Steak and Red Onion Quesadillas

Up until this point, on my blog, I haven’t participated in too many food challenges. I’m not too sure why… maybe it’s because I always had so many food goals to achieve on my own that I didn’t feel like looking to see what other people were daring me to do.

Well, no more. After two challenges and two amazing new recipes, I am a convert.

I created this quesadilla recipe for Gloria’s tex-mex challenge over at Foods and Flavors of San Antonio. The best part? The event is in celebration of the publication of her new cookbook! Hearing that someone got a book published always feels like amazing news to me… maybe because it’s my dream. I feel the flood of emotions I imagine I’ll feel when (knock wood) someday I publish my own book every single time I hear about this accomplishment. Congratulations, Gloria!

On to the food…

This recipe is a combination of lean steak, mimolette cheese and red onions. All in all, it’s not really that bad for you, but with oozing cheese and red meat, it sure feels indulgent!

Mimolette cheese is classically a northern French cheese that comes from the area around Lille, right on the border between France and Belgium. The cheese is usually sold in wedges with the (inedible) hard rind attached. It’s also made in Belgium and the Netherlands, and the version I picked up is a Dutch cheese, and it’s packaged in slices like American singles are in the States. (The flavor is unquestionably better, as if that needed mentioning.) If you want to substitute another sharp orange cheese like cheddar, feel free.

The cut of steak I used is called tende de tranche in French. Because butchering is different in every country, I had quite an interesting time trying to figure out an American equivalent. Based on my research, this is called top round in English. Whatever it’s called, its a very lean cut that’s a little bit tough, so I prepared it as I would steak for fajitas, slicing it against the grain when it was done cooking.

I started by searing the steak on the outside on both sides with just a little salt and pepper as seasoning. I’d count about one minute per side if you want medium rare for such a thin cut. I cooked it a little longer, and as you can see from the pictures, I’m getting pretty close to well-done.

I like the color of red onions for this dish… I thought it was very pretty next to the rosy color of the beef and the bright orange of the cheese. Red onions are expensive, though, and if you’d rather caramelize some regular yellow onions, that’s cool too: it will take longer, but because you’re heating the beef up again with the quesadilla as a whole, I don’t see a problem.

So… without further ado… the recipe! Congrats once again to Gloria on this accomplishment!

Steak and Red Onion Quesadillas

2 flour tortillas
1 red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons 200 g. (two small steaks) of lean beef, like tende de tranche
2 slices mimolette or other sharp orange cheese
Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper
olive oil

Heat a skillet over high heat. Meanwhile, season the steaks on either side with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to the skillet and, when hot, add the steaks. Allow to cook for one minute on each side without moving to develop a nice, dark crust. Remove to a plate and allow to sit, covered, while you prepare the rest of the filling.

Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium, and add more oil if necessary. Add the onions with a pinch of salt, and stir. Let the onions cook until they have some color and are sweet, about 5-7 minutes. They will retain a bit of crunch, but they should lose all of their pungent aroma. Remove to the plate with the steak.

Slice the steak into strips along the bias.

Reduce the heat in the skillet once more to medium low. Tortillas can either be prepared one at a time in the skillet, or prepared outside the skillet and cooked at the same time… just be careful not to let the fillings fall out! For each quesadilla, start with one tortilla, opened. Season the inside of the tortilla with a few drops of Tabasco sauce, depending on individual tastes. Next add steak and onions, finishing with the cheese. Fold the tortillas in half. If you have prepared the tortillas outside the pan, start them steak side down, and then flip after about a minute and a half. If you have assembled the tortilla in the pan, simply close the top of the tortilla, and flip it to the other side. Cook until the cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and guacamole, if desired.