Pesto-Stuffed Beef with Tomato Bread Pudding
An elegant combination prepared on the grill
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the pesto:
1½ cups lightly packed snipped basil leaves
½ cup fresh oregano
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
3 tablespoons Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste
For the pudding:
4 ounces French bread, Italian bread, or Italian country bread
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 pounds tomatoes, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup light soy milk
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
Fresh basil as garnish
For the beef:
4 (5-ounce) New York strip steaks (trimmed of fat)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Olive oil
Instructions
To make the pesto:
Combine basil, oregano, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan, and pine nuts in a food processor and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
To make the pudding:
Heat grill to medium. Tear bread into 1-inch chunks and place in a large shallow baking pan. In a large skillet, cook garlic in hot olive oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, basil, and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add soy milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour mix over bread cubes and toss gently to mix. Top with Parmesan cheese. Bake in the grill, with lid closed, for 15 minutes or until heated through. Top with Parmesan cheese and sprigs of fresh basil.
To make the beef:
Make 1-inch slits along the edge of the steak, working the tip of the knife to form a pocket. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff Pesto into pockets in meat. Brush steaks with olive oil. Arrange medium coals around a drip pan in a grill with a hood. Test for medium-low heat above the pan.
Place meat on grill rack over drip pan but not over coals. Insert a meat thermometer and lower the grill hood. Grill for 4-5 minutes or until the meat thermometer registers the desired temperature (160˚F for medium, 170˚F for well done). Add more coals as necessary. Let meat stand, covered, for 10 minutes (its temperature will rise slightly).
To serve:
Serve the pesto-stuffed beef with the tomato bread pudding.