Mar Y Tierra Recipe

Prep and sear

Remove filets from refrigerator 30–45 minutes before cooking to come to room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels and season both sides evenly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Sear and baste

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron preferred) over high heat until very hot. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. When butter foams, add filets and sear without moving 2–3 minutes until a deep brown crust forms. Flip and add remaining 1 tbsp butter, crushed garlic, and thyme sprigs. Tilt the pan and spoon butter over the steaks (baste) for 1–2 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until internal temperature reaches 52–54°C (125–130°F) for medium-rare, about 6–10 minutes depending on thickness. Remove steaks to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil to rest 8–10 minutes before serving.

Prepare lobster tails

Preheat broiler or set up a grill on medium-high. Using kitchen shears, cut down the top shell of each lobster tail lengthwise to the tail fan and loosen meat from the shell, keeping the base attached. Lift meat out and rest on top of the shell (butterfly). Pat meat dry and brush lightly with melted butter. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and a squeeze of lemon.

Cook lobster

Broil or grill lobster with display side up 5–7 minutes until opaque and just cooked through (internal temperature about 55–60°C / 130–140°F). Avoid overcooking. Set aside and keep warm. Reserve pan drippings (if any) for sauce.

Roast poblanos

Char poblano peppers directly on a gas flame, under a broiler, or on a hot grill until skins are blackened and blistered on all sides, about 10–12 minutes, turning as needed. Place charred peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid to steam 10 minutes (this loosens skins).

Peel and slice

Once cool enough to handle, peel off blistered skins, remove stems and seeds, and slice peppers into 1/2-inch strips (rajas). Discard seeds for milder heat.

Sauté onions and rajas

Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add thinly sliced onion and cook 3–4 minutes until translucent and beginning to brown. Add rajas and torn pieces of rehydrated pasilla (see sauce prep) or 1 sliced pasilla if you roasted one; season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Sauté 3–4 minutes more until peppers and onions are tender and slightly caramelized. Keep warm for plating.

Rehydrate pasilla peppers

Remove stems and seeds from dried pasilla peppers. Place in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak 15 minutes until soft, then drain, reserving 30 ml of soaking liquid. Chop the softened pasillas roughly.

Build sauce

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add finely chopped shallot and minced garlic and sweat 2–3 minutes until fragrant and translucent but not browned. Add the chopped rehydrated pasilla peppers and sauté 1 minute to bloom flavors.

Deglaze and reduce

Add 60 ml dry white wine to the pan and increase heat to medium-high. Scrape any browned bits and reduce wine by about half, roughly 2–3 minutes.

Finish cream sauce

Add 120 ml stock and 180 ml heavy cream. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce thickens slightly to coat the back of a spoon, about 6–8 minutes. If you like a smoother sauce, transfer to a blender and puree until smooth, adding up to 30 ml reserved soaking liquid to adjust consistency. Return sauce to pan and season with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp lime juice if using. Keep warm over very low heat.

Slice filets if desired (cut across the grain into 2–3 rings) and place on warmed plates. Position the lobster tail (meat lifted from its shell) alongside the steak. Spoon a generous pool of warm pasilla cream sauce on the plate and tuck sautéed rajas and caramelized onions beside or over the steak and lobster as preferred.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and microgreens or parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.