GABON: Coupé-Coupé Steak Sandwich with Spicy Peanut Sauce, and Cucumber Salad

Coupé-Coupé Steak Sandwich

1 cube Maggi® or 1 chicken bullion cube, crushed (or one teaspoon powdered bullion)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper (or to taste)

1 teaspoon cooking oil

1.5 lbs flank steak or brisket

Smoker, smoker tube, or wood chips and small foil pan for smoking on the grill

Mixed lettuce

Baguette

Spicy Peanut Sauce

1 large onion

1 red pepper

1-2 jalapeños (or to taste)

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1. Mash together bullion, salt, cayenne, and oil to make a paste. Massage it on the meat. Cover and let rest overnight.

2. If you do not have a smoker, one hour before cooking, soak chips in water. (If you have a smoker or smoker tube, follow the its instructions.) Poke holes in the bottom of a small, foil pan. 15-20 min before cooking, drain chips, place in pan, cover with foil, poke holes in the foil, and place on grill racks to one side of burners. Turn grill on high heat.

3. After grill or smoker produce smoke, reduce heat to a constant 200-225° F, turning off middle burners entirely. If you have a remote meat thermometer, place probe in meat. Place flank steak, onion, and red pepper in the middle of the grill (over unlit burners) and close. Do not open it to check on the meat, or the smoke and heat will escape. After 45 minutes, flip and continue cooking, until the steak reaches proper temperature, about another 30-90 minutes. (Flank steak:130° F for rare,150° F for medium. Brisket: 160° F)

4. Remove steak and veggies from the grill. While steak is resting, remove skin and seeds from the red pepper. Puree 1/2 of the smoked onion, the red pepper, the jalapeño(s), and peanut butter with enough warm water to process (1-2 tablespoons) in a blender.

5. To serve, slice the remainder of the smoked onion. Spread peanut sauce on toasted baguette. Slice steak across the grain. Add slices of steak, slices of smoked onion, and lettuce.

Cucumber Salad

1/4 red onion

2 medium tomatos

1 large or 4 small cucumbers

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup fresh mint

1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1. Slice onion paper thin. Cut tomato into slices. Peel cucumbers, cut into length about same as tomato, and slice into wedges. Tear herbs. Place all into a large salad bowl.

2. In a small bowl, mix together lemon, oil, cumin, and salt and pepper.

3. Add dressing to salad and mix to toss.

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FUN FACTS:

• More than a quarter of Africa’s gorillas live in Gabon.

• About 85 percent of the country is covered by tropical humid forest, and Gabon has 550 miles of coastline.

• The US television show “Survivor” took place in Gabon in 2008.