In 2011, I spent an amazing two weeks traveling around Spain and exploring its diverse culinary culture. On one of our last nights there, we booked an outdoor table at a new restaurant on the recommendation of our hotel concierge. It was in a low-key spot, away from the tourist crowd, and it turned out the chef had recently worked under some of Spain’s most famous chefs.
We sipped on Spanish beers as we flipped through the menu—and one dish caught my eye: Omaha Steak. As a Nebraska native, I know that the state boasts the world’s finest beef, and I was thrilled to see it on the menu of a gourmet international restaurant.
Not every week can be as memorable as that one in Spain, but that hasn’t stopped me from infusing a little Spanish flavor into my summer. With tailgate season starting up soon (Let’s go Huskers!), I couldn’t resist bringing a little “futebol” to the football party with Spanish-Style Steak Skewers with Garlic Aioli.
Omaha Steaks Tenderloin Tips are already packed with rich, beefy flavor, but I wanted to enhance that with some classic Spanish herbs and spices. I created a simple marinade of olive oil, white wine vinegar, smoked paprika, garlic and thyme. Tailgating should be easy, so the beef can hang out in the marinade for as little as two hours or as long as overnight.
This recipe is also inspired by another classic Spanish dish, escalavida, or fire-roasted eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes and onions. This simple dish is simply seasoned and finished with a drizzle of olive oil. To bring these flavors to the tailgate, I threaded cubes of eggplant, whole cherry tomatoes and slices of red bell pepper and onion in between the chunks of marinated beef.
Finally, to tie it all together: a bold, garlicky aioli for dipping. Just three ingredients—garlic, lemon juice and olive oil—and your favorite olive oil mayo are all you need for a surprisingly delicious dipping sauce.
Spanish-style Steak Skewers take just five minutes to grill. If someone on your home team isn’t a fan of eggplant, feel free to sub in a different fan favorite, like zucchini or summer squash. And spice up your favorite marinara with a little smoked paprika for a quick and easy Spanish-style tomato sauce. Make these and bring an unforgettable, international flair to your favorite football tailgate. Just one taste and you’ll be cheering for a little taste of futebol at your next football game.
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/3-cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- [url href=”https://www.omahasteaks.com/product/Tenderloin-Tips-1-1-lb-00194?SRC=RZ0638″ target=”_blank”]2 pounds Omaha Steaks Tenderloin Tips[/url]
- To prepare the marinade, add all ingredients to a shallow glass, plastic bowl or plastic bag and whisk to mix. Add in Tenderloin Tips and marinate in the refrigerator, at least two hours or overnight.
- 2 pounds marinated Tenderloin Tips
- ½ eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- ½ red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 12 wooden skewers, soaked for at least 1 hour
- An hour before you’re ready to make your skewers, place wooden skewers in water and soak for at least one hour. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. To make skewers, thread the ingredients onto the skewers in the following order: beef, eggplant, red onion, beef, cherry tomato, red pepper and beef. Repeat to make all 12 skewers. Grill skewers over medium high-heat, about 2-3 minutes per side (5-6 minutes total) or until desired doneness is reached. Turn skewers at least once during grilling. Serve skewers with Garlic Aioli for dipping. Makes 12 skewers.
- 1 cup olive oil mayonnaise
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Make aioli by mixing together mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Aioli may be made up to one day in advance.
Mise en place
Prepping the marinade
Omaha Steaks Spanish Steak Skewers with Garlic Aioli
Omaha Steaks Spanish Steak Skewers with Garlic Aioli