Grilled Flank Steak

First of all, I apologize for the lack of posts over the last couple of weeks. But now, I am back from vacation and ready to go!

I am normally not much of a red meat fan. I eat beef or even pork only once a week or so. I gravitate strongly to fish, chicken and vegetarian meals.  Last week in New Orleans, though, my inner carnivore was making a strong showing.  I often find that when I visit the South, I want meat, and lots of it!  Maybe it's because most meat there is grilled or smoked. Whatever the reason, I had brisket, burgers, catfish, duck, pulled pork and some praline bacon that was to die for!  When I came home, a good grilled steak definitely sounded like it would hit the spot. So I picked up a beautiful flank steak and used my favorite quick marinade.

The rundown:

• Flavor/texture: This is my go-to marinade for a reason. Not only is it easy, but it's very flavorful and goes well with just about any kind of meat. The flavors are bold, but not overpowering. I cooked the steak to medium-rare (medium is the max for a cut like flank steak) and cut it against the grain in thin strips, which kept it juicy and tender.
• Difficulty: This recipe is a snap and all of the ingredients should be readily available in your pantry.
• Pros: Easy and tasty! This steak will make you look like a pro. It would be great for Father's Day (hint, hint).
• Cons: I should have let my grill heat up a little more to get some color on the outside of the steak.
• Misc.: I served the steak with roasted herb potatoes and salad. The citrus vinaigrette that I whipped up for the salad made everything look a tad orange, but oh well. I added a bit of fresh rosemary to the marinade just to bring things up a notch. If you don't like cumin, substitute chili powder instead.
• Repeat Performance: This steak already holds a prime spot in my repertoire.

Grilled Flank Steak

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp grill seasoning (mix salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder if you don't have grill seasoning)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 lbs flank steak

Mix first 6 ingredients together in a shallow dish.  Whisk in olive oil.  Add meat and turn to coat evenly.  Let meat marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat grill to high heat. Grill the steak 5-6 minutes on each side for medium-rare, 7 minutes per side for medium.

Remove meat from grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Get to grillin'!

Cheddar and Onion Smashed Burgers

Summer is the season of farmers markets, relaxing in the backyard and grilling.  And what's more classic than grilling burgers? This year, I have resolved to do more grilling and I've been looking for interesting recipes. So imagine my surprise when I got this month's issue of Food & Wine and grill-master Adam Fleischman was extolling the virtues of making burgers on a griddle! It seemed wrong and intriguing at the same time. I decided to see how his burgers would stack up on a beautiful night when the smell of charcoal was wafting all over the neighborhood. 

The rundown:

• Flavor/texture: Let me just be honest - these burgers were outstanding! Simple but strong flavors and the patties were moist and messy. In other words, they were perfect.
• Difficulty: Amazingly easy and quick to prepare.
• Pros: Everything about the burgers was great and I liked the twist on typical steamed onion sliders. I was worried that smashing the patties with a spatula would just end badly, but it worked out well. 
• Cons: I wouldn't change or add anything, which is a rare thing!
• Misc: I used 80/20 ground Angus beef, which was perfect. If the beef is too lean, I don't think the onions will cook properly. I like my meat medium, so I cooked the burgers for about 3 minutes per side. I went with a bun made of egg bread. I forgot to toast them, but they were still good. I also omitted the recipe step of covering your skillet with a roasting pan to help melt the cheese. I forgot to do it and it didn't make a difference overall. I don't like pickles, so I scrapped them and topped my burger with tomato, ketchup and mustard.
• Repeat Performance: This will definitely be my go-to burger recipe when grilling isn't feasible.

Cheddar and Onion Smashed Burgers

Adam Fleischman for  Food & Wine, June 2011

16 thin bread and butter pickles, patted dry

4 potato buns, buttered and toasted

1 1/4 lbs ground beef chuck

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 small onions, sliced paper thin

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

Heat a cast-iron griddle over medium heat. Layer the pickle slices on the bottom buns.

Without overworking the meat, loosely form it into 4 balls and place them on the griddle. Cook the meatballs for 30 seconds. Using a large sturdy spatula, flatten each ball into a 5-inch round patty.  Season the patties with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, until well seared. Press a handful of sliced onions on each patty. Using the spatula, carefully flip each burger so the onions are on the bottom. Cook for 2 minutes. Top patties with cheese. Cover with a roasting pan and cook just until the cheese is melted, 1 minute more. Transfer the burgers with the onions to the buns. Top and serve.

Grab a napkin or two and dig in!

Grilling Time

The first nice weather of the year always gets people eager to start grilling again. This year, I have resolved to do more grilling. I like it, but I'm not particularly great at it since I rarely do it. That is about to change though, starting with this recipe! 

This recipe was great, and it was gorgeous to boot. I love sweet potatoes and they look especially pretty here with the parsley and scallions.  Also, this hash was genius. When I tasted it, I wasn't a fan of the thyme and thought that next time I'd just leave it out. It was a little strong and the woodsy taste didn't seem to balance with the sweetness of the potato.  When I took a bite of the steak though, it all came together. The thyme really elevated the hash to a new level and helped it stand up to the red meat. 

The breakdown:

• Flavor/Texture: Great balance of sweet, salty, and savory. All very bold flavors, but they work together and don't end up being overwhelming.
• Difficulty: Easy recipe to follow, no fancy equipment required.
• Pros: A different take on "steak and potatoes", with a wide appeal.
• Cons: The timing was tricky since I kept having to go out to the grill while I was keeping an eye on the hash.  Next time, I will definitely make the hash first and then tend to the meat, rather than working them at the same time.
• Misc: Blanching the potatoes for 3 minutes was not long enough if you really want them to soften and brown in the hash in 15 minutes.  Increase the blanching to 5 min, or brown them in the pan for an additional 5 minutes. I forgot to get bone-in steaks, and I used scallions instead of chives. I substituted thick-cut bacon instead of slab bacon. I like my steaks medium, so I cooked them for 5 minutes per side.
• Encore Performance: I would definitely take this recipe out for another spin.

Grilled Strip Steaks with Sweet Potato Hash Browns

By Frank Stitt for Food & Wine

Makes 4 servings

4 sweet potatoes (1 3/4 lbs) peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

6 ounces slab bacon, sliced 1/4 inch think and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 pound sweet onions, cut into 1/2 inch dice

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

2 Tbsp minced chives

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Salt and freshly cracked pepper

4 12-ounce bone-in strip steaks

Light grill. In a medium saucepan of lightly salted boiling water, blanch the sweet potatoes for 3 minutes; drain well.

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat until crisp, 4-5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Add the onions to the skillet and cook over moderate heat until browned, about 12 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 15 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook without stirring until browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Stir in the bacon, parsley, thyme and chives; season with salt and pepper.

Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper and grill over high heat until nicely browned outside and medium-rare within, about 4 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve with the hash browns.

Make Ahead: The hash browns can be prepared up to two hours in advance.

Fire up that grill and dig in!

Cooking With Beer? Yes, Please!

This year I am determined to organize my recipes and cook more from my cookbooks. I have a pretty good collection of them and there are an amazing number of recipes that I haven’t even tried.  I often use recipes from web sites or the numerous cooking magazines that I subscribe to, sadly neglecting the cookbooks themselves.  So this week, I turned to the ultimate cooking tome; Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” for my inspiration. 

Those who know me in any capacity are well aware of my love for beer.  Fortunately, Michigan (and Grand Rapids in particular) has an abundance of local craft brewers, which takes my beer affinity to the level of near-obsession.  As a beer aficionado, I am drawn to recipes that list it among the ingredients. As I was browsing Julia’s collection, I came across Beef and Onions Braised in Beer.  It was a no-brainer! 

As always, when you cook with beer, make sure that you use something you would actually drink.  The alcohol cooks off, but the flavor intensifies during the cooking process.  If you don’t like it right out of the bottle, you won’t like it in your bowl either.  All beers are not created equal, so stick with the style of beer that the recipe calls for.  Using a porter in place of a pale ale will not give you good results.  Beer is like wine in that certain styles go better with certain foods. 

The recipe was quite simple and resulted in amazingly tender beef and a slightly tangy gravy, thanks to the addition of splash of vinegar at the end.  The beer really deepened the flavor of the gravy and was a nice twist.  I served it over lightly buttered egg noodles, which are a favorite of mine.  Perfect dinner on a gray winter’s day! 

Carbonnades a la Flamande (Beef and Onions Braised in Beer) by Julia Child

Serves 6

Heavy skillet

3-lb lean beef chuck roast

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

6 cups (1.5 lbs) sliced onions

Salt and pepper

4 cloves mashed garlic

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cut the beef into slives about 2 by 4 inches across and 1/2 inch thick.  Dry meat on paper towels. Add oil to skillet and heat until oil is shimmering.  Brown the beef slices, a few at a time, then set them aside on a platter.

Reduce the heat to moderate. Stir the onions into the skillet, adding more oil if necessary, and brown the onions lightly for about 10 minutes.  Stir frequently. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the garlic.

Dutch Oven or other cast iron deep baking dish

Salt and pepper

Arrange half of the browned beef in the dish and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Spread half of the onions over the beef.  Repeat with the rest of the beef and onions.

1 cup beef stock or beef bouillon

2-3 cups light beer (Pilsner or lager style)

2 Tbsp light brown sugar

1 large herb bouquet (6 parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp thyme tied with kitchen twine)

Heat the stock or bouillon in the browning skillet, scraping up the cooking juices and de-glazing your pan. Stir in the brown sugar. Pour it over the meat.  Add enough beer so that the meat/onions are barely covered. Bury the herbs among the meat. Bring the casserole to a simmer on top of the stove, then cover and place in the lower third of the the preheated oven. Keep at a very slow simmer for 2.5 hours, at the end of which time the meat should be fork-tender.

1/2 Tbsp cornstarch blended with 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Remove herb bouquet.  Drain the cooking liquid out of the baking dish into a saucepan. Skim off fat.  Add the starch and vinegar mixture to the cooking liquid and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.  Pour sauce back over the meat.  Serve with parsley potatoes or buttered noodles.

Bon appetit!