Watermelon Steak With Chervil Pineapple and Mint Sauce

Watermelon steaks are steak-shaped pieces of watermelon, often prepared by grilling. The steaks can also be cooked by pan frying, by baking, or by marination followed by roasting. Depending on the method used, cooking can take from a few minutes to over two hours.

Some who have tried it compare its texture to that of seared meat, while others claim it is unique in its taste and texture. It is called "watermelon steak" due to its appearance and texture. If the steak are baked, a raw fish like texture can result. When well cooked, most of the fruit's water evaporates. This concentrates flavor and texture, yet still leaves the steak tender and juicy, "kind of like a fillet steak" . Cook books sometimes suggest watermelon steak as a meat substitute for vegetarians.Some recipes involve serving the steaks uncooked; once the raw watermelon is cut into steak like slices, it can be garnished with various condiments or simply served together with salad. Watermelon steak was popularized by a Boston-area chef. Boston Phoenix writer Robert Nadeau

Step 1: Preparing the Green Sauce ( the Chervil, Mint and Pineapple One)

ingredients

a hand full of mint and cervil leaves

one small piece of pineapple

3-4 table spoons of pineapple juice according to constancy of sauce.

put all ingredients in a coffee grinder and blend :D place it refrigerator to chill.

"Chervil looks like a paler and more finely shaped flat-leaf parsley with frillier, thinner looking leaves. Its taste is perhaps best described as a more delicate version of a cross between tarragon and parsley with just a teeny tiny back-note hint of a bite of anise or mint, without either of those flavors really coming through at all."

the above line is about chervil :) i guess each country gets there own version of chervil :) in Pakistan it is called something like *jafari* ( still not so sure) I was lucky in the case of chervil i guess because i specially asked my aunt to bring it :)

i would like to tell you my experience.

if we use ONLY chervil, the steak doesn't taste good, mint is definitely required. i felt a little tingle in my tongue of a flavour similar to anise seed. i might be wrong as chervil varies country to country but because someone commented that i might get disqualified lol i thought to give you my thoughts :D

chervil and pineapple tastes awesome :) so i added pineapple juice to it to blend it, along with mint for some freshing flavour.

Step 2: Searing the Steaks

Heat a saute pan over very high heat.

Add the olive oil, and when it is smoking hot, add the watermelon.

Be careful, there will be some spattering when the wet melon meets the oil, and I’ve also seen it flame up.

Cook, pressing occasionally with a long, heavy spatula to compress, until the melon is well-seared on one side, about 3 minutes.

Flip and repeat on the other side.

Remove the watermelon.

Step 3: Making Another Sauce

ingredients

watermelon juice ( i just squeezed a bit chunk)

balsamic vinegar ( apple cider works too)

Pour excess oil out of the pan.

Return the pan to the heat and deglaze with the watermelon juice

add balsamic vinegar in pan boiling the mixture reducing it a bit but not to a syrup

Drizzle it in serving plates and place a piece of watermelon on top. add cottage cheese crumbles.

Serve warm with cold green sauce.