flank steak

Earthworms, Salamanders and Flank Steak. Let's Eat!

31 Aug 2011
open-faced flank steak sandwiches with figs

Today I have a recipe and a wine pairing Open-Faced Flank Steak and Arugula Sandwiches with Fig & Red Onion Jam which my brother paired with  Buehler Zinfandel Napa Valley 2009. But I also have a confession and a conundrum I'd like to present.

Here's the confession: I like steak. Especially rib-eye. But I wasn't an immediate convert to flank steak, or so I thought. Partly because I perceived it as tough. And I don't mean chewy. I like a chewy steak (a chewy, bloody steak). But most of the flank steak presented to me as an adult was overdone and improperly carved. Making it way more than chewy.

Here's the conundrum: Why did it take me so long to “discover” flank steak? My mother had a recipe for flank steak (marinated in Worcestershire and garlic) that I had been eating almost since birth. And I loved it. It was something my dad called earthworms and salamanders.

You can easily see how a sophisticated grown up gourmande (such as myself) might eschew a dish with a name like that. So somewhere between the earthworms of my childhood and the rib-eyes of my adulthood I lost track of flank steak. Surely it wasn’t my fault, I am an adventurous eater. So how to explain it?

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Open-Faced Flank Steak and Arugula Sandwiches with Fig & Red Onion Jam

Open-Faced Flank Steak and Arugula Sandwiches with Fig & Red Onion Jam
By jgreghenry Published August 30, 2011
Prep time: 5
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 2 T granulated sugar
  • 1 pn cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1 t salt, plus more as needed
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 1 lb fresh figs (any type), halved lengthwise
  • 2 oz walnuts, toasted (1/3 cup)
  • 1 pn black pepper, pluse more as needed
  • 0.5 c balsamic vinegar
  • 0.75 c olive oil
  • 1 pn red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1 (1 ½- to 1 ¾-pound) beef flank steak
  • 1 bn arugula, washed and dried
  • 0 parmesan cheese, thinly sliced or grated to taste

Directions

Make the jam: Combine sugar, cayenne, and teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly colored, about 12 minutes. Add 1/3 of the figs, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon sugar mixture, and cook, stirring often, until sugar caramelizes, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then pulse onion-fig mixture and walnuts in a food processor, adding a drizzle of water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. (Jam can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Marinate the steak: Whisk together a pinch of black pepper, vinegar, oil, and red pepper flakes in a large shallow dish. Add the steak and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours, turning every 2 hours.

Grill the steak: Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat until quite hot. Remove the steak from the marinade, letting most of it drip off. Season with salt and pepper. Grill, uncovered until lightly charred and crusty, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn steak over, moving to a cooler part of the grill, or reduce the heat to medium if using a grill pan. Cook until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes more. Do not go much past medium-rare as flank steak gets tough when overcooked. Remove the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices against the grain of the meat.

Roast the figs: Preheat oven to 400. Place remaining figs, cut sides up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. Roast until tender and caramelized on cut sides, about 10 minutes. Spread 3 tablespoons onion-fig mixture on each slice of bread. Top each with arugula, cheese, steak slices and several warm fig halves, and cut into 3 or 4 pieces. Serve immediately.

Source: Inspired by Martha Stewart and Bobby Flay

Spinach Salad with Roast Pears & Winter Friendly Flank Steak Too

14 Feb 2011
Flank Steak Salad with Roasted Pears

Salads needn't be boring even in the winter. They can be hearty, they can be substantial and full of flavor. They can even tweek your expectations about the season and its food possibilities.

Take this Spinach Salad with Roast Pears, Dried Cranberry Vinaigrette and Flank Steak. My brother Grant paired it with Bonny Doon "Le Pousseur" Syrah 2007. It's made with ingredients that are easily available in the coldest corners around the globe almost any time of the year.

I see you nodding your head saying, "sure pears, spinach and dried cranberries can be winter food. But, flank steak– well Greg– that's summer food."

But I am here to prove to you that even flank steak can be winter friendly. But I know what you are thinking right now. You are thinking there is no way you are going to trudge out to the back yard and light up the grill just so Sippity Sup can prove some inane point about flank steak being winter food. You are thinking that although (of course) you love Sippity Sup dearly, and you want to try and make us happy. But really, grilling outside in your swim suit during a snow storm that's starting to cross some unwritten line of allegiance. Is that what you're thinking?

But please, stay close. Stay inside, and stay warm. But listen to me. Everyone knows flanks steak is great cooked on the grill. It's marinated in something flavorful, then it's quickly cooked over hot flames until barely past rare. Because flank steak must always be served fairly rare. It dries out easily, so it's best cooked fast and hot and licked by flames. Which, you're thinking, makes it summer food. Right?

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Winter Spinach Salad with Roasted Pears, Flank Steak and Dried Cranberry Vinaigrette

Winter Spinach Salad with Roasted Pears, Flank Steak and Dried Cranberry Vinaigr
By jgreghenry Published February 11, 2011
Prep time: 120
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb flank steak
  • 4 clv garlic, peeled and minced
  • 0.5 c worcestershire sauce
  • 2 T plus 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 0 salt and pepper as needed
  • 1 T unsalted butter
  • 2 firm but ripe pears, preferably bosc
  • 0.75 c cider vinegar
  • 2 T pomegranate molasses, or substitute with honey
  • 1 T dijon mustard
  • 0.75 c dried cranberries
  • 0.5 c almonds, roughly chopped
  • 6 oz baby spinach, washed and dried

Directions

Marinate the flank steak. Stir garlic, Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a non reactive dish; season with salt & pepper. Place the steak in the dish, swirling to get the meat well coated. Marinate, turning occasionally for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight in the refrigerator. Roast the pears. Place the rack in the center of the oven, then preheat to 450 degrees F. Grease a small baking sheet with butter. Peel and core the pears, then cut each lengthwise into 8 wedges. Toss the slices with sugar in a bowl then place on the buttered baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until softened and browned. Transfer to a plate to cool completely. The pears may be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days, then brought to room temperature before assembling the salad. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a blender, whirl vinegar, pomegranate molasses, and mustard. With the machine running add remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, and blend until emulsified. Add 1/4 cup dried cranberries and pulse the machine several times to roughly chop them. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Toast the almond pieces in a small skillet set over medium heat, shaking often, until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and set aside in a small bowl to cool. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup dried cranberry. Set aside. Cook the steak. Heat a large cast iron skillet set over high heat, until very hot. It must be an iron skillet to retain as much heat as possible. Remove the steak from the marinade, letting most of the liquid drip away. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt. Place steak in the hot pan. Let sear for 2 to 3 minutes until well browned. Flip to the other side and let sear for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the steak continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak. Flank steak must be served rare. 120°F for very rare, 125°F for rare, or 130°F for medium rare. When the desired temperature is reached, remove the steak from the pan to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. When you are ready to assemble the salad, cut the meat in very thin slices, at an angle, against the grain. Place the spinach in a large bowl, add half the almond/cranberry mixture and the vinaigrette to taste. Toss well and arrange the greens on a platter or on individual plates. Top the greens with some pear and flank steak slices to taste. Garnish with additional nuts and berries and a good grind of black pepper.

Notes:

serves 6 Source: Inspired by Stonewall Kitchen

Chimichurri Flank Steak with Grilled Radicchio and Onions

Chimichurri Flank Steak with Grilled Radicchio and Onions
By jgreghenry Published September 11, 2009
Prep time: 60
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 0.5 c coarsely chopped mint leaves
  • 0.5 c coarsely chopped parsley
  • 0.25 c oregano leaves
  • 2 T coarsely chopped basil leaves
  • 0.25 c sherry wine vinegar
  • 0.25 t fresh ground black pepper
  • 0.5 t coarse salt
  • 4 clv garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 2 medium shallots, finely minced
  • 0 kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 t crushed red pepper (to taste)
  • 1.5 lb flank steak about 1 inch thick
  • 1 large head of radicchio, well rinsed, outer leaves removed
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced into 1/2 inch intact discs
  • 0 extra-virgin olive oil
  • 0 sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 0 more sherry wine vinegar, optional

Directions

1 1/2 lb flank steak about 1 inch thick In the bowl of a food processor, add mint, parsley, oregano, basil, along with the olive oil, sherry wine vinegar. Pulse until well blended but do not puree. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, minced garlic, minced shallots and the crushed red pepper. Pulse one or two times until the mixture is just combined. Set aside 1 cup of the chimichurri in a non-reactive bowl, cover with plastic wrap and reserve at room temperature for up to 6 hours. (If cooking steak on another day, refrigerate sauce for up to 3 days. Bring it back to room temperature before serving.) Season the steak with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt on each side, as well as 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper per side and place in a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Add the remaining chimichurri. Seal bag and refrigerate the steak for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours. Preheat a grill pan to medium heat. Once the steak has been marinated, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Wipe the chimichurri sauce off the steak and discard the sauce. Put the steak onto the hot grill pan. For a steak that is about 1 inch thick, cook it for 6 minutes on the first side. Then flip it over and continue to cook until the steak is done, about 4 minutes more for the rarer side of medium-rare. When cooked to your liking move the steak on a cutting board. Allow it to rest for 6 to 8 minutes. This is very important. When ready to serve cut the steak across the grain on the diagonal and fan the slices out over a serving platter. Spoon some chimichurri over the meat and serve with the remaining sauce at the table, along with crusty bread, the grilled radicchio and onions. Cut the steak across the grain on the diagonal and fan the slices out on a platter. Spoon some chimichurri over the meat and serve with the remaining sauce at the table. GRILLED RADICCHIO and ONIONS Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Cut the radicchio into quarters taking care to leave the root end intact so that the quarters stay together. Brush olive oil liberally onto all sides of the vegetables. Sprinkle with plenty of coarse salt and pepper. Also coat the onion slices with oil, salt and pepper.