Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, stars of a Food Network show and authors of Two Dudes, One Pan (Clarkson Potter), aim to use few kitchen tools—and, yes, just one pan per recipe. Proprietors of Los Angeles’ Animal restaurant, they insist on not spending a fortune and not using obscure ingredients. Their philosophy: Keep it simple. Here are two of their favorite recipes.
Sake-Soy Sea Bass
One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
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1 cup mirin (sweetened rice wine)
1 cup sake
½ cup soy sauce
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed, outer layer removed, sliced ¼-inch-thick
2 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, smashed
Four 6-oz sea bass fillets
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
Pinch kosher salt
This fish tastes best if you marinate it for at least four hours or overnight. Place ginger rounds on cutting board and, with flat side of chef’s knife, smash them to release their essential oils. Transfer to small bowl; stir in mirin, sake, soy sauce, lemongrass, shallots, and garlic. Set aside ¼ cup for sauce; transfer rest to resealable plastic bag. Add fish to bag; refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly season fish with salt; sear until golden brown, about 4 minutes (if using smaller skillet, cook fish in two batches). Flip and cook until other side has color and fish is cooked to your preference. We like to cook it another 3 to 4 minutes so it stays medium-rare. Transfer fish to plate and set aside. Wipe skillet with paper towel; add ¼ cup of reserved marinade. Simmer over high heat until it thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon sauce over fish and serve. Serves 4.
Tri-Tips With Salsa Verde
The tri-tip steak is a California original whose origins go back more than 100 years to the central coast, where it was barbecued over red oak wood. It is now synonymous with Santa Maria–style barbecue. Flank steak is a good substitute.
For salsa verde
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
2 anchovy fillets, very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 tbsp drained capers, roughly chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp finely chopped fresh mint
½ tsp kosher salt
For steak
Two 1½-pound tri-tip steaks, sliced crosswise into 1¼-inch-thick planks
1 tsp kosher salt
1½ tsp grapeseed oil
Place salsa verde ingredients in medium bowl; whisk together to combine. Season steak with salt and set aside. Heat large stainless skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add oil to pan; sear steak until it is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip steak; cook other side until browned, about another 3 to 5 minutes for rare, or 5 to 6 minutes for medium-rare to medium. Serve with salsa verde spooned over top. Serves 6.
