Thursday, August 23, 2012

WHAT'S FOR DINNER #2

You would have thought Sami was going on a mission, or to prison or some-"thing", the way she was acting on Sunday while she was packing to go to BYU. "What are we going to have for my last dinner?", she asks. It's not like she won't be home every week or so, but I asked her what she would like anyway.  Usually it is BBQ ribs, but this time she said steak and potatoes. 
Good choice!

We decided to do Flank steak and pan fried potatoes just for a change. Flank steak is not a very popular cut of meat mainly because it is super lean and if it is not cooked correctly can be really tough. The secret to a really great Flank steak is a good marinade and then cooking it quickly over high heat. If done correctly, it is met in your mouth tender.

 This is what a perfectly cooked Flank steak looks like. It has a really nice crispy outside but still moist and tender on the inside. It is important to let your steak rest on the cutting board before slicing so that the juices can redistribute into the meat and not run out on the cutting board.

 Slicing the Flank steak across the grain and at a 45 degree angle add to the tenderness.

Do you want to know how I do Flank steak? Thought so... My marinade is a old secret recipe from my friend Kara, handed down through generations... Just kidding. It is a family recipe from Kara, but it is not secret, at least not any more.

GRILLED FLANK STEAK

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 TBSP sugar
2 big TBSP minced garlic
1 TSP celery seed
Juice of TWO limes (that is the secret)

Put the marinade and a two pound Flank steak in a zip lock bag and shake to be sure the steak is covered. Lay bag flat. Flip it over every couple of hours to make sure the steak is evenly covered. It is best to do this overnight, but a couple of hours will work.

Heat your grill. Place you Flank steak in the middle of the hot grill and top with lots of fresh ground pepper. Put the cover down and cook for exactly seven minutes (six minutes if you want it more rare). Set a timer. Turn over and cook for seven more minutes. Flank steak is best eaten medium rare, however, my favorite part is the crunchy edges... delicious and full of flavor.

Let the steak rest for ten minutes then slice and serve.

It is excellent with mashers, rice pilaf,  baked potatoes, or just veggies or a salad. Oh, it makes amazing sandwiches when it is cold.


I did pan fried potatoes with our steak, however I boiled red potatoes with their skins first. When the potatoes were cool enough touch I sliced them about 1/4 inch thick. I heated some butter in a large skillet and sauteed some garlic for a few minutes. The butter makes the potatoes really brown and crispy, almost like hash browns. I added salt and fresh ground pepper then put the potatoes in a large baking dish, topped them with grated cheese and broiled them until the cheese was melted! They actually like fried baked potatoes! So good.

We topped the steak and potatoes with black bean salsa just to give it a little zip.

Give it a try... let me know how it goes! 
Oh, one other tip... Costco has a screaming deal on Flank steak.




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