Pomegranate Glazed Filet Mignon with Harissa Steak Sauce

As I mentioned in this post, I received some recipes that Chefs Chad Johnson and Eric Lackey created and now it's time to share another one with my readers. Last time, I shared the Coca-Cola Balsamic Marinated Bermuda Onion and this time, we have...

Pomegranate Glazed Filet Mignon with Harissa Steak Sauce

by Chef Chad Johnson

Ingredients:

Pomegranate Glaze

1 cup pomegrante juice

2 tbsp sherry or cider vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp fresh thyme, minced

1 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Harissa Steak Sauce

1 tbsp ground caraway seeds

1/2 tbsp ground coriander seeds

1/2 tbsp ground cumin seeds

1 tbsp garlic powder

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp chives, minced

1 tsp honey

1 tsp chile paste

4 Walmart Choice Premium Filet Mignon Steaks

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, combine Pomegranate Glaze ingredients and cook over medium heat. Reduce mixture by 30 percent. Strain and cool the mixture; set aside.

Toast the caraway seeds, coriander seeds, cumin and garlic powder in a dry pan until fragrant. Add remaining Harissa Steak Sauce ingredients, except the chives, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat and let cool. Stir chives into finished sauce.

Preheat the grill using Kingsford charcoal, until briquets are consistently ashed over.

Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper.

Grill the steaks over a medium high fire until lightly charred on one side, approximately 4 minutes. Flip the steak and baste with the Pomegranate Glaze. After an additional 2 minutes of cooking, baste the steak again.

Remove the steak from the grill and allow to rest for 6 minutes. 

Baste the steak again after resting and serve with a side of the Harissa Steak Sauce.

Walmart Choice Steak Challenge

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to the Walmart Choice Steak Challenge presented by Kingsford Charcoal and Coca-Cola. Tampa has been selected as one of eight markets to be selected for this challenge taking place in Walmart parking lots nation-wide. At the Tampa event, our very own Chefs Chad Johnson from Bern's Steak House and Eric Lackey from Flamestone Grill competed to determine who has the best steak-grilling skills in town. Walmart shoppers judged the Walmart Choice Premium Rib Eyes prepared by the chefs.

Before the event started, both chefs were happy to share some tips and busted some myths of grilling:

Tips:
1. Drink beer while grilling. Seriously, this was their #1 tip and personally, I find it to be a good one!
2. Don't puncture the steak.
3. Create both a hot zone and a cool zone on your grill. To create the hot zone, position the coals 6 inches below the top of the grill. The hot zone is great to finish off your steak once it has been cooked almost to the way you want. The cool zone would be an area where the coals are 10-12 inches below the top of the grill and is great to have when a steak seems to be cooking too fast. A chimney is recommended so the coals burn evenly.
4. For a simple marinade, just leave your steak in olive oil for 15 minutes before grilling. The olive oil really allows the steak's natural flavors to shine through.

Busted Myths:
Myth #1: Start cooking your steak at room temperature.
Busted: Actually, it's much preferred to start grilling your steak right after you take it out of the fridge.

Myth #2: Poke the steak for the marinade.
Busted: It's better to not puncture the steak as punctured steak on the grill will allow the natural juices to seep out.

Myth #3: Only flip steak once so you cook once on the front and once on the back.
Busted: The chefs recommend you flip your steak multiple times. In fact, a minimum of 4 flips is great.

After chatting with the chefs, the event was underway!

Chef Eric Lackey with the Kingsford representatives

Chef Chad Johnson prepping his steaks

Chef Chad Johnson grilling

Chef Eric Lackey taking a photo-posing break from grilling

Steaks from Chef Chad Johnson (Bern's)

Steaks from Chef Eric Lackey (Flamestone)

And the winner is...

Chef Eric Lackey from Flamestone!!

Chef Eric will now move on to compete in New York, along with seven other chef finalists, on May 22nd! Good luck to him! We will definitely be visiting Chef Eric at Flamestone when he gets back from New York.

Prior to the event, the chefs cooked up some delicious grilling recipes that Kingsford graciously shared. All photos and recipes are courtesy of Kingsford. I'll be sharing one recipe now and 2 more at a later date.

Coca-Cola Balsamic Marinated Bermuda Onion

by Chef Eric Lackey

Ingredients:

2 jumbo red Bermuda onions

1 12-ounce can Coca-Cola

2-3 cups hot water

1 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Leave ends on onion (can trim) and cut in half. Peel away paper-like skin. Place in food storage container.

2. Mix Coca-Cola and vinegar. Pour soda-vinegar mixture into food storage container with onion. Add as much hot water as needed to submerge onions. Marinate overnight in fridge.

3. Preheat the grill using Kingsford charcoal, until briquets are consistently ashed over.

4. Remove onion with marinade from fridge and grill onion for 20 minutes on medium heat, turning occasionally. Before removing from grill, find hot spot to char onion and caramelize natural sugars for a few minutes to finish. 

Also, thanks to Kingsford, I have some koozies and hats to give away! Leave a comment below if you want a koozie or hat and I will give them away until I've run out.

Cowboy Stew (thanks be to Publix)

I know some of you aren't fortunate enough to have Publix Supermarkets where you live. Take my word for it, it's the best grocery store in existence. Not only are they clean and always well-stocked, but they are quick to order special products for individuals, they always have food samples as you shop, AND some have a COOKING SCHOOL. From 16-19 years of age, I worked at a couple of different Publix locations by my house and (is it sad?) I'm really passionate about this grocery store.

If you live by a Publix, or plan on visiting a city with a Publix, I encourage you to sign up for the cooking school. The cooking school isn't like a college with real semesters. They offer many different classes that you can sign up for and attend with friends and family, depending on what you'd like to learn and what cuisine you are interested in. From the website:

"Whether you're a brand-new beginner or an experienced cook wanting to expand your repertoire, we have classes that you'll find entertaining and informative. Renowned chefs, authors, cooking celebrities and restaurant chefs make the culinary arts accessible and fun. Some classes focus on certain cuisines or cooking techniques, others center on topics such as desserts or holidays. We also offer deliciously entertaining gourmet food and wine tastings, and cooking classes just for kids and teens."

The cooking school is called Apron's and while only a select few locations have the actual school (the first Publix I worked at did and we had everyone from Wolfgang Puck to Emeril host classes), every Publix has a little Apron's station where you can almost always find a Publix associate making a delicious meal. And I'm talking, a full meal. Hurry because they go fast, but the associate will show everyone how easy it is to follow along with Publix Apron's Simple Meals (there are currently over 700 recipes online) and he/she will create an entire meal (sides and all), break it up into sample plates, and disburse.

My go-to stew is called Cowboy Stew and thanks to Publix, it's become quite the staple meal in my house.

Cowboy Stew

(adapted from Publix Simple Meals)

Ingredients:

1 lb. beef for stew

1 packet taco seasoning mix (about 1 ounce)

Large zip-top bag

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion (undrained)

1 (10-ounce) can milder diced tomatoes and green chiles (undrained)

1 cup refried beans

2 cups frozen seasoning blend (diced onions, bell peppers, celery)

2 (16-ounce) cans pinto beans (drained)

Sprinkle of parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat slow cooker on high. Place beef and taco seasoning in zip-top bag; shake to coat. Transfer beef and seasoning to slow cooker. 

Stir in canned tomatoes (including liquid), refried beans, seasoning blend, and the sprinkle of parmesan cheese. 

Pour pinto beans on top of mixture (do not stir from this point on until you are ready to serve). Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 8-10 hours. Serve.

***

As you can see, the recipe really calls for little effort. I was able to just throw all ingredients in there before I left for work and it was all ready for us when I came home. The boyfriend even told me that the delicious aroma from the stew is what woke him up. Don't you love when that happens to you? The beef becomes so tender and because it breaks apart a little while cooking, there is meat is every bite. The stew is also a little spicy thanks to the green chiles, but it's perfection!

Make and enjoy!

*I did not receive any compensation for doing this post. Publix is just awesome, y'all.