Bobby Flay's Throwdown! (35 page)

Name: Father Leo Patalinghug
Hometown: Emmitsburg, Maryland
Website:
www.gracebeforemeals.com

We are breaking out the sizzle platter and cooking up some steak fajitas with Father Leo, a Catholic priest with unexpected talents. He may be tighter with the Man upstairs, so do my fajitas even have a prayer?

Father Leo credits his interest in food to his Filipino heritage and the broad array of cuisines he was exposed to as a child, but it was during his days as a seminary student in Rome that he really fell in love with the kitchen. Ten years later, he is still cooking. In addition to being director of the pastoral field education program at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, Father Leo has published his own cookbook,
Grace Before Meals: Recipes for Family Life,
and stars in a Web series of the same name that averages more than 10,000 hits a month! It’s that Web series that brought Food Network to Father Leo (or so he thought), as part of a new show called “Edible Airways,” profiling cooks who host their own cooking shows via the Internet or local television. In honor of his star turn, Father Leo threw a fajitas party at Mount St. Mary’s for parishioners, friends, and family. With an Asian-inspired marinade of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and vinegar, steak fajitas is one of Father Leo’s signature dishes.

My mission: to create a steak fajita that is a religious dining experience. Like Father Leo’s, my fajitas are a fusion of southwestern flavors and Asian components. My Asian inspiration comes from red curry paste—an amazing blend of spices, red chiles, garlic, and lemongrass—which I mix with lime juice to make the marinade. I love using skirt or flank steak because of its incredible flavor and chewy texture. The marinade helps tenderize this sometimes tough cut, as do taking care not to overcook it and then thinly slicing it against the grain. Instead of charring my red peppers and onions, I decided to pickle the peppers and barbecue the onions on the grill. Typically fajitas are served with guacamole and sour cream; I came up with the idea to puree my avocado for a single condiment with the taste of guacamole and the texture of sour cream.

Definitely surprised by my arrival, Father Leo had faith in his ability and accepted the Throwdown summons without hesitation. He should be confident—he’s a great cook and his technique and seasonings were spot-on. While we both incorporated Asian flavors into our dishes, the flavors of the two couldn’t have been more different. The crowd seemed to be divided as to which was their favorite fajita, so as always, we turned to the judges for a decision.

Food columnist Nancy Luse and Vinnie Gordon, a mentor for high school students interested in the culinary arts, judged our entries on taste, texture, and innovation. They loved Father Leo’s marinade and said the beef was so tender, it melted in their mouths. As for my fajitas, they loved the light texture of the avocado crema and the pronounced flavors of the peppers and onions, though they would have preferred the vegetables to have been cooked longer and a bit less crispy. It wasn’t an easy call, but there can only be one winner in a Throwdown, and this one went to Father Leo.

Father Leo did a lot of praying during the judges’ deliberation, but I don’t think that he needed it. His fajitas were delicious, perfectly cooked and seasoned, and made with lots of love.

SERVES 4 TO 6

1.
Combine the curry paste, canola oil, and the ¼ cup lime juice in a food processor, and process until smooth. Place the steak in a large baking dish and add half of this marinade. Turn the meat to coat it; then cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 4 and up to 12 hours.

2.
Whisk the honey and the remaining 3 tablespoons lime juice together in a bowl. Set aside.

3.
Heat a grill to high, or a cast-iron pan or griddle over high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill the steak until slightly charred on both sides and cooked to medium-rare, about 10 minutes total. Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes.

4.
Meanwhile, lower the heat under your grill to medium.

5.
Brush the onion slices with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Season one side of the onion slices with steak rub and grill them, rub side down, until light golden brown, 2 minutes. Flip them over, brush with barbecue sauce, and grill until just cooked through, about 4 minutes more. Separate into rings.

6.
Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them on the grill for 5 minutes.

7.
Thinly slice the steak across the grain. Place the slices on a platter, and immediately drizzle with the honey-lime dressing. Lay the warm tortillas on a flat surface and arrange a few slices of the beef down the center of each. Top with onion slices, pickled peppers, a dollop of avocado crema, and some cilantro. Then roll up and eat.

1.
Combine the vinegars, garlic, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over high heat. Boil until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

2.
Put the peppers and oregano in a medium bowl, add the vinegar mixture, and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.

Combine the avocados, lime juice, vinegar, honey, and ¼ cup water in a blender, and puree until smooth. Add the cilantro, season with salt and pepper, and blend for a few seconds just to incorporate.

SERVES 6

1.
Combine the wine, soy sauce, vinegar, the ¼ cup olive oil, the ketchup, brown sugar, 2 of the garlic cloves, the ginger, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, the red pepper flakes, and the garlic powder in a large bowl, and whisk together. Remove about ½ cup and set it aside for serving.

2.
Tenderize the steak by piercing it all over with a fork. Place the steak in a resealable plastic bag, pour the rest of the marinade into the bag, and seal. Refrigerate the steak for at least 2 and up to 4 hours.