Hi All!
It’s hard for me to believe it’s the 21st of December, especially if I look outside! I do remember some warm winters, but I can’t remember the a Christmas season quite like this. It’s certainly frustrating, but we’ll get through. We’ve just been spoiled! The important part of the holidays is being together, with laughter and love. Snow does make it a little prettier, though!
By now, many of you have received the 2023 Brightwater Look Book. We shot this last March up in and around Knife River, on the north shore of Lake Superior. There was so much snow up there! We had many of our usual band of merry pranksters, and had the privilege of having Emily and Joel Vikre join us for the first time too. As true Duluthians, they brought a wonderful local connection to the shoot. They also brought great spirits, as they own Vikre Distillery in Duluth!
In the look book this year, you’ll find a couple of Erik’s delicious cocktail recipes. And below I've included Erik and Paul's recipe for an amazing hangar steak, using an interval cooking technique. It was stunning!
I believe the pictures speak for themselves. Eliesa Johnson is one of the best photographers ever, and she captures the essence of what I, at Brightwater, try to convey: timeless quality, with a healthy dose of fun! If you didn’t get a look book and would like one, shoot me an email and I’ll get one off to you!
Here at Brightwater we’ve been busy with holiday shoppers. But don’t worry, there still are lots of great Brightwater offerings to fill your stockings! Beautiful sweaters for men and women from the likes of Dale of Norway, We Norwegians, White + Warren, Alan Paine and more. Mitts, gloves, hats and scarves to keep you warm, and a great selection of parkas, jackets and vests, from Nobis, Parajumpers, and Bogner. Plus we have an expanded selection of great stocking stuffers, from cool flashlights to candles, leathergoods, and so much more.
As Christmas is fast approaching, I want to take a moment to let you know how grateful I am for each and every one of you. Your support throughout the years has been amazing and uplifting for me. I hope you and all of yours have a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.
Sending lots of love,
- Bill
INGREDIENTS:
- best quality chicken or beef stock
- red wine (something around $20 you'd enjoy drinking, perhaps Pinot Noir)
- butter
- hangar steaks (2-3)*
- avocado, quartered
- whole jalepeño chiles, blistered under the broiler, 3 per steak
- za'atar
- olive oil
- cilantro
METHOD:
1). Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Prep a sheet tray with a cooling rack.
2). Add 2 cups each stock & red wine to a sauce pan, and reduce on the stove until there is approximately 1/2 cup remaining. The consistency should become saucey, and film the back of a spoon. Add butter to taste, approximately 2-4 tablespoons. Stir to combine and set aside.
3). Season the steaks with salt and place them on the cooling rack of the sheet tray (this ensures there is air circulating on all sides of the steaks). Brush all sides of the steaks with the red wine glaze, and place sheet tray with the rack and steaks in the oven for 20 minutes.
4). After 20 minutes, remove from the oven, brush the steaks with more of the red wine glaze, and rest the steaks for 15-20 minutes. After 15-20 minutes of rest at room temperature, the steaks go back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes. This process is called "interval cooking"... continue the process of baking and resting and brushing with the red wine glaze at 15-20 minute intervals until the steaks are done (internal temp 125 degrees). Total time varies, but plan on the process lasting around 2 hours. Avoid overcooking at all costs. The interval cooking process will yield a perfect rosey pink/red center of the steaks that goes from edge to edge.
5). Slice the steaks against the grain and serve with avocado, za'atar, blistered jalepeño, quality olive oil, cilantro and a few flakes of quality sea salt.
~Thank you to Chefs Joe Rolle & Jorge Guzman for inspiring this preparation~
*This process is great for as many hanger steaks that you have room to cook. Just up the quantities on the glaze as you add more steaks. For 4-6 hangers, use 4 cups each of stock & wine, etc.
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