~ Steak, Peppers & Cheddar Chimichurri Omelette ~

I won't lie, I don't love steak and eggs for breakfast.  I don't hate it, I just like bacon, sausage or ham better in the morning.  That said, I do like a steak omelette for dinner.  In fact, it's one of my favorite 'breakfast for dinner' meals.   Don't try to psychoanalyze this -- it makes no sense.  Let's move on.  I'm making breakfast for dinner today, and, it's going to be a great steak omelette full of peppers, onions and cheddar topped with my homemade chimichurri sauce.  There's more. Think twice about crowding the plate with toasted bread and fried potatoes.  In the case of this omelette, a wedge of crisp iceberg lettuce and a few fresh tomato slices are the better choice.

Chimichurri was made for steak: Back in the 16th Century there was a large influx of cattle into Argentina from Spain, which quickly made beef their country's main source of protein.  The Argentinean cowboys, or gouchos, who herded the cattle, came up with this flavorful, rustic blend of native herbs, spices and oil to top their cowboy-cooked steaks. Their bold, bright-green, herb-driven condiment, similar in appearance to Italian pesto (only made with parsley and/or cilantro, oregano, garlic and pepper), is super-easy to make.

Chimichurri works well as a marinade for tough cuts of beef like flank or skirt steak, and, it's delicious atop fish or vegetables too -- steamed cauliflower, grilled sweet corn, fresh or roasted tomatoes, etc.  Recipes for it vary and every cook tunes the proportions to suit themselves.

I got a craving for chimichurri over the weekend, so, I made some. The first thing we ate it on were these ~ Steak, Habanero Cheddar & Chimichurri Sliders ~. The recipe is in Categories 1, 2, 13 or 17.  To get my recipe for ~ Chimichurri: The Sauce Steak Can't Live Without ~, just click into Categories 8, 10, 13, 14 or 20. Tonight, I'm using my leftover, prepped and ready-to-go slider ingredients to make a great steak omelette.

How to make a great 'breakfast for dinner' steak omelette:

For the steak  for one omelette:

1/2 cup thinly-sliced rare- medium-rare cooked steak, warm or at room temperature

Note:  I almost always use flank steak to make sandwiches, sliders and omelettes.  For detailed instructions on how I broil my flank steak, click into the Steak Slider recipe mentioned above.

For the veggies for one omelette:

1  tablespoon salted butter

1/4  cup diced green bell peppers

1/4  cup diced red bell peppers

1/4  cup red or yellow onion

freshly ground sea salt and peppercorn blend

For the eggs and cheese for one omelette:

3  extra-large eggs

1/4  cup heavy or whipping cream

freshly-ground sea salt & peppercorn blend

1  tablespoon salted butter

1/3  cup grated habanero cheddar

~ Step 1. Slice the steak as directed and set aside.  I like the steak to be slightly-warm when I add it to my omelette, so, after slicing I place it in a small bowl.  Just prior to preparing the omelette I reheat the meat for a short 15-20 seconds in the microwave oven.

~ Step 2.  Using a hand-held box grater, grate cheese and set aside.  

~ Step 3.  To saute the veggies, melt butter in an 8" nonstick skillet.  Add peppers and onions. Lightly season with freshly-ground salt and pepper.  Saute until crunch tender, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

~Step 4.  In a 1-cup measuring container, using a fork, vigorously whisk together the eggs, cream, salt and pepper.  I use 4 coarse grinds of salt and 8 coarse grinds of pepper.  Melt butter in skillet over low heat.  Adjust heat to medium and add all of the egg mixture to skillet -- when making a generously filled omelette like this one, I error on the side of moderate heat to prevent over-browning.  Lift pan from heat and tilt it to roll the egg mixture around the sides of the pan. Repeat lifting and rolling 2-3 more times until bottom of omelette is beginning to set and sides are firming up.  Using a thin spatula, push the soft edges of the omelette back towards the center while gently lifting and tilting the pan to allow uncooked egg mixture to flow into the bottom.

~Step 5.  The surface of the omelette should be moist, not wet. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the cheese to half of the omelette and when it has partially melted, about 45-60 seconds, top the cheese with all of the veggie mixture, followed by the steak.  Turn the heat off.  Using a wide spatula lift the unfilled side of the omelette up and over the filled side and allow omelette to sit in pan on the warm stovetop a minute, to allow the cheese to finish melting.

~ Step 6. Hold the skillet over a 9" serving plate, tilt it downwards, and, using the aid of the wide spatula placed at the folded side of the omelette, gently push and slide it, don't lift the omelette, down onto the plate. Once you transfer the omelette to the plate, serve with a wedge of iceberg lettuce and a few tomato slices.

So much better than just a steak on a plate...

... this dinner omelette deserves a glass of fine red wine.

What a refreshing way to enjoy eggs & eat steak too!

Steak, Peppers & Cheddar Chimichurri Omelette:  Recipe yields one very large, hearty omelette, which serves one hungry man or two hungry women.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; 8" omelette pan, preferably nonstick and 8" nonstick skillet or 2, 8" nonstick skillets; 1-cup measuring container; fork; thin spatula; wide spatula

Cook's Note:  Chimichurri goes great with eggs and chimichurri deviled eggs couldn't be easier. Because this bold-flavored sauce contains herbs, seasonings and oil, you don't need to add anything -- not even any mayonnaise.  

In the work bowl of a food processor, for every whole egg yolk, add 1 generous teaspoon of chimichurri sauce.  Process until smooth, taste and adjust for salt (if necessary), then, pipe into hard-cooked egg cavities. 

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2016) 

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