Saturday Recipe

My email has been up the shoot all of Friday so far, some have got through. But mostly the whole system is FUBAR. So I went to LCBO Food and Drink to find a recipe for today and came across an old Australian recipe I haven't seen in years. Graham Kerr (do you remember him?) had a recipe for this in his cookbook. Be a pretty expensive dish to make in Ontario - I could have made it more cheaply when we lived in North Carolina.

AUSTRALIAN CARPETBAGGER STEAK SUMMER 2001 By: Lucy Waverman

You need thick New York sirloins to do this dish properly. How this dish came by its name is lost in time, (some say it is an American invention) but carpetbagger steaks are an Australian specialty - the word derives from the bags that people carried their valuables in when they emigrated. Serve with sautéed mushrooms and grilled potatoes. 1/4 cup (50 mL) butter 16 shucked oysters 1 tsp (5 mL) hot pepper sauce 2 tsp (10 mL) grated lemon rind 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped chives 2 to 3 tbsp (25 to 45 mL) fresh breadcrumbs Salt and freshly ground pepper 4 New York sirloin steaks, about 10 oz (300 g) each 2 tbsp (25 mL) vegetable oil Garnish 1 bunch watercress 1 tbsp (15 mL) balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper Heat butter in skillet over medium heat. Add oysters, hot pepper sauce, lemon rind and chives. Sauté until edges of oysters begin to curl, about 1 minute. Stir in enough breadcrumbs to absorb any juices. Season with salt and pepper. Remove to plate and cool. Make a pocket on the long side of the steak, opposite the fat, leaving a1/2-inch (1-cm) border on each side. Do not cut through the fat side. Stuff 4 oysters into each steak. Use a toothpick to skewer together the opening. Preheat grill to high. Brush steak with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on grill. Grill 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning once, or until juices just begin to appear on top. The steak should be medium-rare for the best taste. While steak is cooking, trim stems from watercress and toss leaves with vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on plates and serve alongside the steak. Serves 4

Have a great weekend