Techie treat! Steal this chef’s steak recipe

In this special weekly feature, “Today” food editor Phil Lempert brings you recipes “stolen” (with permission) from notable restaurants across America. See how much money you can save — and fun you can have — by cooking these dishes at home!

This week: Hanger Steak With Potato-Bacon Cake and Truffle Vinaigrette from Sidney’s Grille at Hotel@MIT, Cambridge, Mass.

Not surprisingly, the Hotel@MIT, located on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is a high-tech and high-design wonder. The latter description also applies to the hotel’s sleek restaurant, Sidney’s Grille; however, there is nothing high-tech about the cooking in the eatery’s open kitchen, where high-IQ diners can watch their meals being prepared — some on an apple-wood-fired range — by executive chef Stefano Zimei.

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More about the chef:
A graduate in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., Zimei has headed up several noted kitchens, including those at Gallia and Aquitaine in Boston’s trendy South End, the Federalist (at Boston’s boutique XV Beacon hotel) and the Rowes Wharf restaurant at the Boston Harbor Hotel.

He has received gold, silver and bronze medals at the New York Food Show and a silver medal at the 126th Salon of Culinary Arts; a “Boston’s Best Appetizer Award” from the Boston Phoenix; and was runner-up in Bertolli’s “Top 10 Sous Chefs” contest.

(PLEASE NOTE: Ingredient prices are estimates and based on national averages. Amounts listed are for one portion. Increase proportionately according to number of portions desired.)

Joe Greene / Sidney's Grille Cambridge

Hanger Steak With Potato-Bacon Cake and Truffle Vinaigrette
($19.50 at Sidney’s Grille. Cook at home cost is $3.32.)

8-ounce portion hanger steak ($1.65)
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced ($0.38)
1/4 cup canola oil ($0.18)
1/2 shallot, finely chopped ($0.24)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped ($0.08)
2 tablespoon crispy bacon bits ($0.16)
2 teaspoons parsley, chopped ($0.01)
6 haricots verts ($0.05)
1 tablespoon truffle oil ($0.45)
1 tablespoon olive oil ($0.06)
1 tablespoon vinegar ($0.02)
1 spear chive ($0.02)
1 sprig chervil ($0.01)
1 sprig frisee ($0.01)

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Start the preparation by trimming all the fat and muscle from the hanger steak, then salt and pepper each side. (A hanger steak is a thick strip of meat that comes from the underside of the beef cow. It is part of the diaphragm, like a skirt steak, and is full of flavor. The hanger steak has a grainy texture, which is great for preparing fajitas and other similar dishes. Hanger steak has a tendency to dry out and get tough when cooked with dry heat. A marinade should be used when grilling or broiling.)

Next, peel and dice the potato, then heat a sauté pan with 3 tablespoons canola oil. Sear the diced potatoes until brown on all sides. Add garlic, shallots, bacon, and parsley and continue to cook for several more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

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Heat a skillet with 1 tablespoon canola oil, then sear both sides of the steak. Finish cooking in a 350-degree oven for 4 to 6 minutes for rare, or more for desired temperature. Allow steak to rest for several minutes, then slice steak against the grain. (Cut into thin strips for maximum tenderness.) On a warm plate, place warm potato mixture into a ring mold and press down to form a cake. Arrange the steak strips with warm haricots verts placed on top of the steak. (Fresh string beans can be used if haricots verts are not available.)

Finally, drizzle truffle vinaigrette around the plate and top with the herb garnish. (Truffle vinaigrette is equal parts olive oil, truffle oil and vinegar.) Truffle oil, chervil and frisee (a salad green) can be found at most specialty food markets and some farmers’ markets.

Sidney’s Grille
Hotel@MIT
20 Sidney Street
Cambridge
Mass., 02139
617-494-0011
www.hotelatmit.com/sidney/index.html

Want to find out how you can make your favorite restaurant dish at home? Just e-mail Phil at (or use the mail box below) with the name of the restaurant, city and state, and the dish you would like to have re-created. Want to know more about Phil and food? Visit his Web site at www.supermarketguru.com.

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