Steak

Gloria Estefan taught me how to cook plantains in the microwave and her husband, Emilio, gave me the urban, updated idea of lightening up some Cuban-influenced dishes. The result is this menu, my interpretation of Metro-Retro Cuban cooking. This dinner is also delicious made with seasoned grilled thin-cut chicken breast, seasoned in the same manner as the steak.

I order steak tartare in restaurants whenever it’s on the menu. When you serve it at home it’s important to seek a fine butcher who can provide you with the best-quality beef. You can make the Parmigiano baskets the morning of the party and store them covered at room temperature; they will still have an amazing snap hours later. The trick for success with this is not to use “green can” grated cheese, which will not melt evenly; you have to buy the good stuff. Once you get the hang of making Parmigiano-Reggiano frico you can really crank them out. The tops of water or soda bottles are ideal for forming the Parmigiano cups. I also like to make flat frico as a crunchy garnish for Caesar salads.

Infused butters are fun to put together because you can customize different flavors to give grilled meats a whole new dimension. This dish has strong roots in the Spanish Mediterranean countryside, and it’s one of the hits of this chapter.

The key to success with this sandwich is knowing which way to slice the flank steak: against the grain of the muscle fibers. Hey, Philly never had it so good.

Avoid using a salad spinner to wash and dry the arugula—the leaves bruise easily. Instead, dunk them in a sink of cool water and lift them into a colander. Pat dry with a kitchen towel. Simple salt and pepper will form a crust on the steaks when you sear them. I don’t normally serve anything else with this warm steak salad except the rest of the bottle of Cabernet used in the vinaigrette recipe.

I love to grill flank steak outdoors, but sometimes it isn’t possible. The convection oven is a wonderful substitute. If you have a cast-iron grill pan long enough to accommodate a flank steak, place it in the oven when you begin to preheat it. Otherwise, use the roasting pan and rack assembly that comes with your oven. I recommend preheating the oven for at least 10 minutes.

Here’s a quick hot-roasted meal that’s as ideal for entertaining as it is for a busy weekday. All you need to add are some tossed greens and crusty bread.

Letting the hot steak rest over a platter of frisée serves to gently wilt the greens.

I stepped up on a cinder block to enter the open kitchen and realized then just how short the cook was; he flicked on the burner and the flame shot up as high as his chin. His broom closet-size kitchen swelled with heat and even with my average height, I towered over him awkwardly as he wielded the wok with beef and soy sauce. "You must play basketball!" he suggested. On his kitchen wall and out of reach of the blazing flame, plastic bags of spices hung from low-set rusty hooks, and his windowsill nearby lay scattered with tangerine peels set out to dry in the sun. Cooks in China are in the habit of keeping the peels of the tangerines they eat and spreading them out to dry in the sun for later use. Then they just rehydrate a few pieces whenever they want to add a nutty, slightly bitter note to a stir-fry or stew. Tangerine Beef is a Sichuan specialty and tall on flavor.

Pack this stunning beef roast with a savory stuffing. It helps keep the meat juicy and makes a fine accompaniment on the plate.

The combination of crisp Asian pear and toasted sesame oil gives this stalwart a modern twist.

Hanger steak pairs perfectly with a hearty red wine reduction.

Dense, flavorful aged beef works best for this pan-roasted steak. If you use unaged beef, plan on shorter cooking times.

Also known as the bottom sirloin or triangle steak. Beefy enough to stand up to a bold spice rub, this cut is legendary in California, where the oak-grilled steak is served with salsa and beans.

Our favorite Bloody Mary fixings make a juicy accompaniment for grilled flank steak. The salad tastes better if prepared a few hours ahead.

Also known as fajita steak. It might look like a weight lifter's belt, but skirt steak is juicy and delicious. With a flavor-to-cost ratio that works strongly in your favor, this thin cut cooks quickly for an impromptu BBQ. Buy one 1 1/2 pound skirt steak (about 1/2" thick) and cut it in half crosswise.

A bone-in rib eye requires nothing more than salt, pepper, and a hot grill. (Though to make it even more sublime, serve with scallions that have been tossed in olive oil and salt and given a quick char.) These steps can be applied to most cuts; you'll need to cook a thicker steak for more time and a thin one for less, but the principles are the same: Build a two-zone fire so you can sear it over hot embers, then finish cooking over medium-low to keep it juicy. Master this technique, and you've mastered grilling.