Roasted Squab With Sichuan Peppercorn Marinade Recipes

Steps:

• Place garlic and 1 pinch kosher salt into a mortar and pestle; grind garlic until it forms a paste. Mix olive oil into garlic.
• Place roast into a baking dish. Brush garlic paste on one side of the roast. Season generously with 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
• Combine peppercorns in a small bowl. Press ground peppercorn mixture generously onto roast. Flip meat and repeat, brushing with garlic paste and seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and peppercorn mixture.
• If desired, place roast on a rack over baking dish and refrigerate uncovered overnight to dry out. The next day, remove and let meat stand 1 hour to reach room temperature.
• Melt butter in a large ovenproof skillet; turn off heat. Place roast into hot butter and flip to coat both sides. Season with more salt if desired.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Roast meat in skillet in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove meat from oven and flip in skillet.
• Turn oven down to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Roast meat until pepper crust is lightly browned and an instant-read meat thermometer, inserted into the center of the roast, reads 130 degrees F (54 degrees C), about 15 more minutes.
• Transfer roast to a platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let roast stand at least 15 minutes.
• Place skillet with pan drippings over medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes to remove raw taste from flour. Whisk in veal stock.
• Turn heat to medium-high, bring sauce to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer pan sauce, stirring constantly, until reduced by half and sauce has slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and 1 pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir balsamic vinegar and any accumulated juices from meat platter into pan sauce.
• Carve beef across the grain, starting at the smallest corner of the roast. Serve slices on warmed plates drizzled with pan sauce.

Steps:

• Remove heads and feet from squab. Insert a sharp knife through neck cavity and carefully split each bird down the back, keeping breast intact. Remove backbone, then carefully remove breastbone, cartilage and ribs. The bird should look like a butterfly, with only wing and leg bones attached.
• Place garlic cloves and ginger in the bowl of a food processor, and blend to a paste. Add aniseed, saffron, paprika, cayenne and lemon juice, and blend about 30 seconds to combine. Transfer blended ingredients to a mixing bowl, add chopped coriander and green onions and whisk in olive oil. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Place squab in a shallow ceramic or enameled dish, add spice marinade and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before grilling.
• Preheat broiler or outdoor grill to highest temperature. Sprinkle squab with salt. Grill squab, skin-side-up, for 4 minutes, and then turn to grill 3 minutes, skin-side-down. Baste frequently with marinade while cooking. Test for doneness: squab are best served rare. Suggested times are for a very hot fire. A home broiler will take longer than mesquite or charcoal briquettes.
• Serve with couscous, rice or a combination of bulgur wheat and rice, sprinkled with minced green onions and accompanied by a lemon wedge.