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1
Trim the beef of excess fat, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick cap.
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2
Season with the rosemary, sliced chile, lemon zest, and cracked black pepper and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
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3
Light the grill 30 to 40 minutes before cooking, and remove the tri-tip from the refrigerator to come to room temperature.
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4
After 10 minutes, season the meat with the fleur de sel, and drizzle it with the olive oil.
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5
When the coals are broken down, red, and glowing, place the tri-tip, fat side down, on a relatively cool part of the grill, away from direct heat.
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6
(Because its a larger piece of meat, youll need to cook it slowly, so its not charred on the outside and raw on the inside.
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7
Cook the steak over nondirect medium-low heat, to render the fat, get a nice crust, and cook it through evenly.)
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8
Cook about 15 minutes, rotating the meat to caramelize it well.
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9
Move the meat away from the flames if they flare up.
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10
Turn the tri-tip over, and cook another 10 minutes or so, until medium-rare.
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11
A meat thermometer inserted into the center of the tri-tip should read 120F to 125F.
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12
Rest the steak on a wire rack set on a baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes.
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13
Spoon the hot peperonata onto a large warm platter and scatter the arugula over the top.
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14
Slice the steak against the grain, and arrange it over the peppers.
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15
Squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice over the steak, and drizzle it with a few tablespoons of super-good olive oil.
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16
Serve the gratin dish of baked ricotta on the side.
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17
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stems, seeds, and membranes.
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18
Thinly slice the peppers lengthwise.
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19
Heat a very large saute pan over high heat for 2 minutes.
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20
(You may have to use two pans or do this in two batches to avoid overcrowding.)
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21
Swirl in 3 tablespoons olive oil and wait 1 minute.
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22
Add the onion, peppers, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
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23
Saute over high heat 5 to 6 minutes, tossing often, until the peppers soften.
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24
(They should still have a little crunch to them but be tender.)
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25
Add the capers and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan, cook another minute, and transfer the peppers to a shallow nonreactive dish.
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26
Turn the heat off, add the vinegar, and reduce by half.
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27
The residual heat should be enough to reduce this small amount of vinegar.
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28
Use a rubber spatula to scrape all the vinegar over the peppers.
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29
Add the oregano, and toss well to combine.
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30
The heat of the peppers will help release the flavor of the oregano.
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31
Taste for seasoning.
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32
Preheat the oven to 400F.
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33
Place the ricotta in a large bowl, and stir in 5 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon thyme, the chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
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34
Transfer the ricotta to an 8-inch gratin dish or cazuela.
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35
Gently press the top of the cheese with your fingers to make slight indentations, and decorate the ricotta with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme and the sliced chile.
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36
Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the top, and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown on top.
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37
You can certainly substitute your favorite steak in this recipe, although the cooking time may be different.
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38
Marinate the meat the night before.
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39
You can set up the ricotta ahead of time and put it in the oven to bake when you light the grill.
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40
You can also make the peperonata ahead of time and heat it up just before serving.
