Name: Skirt Steak with Hazelnut Picada and Wilted Escarole
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds (700g) skirt steak, cut into 4 portions; 1 head of escarole; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; a little extra virgin olive oil; 4 tablespoons (50g) unsalted butter; 1 thick slice of chewy peasant style bread; generous 3/4 cup (180ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 20 shelled hazelnuts; grated or finely shredded zest of 1 orange; 1 tablespoon orange juice; 1 garlic clove, peeled; small bunch of oregano, leaves only

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Skirt Steak with Hazelnut Picada and Wilted EscaroleCookbook cover image courtesy of Random House

Picada hails from Spain, or more specifically, from Catalonia. Flavored with nuts, bread crumbs, and herbs, it is a punchy, vibrant paste—often used as a sauce to enliven dishes, and to thicken stews. Here it partners full-flavored skirt steak and elegant escarole lettuce, which is just wilted to serve as a vegetable. Like romesco, there are plenty of other uses for picada, if you have any leftover.

Recipe notes

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