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WHEN CONGRESSMAN Randy Neugebauer, a
Republican from West Texas, was first elected in
2003, he and his wife, Dana, had one requirement
for their Capitol Hill home: It had to have a
backyard big enough to accommodate a grill.
“I love cooking out. That’s one of our
[favorite] pastimes,” says Neugebauer.
So it was no surprise when the Neugebauers
won the Best in Show award at the March of Dimes
Gourmet Gala fundraiser in April with their recipe
for Thai Cowboy Steak with Peanut Sauce.
Congressman Neugebauer serves on the House
Committee on Agriculture, so the Neugebauers
sought to include in their recipes some agricultural
products from their home district, West Texas’
19th (and birthplace of the late Buddy Holly),
encompassing the cities of Lubbock and Abilene.
Steak was a natural choice, as were peanuts;
Texas is second only to Georgia in US peanut production,
and a lot of peanuts come from West
Texas, Neugebauer says. To develop the recipe,
the Neugebauers sought the help of peanut farmers,
who suggested a Thai-style sauce in order to
make the most of the popular little legume.
The congressional cook-off was hosted by the
March of Dimes at its 26th annual Gourmet Gala
at the National Building Museum, which helped
to raise more than $1 million to prevent birth
defects, premature births, and infant mortality.
The Best Presentation award
went to Alabama Senator Richard
Shelby for Alabama Pecan Cheese
Bits; the Health and Happiness
Award went to California Congressman
Mike Thompson for
Shrimp Ceviche; the American
Regional Cuisine Award went to
Michigan Senator Carl Levin for
Michigan Navy Bean Pâté; and the
Easiest Presentation Award went
to Congressman John Dingell, also
of Michigan, for Michigan Cherry
Barbecued Meatballs.
THAI COWBOY STEAK
WITH PEANUT SAUCE
Courtesy of Congressman Randy Neugebauer
Serves 4
For the steak:
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 sprigs fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brandy
4 New York strip steaks, about 1 inch thick
and 10-12 ounces each, halved
1⁄2 cup peanut sauce
For the peanut sauce:
2⁄3 cup coconut milk
1⁄2 tablespoon Thai red-curry paste
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1⁄2 cup water
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts,
finely chopped
1⁄2 tablespoon palm or cane sugar
1⁄2 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (or to taste)
1⁄2 teaspoon lime juice
Chop garlic and
cilantro finely. Transfer
to a bowl and
stir in oyster sauce,
soy sauce, and
brandy. Add steaks
and marinate in
the refrigerator for
one hour.
To make the
peanut sauce, place
half of the coconut
milk in a small
saucepan and warm
over moderate heat.
Stir about 10 seconds until bubbly and
fragrant. Add the curry paste and keep
stirring to prevent burning. Add the
remaining coconut milk, peanut butter,
water, chopped peanuts, sugar, fish sauce,
and lime juice. Adjust seasonings to taste
and set aside.
Broil or grill steaks at medium-high
heat—about four minutes per side for
medium rare.
To serve, place two or three tablespoons
of peanut sauce on a plate and top with
two pieces of steak.
| The complete article appears on page 184 in the Summer 2008 issue of Capitol File. SUBSCRIBE NOW and get Capitol File delivered direct. |
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