Ribeye steak with caponata

Ingredients:

Steak

• 3 bone-in ribeye steaks, each weighing 0.7 kg (approximately 5 cm thick)
• Olive oil to brush the steak

Caponata

• 1 large eggplant (about 0.5 kg)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Half an onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 red heirloom tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 2/3 cup pitted green olives, diced
• 0.5 cups pickled capers without liquid
• 0.5 cups light raisins
• 0.5 cups sherry vinegar
• 30 g dark chocolate (85% cocoa), finely grated
• 2 tbsp. l. chopped parsley
• 8 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Preparation:

1. Prepare the caponata the day before serving..
   
   Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Prick the eggplant all over with a fork. Grill, turning frequently, until charred and tender, 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, drizzle the bell pepper with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Grill, turning as needed, until charred, about 15 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to separate bowls, cover the peppers, and let cool.
2. Peel the charred skin off the pepper (do not wash it). Cut it in half, remove the seeds, and finely chop the pepper. Peel the eggplant. Cut it in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Place the flesh in a bowl and set aside to release the juices, about 15 minutes. Transfer the eggplants to a cutting board and finely chop; discard any juices remaining in the bowl.
3. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the diced pepper, tomato, and sugar and sauté until the tomato is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the olives, capers, raisins, eggplant, and eggplant juices and sauté for another 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and chocolate.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and prepare the indirect heat zone: on a charcoal grill, rake all the coals to one side and leave the other side empty. On a gas grill, turn on all the burners, then turn half of them off, and set the remaining burners to medium heat.
6. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Lightly brush with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Place the steaks over indirect heat (the cool side of the grill); cover and cook, turning halfway through, until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of the steak registers 115°F (43°C), about 30 minutes. Transfer the steaks to the direct heat zone of the grill and cook, turning, until seared and an instant-read thermometer registers 125°F (51°C) to 135°F (54°C) for medium-rare, another 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.
7. Stir in caponata Add parsley and basil, salt, and pepper. Remove the meat from the bones and slice across the grain. Serve drizzled with the liquid released from the meat, along with caponata.