Grilled Marinated Flank Steak.

After our long cold winter, we've begun getting some beautiful Spring weather. Temperatures were in the low 80's for the first time since the end of September. Spring brings so many great things; flowers, Spring vegetables, Robin's singing and grilling out.

Flank steak is a great inexpensive cut of meat to grill. There's a couple of keys to tender flank steak. Don't overcook it and marinate it overnight before cooking. I am always looking for new marinades for flank steak. I found this one on Simply Recipes. It's easy and uses ingredients you may have on hand.

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients
2 pounds flank steak
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

1 Score the surface of the steak with 1/4 inch deep knife cuts, about an inch apart, across the grain of the meat. Combine the marinade ingredients. Place steak and marinade ingredients in a large freezer bag. Coat the steak well with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl. Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

2 Using olive oil soaked onto a paper towel, coat the grill rack of your grill with olive oil. Preheat the grill with high, direct heat. The grill is hot enough when you hold your hand about an inch over it and you can only hold it there for about a second.

3 Take the steak out of the marinade bag and sprinkle generously on all sides with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. The salt and pepper will help form a savory crust on the steak. Place steak on the hot grill. If you are using a gas grill, cover the grill. Grill for 4-6 minutes on each side. Half way through grilling on each side, turn the steak 90° so that you get more grill marks.

4 Flank steak is best eaten medium rare; well done will make it too tough. When the steak has cooked to your preferred level of doneness, remove from the grill and place on a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil to hold in the heat and to keep the steak from drying out, and let rest for 10 minutes.

5 Make very thin slices, against the grain, and at a slight diagonal so that the slices are wide.

I am linking today's post to Tasty Tuesday's at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday's at Blessed With Grace. Thanks to these ladies for hosting such fun events.

Grilling Season Begins...FINALLY

It's May and until the past few days we haven't had much Spring weather. It's been cool and rainy. When I saw the forecast was for sunny and 70's this week, grilling season was about to begin. One of my favorite recipes for grilling is Pork Chops in Teriyaki Marinade. This is a recipe I found at least five years ago on Epicurious and was from the October 1993 issue of Gourmet magazine. Pork chops, for me, are often tough unless marinated or brined prior to grilling.


Pork Chops in Beer Teriyaki Marinade

2/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (syrupy rice wine)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh gingerroot
2/3 cup of your favorite beer (no dark)
4 1" thick rib or loin pork chops

In a saucepan combine the soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, sugar, gingerroot and the beer. Simmer until the mixture is reduced to about 1 1/3 cups. Let the marinade cool until it is room temperature. In a shallow baking dish or plastic bag, cover the chops thoroughly with the marinade. Marinate overnight, turning them several times.

Pour the marinade in a saucepan and boil it for five minutes. Grill the pork chops on a oiled rack set about 4 inches over glowing coals, basting them with the marinade while cooking, Cook 8 - 10 minutes of each side.

Dr. Pepper Flank Steak

I am not much of a red meat eater. My husband, on the other hand, could eat it at every meal. He doesn't feel that a meal is complete without some sort of meat.

I do, however, like flank steak. Flank steak is a cut of meat that is best when marinated, cooked until rare or medium rare and thinly sliced against the grain. I've found several marinades that make this a flavorful cut of meat. One of our favorites is the Dr. Pepper Flank Steak marinade.



Dr. Pepper Flank Steak
Adapted from Grady Spears recipe

1 (16-ounce) bottle of Dr. Pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons of your favorite steak grilling seasoning
1-1/2 pounds of flank steak

1. In a large bowl, combine the Dr. Pepper, garlic cloves, and cinnamon sticks.
2. Add the flank steak, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hours.
3. Prepare and light the grill, and heat to medium-high. Remove the flank steak from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.
4. Season both sides with the steak seasoning.
5. Grill the steaks from 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until done (never cook flank steak past the medium-rare stage or it will be very tough.)
6. Remove the steak from the grill, and let rest for 4 or 5 minutes, loosely covered with foil. Cut the steak across the grain into 1-inch-wide slices.