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Tonight’s West African-inspired dinner features a one-of-a-kind spice: grains of paradise. This specialty ingredient—once claimed to have drifted down a river from paradise—is bursting with woodsy, citrusy and peppery flavor. Before seasoning your steaks with it, you’ll gently crush the spice yourself, releasing its enticing aroma. The “grains” (actually the dried seeds of a plant in the ginger family) are accented by our garnish of peanuts sautéed with fresh ginger. (Chefs, keep in mind that the plantain you’ll receive for this recipe should be brown or black—this means it’s ripe and sweet!)

Ethan Mick

with Mashed Plantain, Collard Greens & Ginger Peanuts

Grains of Paradise-Crusted Steaks

Top Sirloin Steaks

Black Plantain

Lime

Collard Greens

Parsley

Peanuts

Butter

1-Inch Piece Ginger

Grains Of Paradise

Ingredients

Wash and dry the fresh produce. [Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high.](#) [Peel the plantain;](#) slice into ½-inch-thick rounds. [Using a peeler, remove the rind of the lime, avoiding the white pith; mince to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester).](#) Quarter the lime. Roughly chop the peanuts. [Peel and mince the ginger.](#) [Remove and discard the collard green stems; thinly slice the leaves.](#) Finely chop the parsley leaves and stems. [Leaving them in their sealed bag, gently crush the grains of paradise with the bottom edge of a pot.](#)

Prepare the ingredients:

Add the **plantain** to the pot of boiling water and cook 9 to 11 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Off the heat, stir in the **butter** and **lime zest**; season with salt and pepper. Using a fork, mash the mixture to your desired consistency; [season with salt and pepper to taste.](#) Set aside in a warm place.

Cook & mash the plantain:

While the plantain cooks, in a large pan, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the **peanuts** and **ginger**; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; immediately season with salt and pepper to taste. Wipe out the pan.

Make the ginger peanuts:

While the plantain continues to cook, pat the **steaks** dry with paper towels; season on both sides with salt and the **grains of paradise** (pressing to adhere). In the pan used to make the ginger peanuts, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned steaks and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Transfer to a cutting board, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan. Let the cooked steaks rest for at least 5 minutes.

Cook the steaks:

While the steaks rest, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan of reserved fond and heat on medium-high until hot. Add the **collard greens** and **2 tablespoons of water**; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the collard greens are bright green and slightly wilted. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the collard greens:

In a bowl, combine the **parsley** and **the juice of all 4 lime wedges**. Stir in enough olive oil to create a rough paste; season with salt and pepper to taste. [Find the lines of muscle (or grain) of the **rested steaks**; thinly slice crosswise against the grain.](#) Divide the **mashed plantain**, **cooked collard greens** and sliced steaks between 2 plates. Garnish with the **ginger peanuts**. Serve with the herb sauce on the side. Enjoy!