"new" spices

I love to try spices out -- my cabinet bulges from the little one to two ounce packets that I buy from The Spice House in Chicago. Since my wife is from Chicago, when we last visited, I had an opportunity to stop by and sample things in their store. These spices aren't new to this world, mind you -- they are, however, relatively new to me.

One of the things that intrigued me most was smoked paprika. I had never been into paprika at all -- didn't really understand what it was for. Smoked paprika, though, is incredibly full of flavor and very versatile. I have used it in any dish that would lend itself to the addition of a smoky flavor. We tend to infuse smokiness by using smoked meats (pork, primarily). If you are a vegetarian (poor souls), that really isn't an option. Try using some smoked paprika instead! I used it in a recipe for black-eyed peas and it was delicious. No bits of meat, but the flavor was there. I've also started using it in homemade barbecue sauce (and rubs) -- instant smoke flavor without having to use "liquid smoke."

Another interesting spice was fennel pollen. I would describe it as a sweeter, more intense version of the traditional fennel seeds. I rubbed a chicken down with this, kosher salt, and olive oil and roasted it at 375 until the thigh read 170 F on a digital thermometer -- everyone raved and was taken by the subtleties of this spice. It's not as pungent as the seed, so food doesn't taste so much like Italian sausage. By baking it into a sweet treat (like biscotti), it brings out some totally different characteristics of the spice...it seemed to have an almost floral essence (which, I guess, is natural since it's pollen).

Do you have any interesting spices or recipes to share? As I use up my stash, I'll post more ideas for what to I've dome with these non-traditional (insofar as America goes) and "new-to-me" spices.

[recipe review] korean-style grilled flank steak

This recipe, from the July 2007 issue of Gourmet Magazine, does a really nice job of bringing some simple flavors together to create a wonderful dinner salad that is satisfying, yet light.

First up: flank steak. This is a cut of beef that I really love. It is fairly lean, yet full of flavor. It can be tough if overcooked, but when cooked properly (no more than medium-rare) and sliced properly (thin and against the grain) it is juicy and tender -- requiring no more mastication than a NY strip.

The sauce consists of a mixture of several easy-to-find kitchen staples and Asian ingredients: soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger, sugar, sesame oil, and Sriracha (Asian chile sauce). My local grocery store carries all of this stuff, save for the Sriracha. You can find it at Whole Foods or any Asian grocery.

Honestly, I had everything but the Sriracha and didn't feel like making a special trip so I used the same amount of Tabasco. It isn't a precise match, but brought the requisite heat to the sauce. Overall, the sauce seems salty until it is incorporated into the finished dish -- there, it serves to season the steak, rice, and lettuce and comes off as well-balanced and very tasty.

For the rice, I made sushi rice in my Zojirushi rice cooker, which always turns it out perfectly. Rather than make lettuce wraps, I used baby butter lettuce and made it more like a salad. The butter lettuce was a great choice -- it didn't wilt under the heat of the steak or rice and was mild in its flavor, providing a clean palette (along with the rice) for the steak and sauce to shine.

If you need a new way to cook a steak, I highly recommend this easy recipe.

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons Sriracha (Southeast Asian chile sauce)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 to 1 1/4 pound flank steak
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Accompaniments: white rice; soft leaf lettuce

Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, Sriracha, sugar, and sesame oil.

Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-high heat.

Oil grill rack, then grill steak, covered, turning over once, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare.

Transfer steak to a cutting board and drizzle with 2 tablespoons sauce, then let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes. Thinly slice steak across the grain. Serve with remaining sauce, scallions, and sesame seeds.

Makes 4 servings.