Recipe: Steak and Poblano Pepper Wraps

I found a recipe for a steak wrap in the Chicago Tribune months ago. When I tested it out, it went well the first time and then I promptly lost the recipe. Now I improvise. This may be an original recipe, considering the liberties I’ve taken with the original.

Steak And Poblano Pepper Wraps With Goat Cheese

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 - 20 minutes

1 lb. Spencer Steak or Strip Steak, trimmed of fat
2 Poblano Peppers (roasted and diced)
1/2 tube Goat Cheese
1/2 pkg. Of Neufchatel Cheese (or Cream Cheese)
4 chopped green onions
1/2 chopped red onion
Cilantro, minced
Cumin
Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, to taste

Toppings:
Avocado (halved, scored and squirted with lemon or lime juice)
2 chopped tomatoes
Shredded Romaine lettuce
Hot Sauce or salsa
1 sm. can sweet corn, drained and patted dry
Muenster cheese for garnish, grated
Roasted red peppers, sliced into strips
Sliced black olives
Wraps (plain or sun dried tomato is OK)
Olive Oil for cooking

I like spicy food. If you do not, only buy one Poblano instead of two.

Roasting The Poblanos
Find two really dark green Poblano peppers. Line a baking pan with foil and brush the peppers with olive oil. Broil these until the skin starts to pull away and turn crispy brown. Remove them from the oven, let them cool and peel off the skin. Carefully remove the stem and seeds and dice. If you rub your eyes while you skin these babies, it will hurt – be careful.

The Filling
Mix the cheeses while the peppers are roasting. Fold in the of onions, cilantro, the remaining spices (salt and pepper to taste). Set this aside in the fridge, to let the flavors get to know each other. Now it’s time to cook the steak. It takes ten to twenty minutes, tops.

Cooking The Steak
Sprinkle the steak with Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. I hate to drop names, but it’s the finest Creole Seasoning I’ve found. It’s very salty, so be careful. I can usually find this at my grocery store for about $7, and it lasts for months. You can broil the steaks to your liking or pan-fry them. Your choice. Here is how to test doneness:

When you press your index finger knuckle into the meat and it feels like the tip of your nose, that means it’s rare - medium rare. The more cushion-y the steak feels, the more rare it is. If the steak feels more like your chin, it is towards being well done. See how that works? Nose. Chin. Easy to remember.

Putting Everything Togther
Slice your steak(s) into strips. Lay out your wraps. Spread two tablespoons of the cheese mixture on the wraps and top with strips of steak. Add the corn, olives, roasted red peppers and shredded Muenster cheese. Garnish with lettuce, tomato and avocado.

Final Comments
Ten thumbs up. Everything about this wrap works. Enjoy!