sliced thin
• 2 to 3 shallots, sliced crosswise very thin or 1 small red onion, sliced very thin
• 3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 chopped mango

Preparation

Saute shallot until translucent. Add curry paste, garlic, and ginger. Saute for a minute or two and add liquids. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add to steak in shallow dish and refrigerate.

Grill or broil the steak until medium-rare. Trim off any fat. Cool and slice thin, into pieces approx. 2 inches across and 1/8 inch thick.

Mix garlic, chilies, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar in a small bowl. Add the sliced meat and toss with the cucumbers and shallots. Taste and add more fish sauce if desired.

Make a bed of the lettuce on a serving plate. Place the beef on top. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 2 to 3 as an appetizer or as part of a meal.