Grilled Flank Steak with Orange-Ginger Marinade

We are currently running a Chest Freezer Dysfunctional Inventory Reduction Project.  I found this steak towards the bottom of the freezer.  Bingo.  Dinner!  We love flank steak around here.  Our butcher always has good looking steaks of high quality and low fat.  So, whenever he has them on sale, we stock up for those nights when we are looking for some good beef without all the fat.  The only problem is that a flank steak can turn into shoe leather if not cooked properly.  A good marinade is the solution.

I am partial to Asian flavors when cooking flank steak.  I just like how the Asian flavor mingles with that rich beefy taste.  Today, we are looking at a concoction with orange and ginger flavors.

First, I thawed the steak, rinsed well, and patted dry...

Then, I mixed my marinade:

1/2 cup Orange Juice (the acid helps to break down the proteins in the meat, helping to tenderize)
1/4 cup of Moores Beef Marinade.  We like this as it is one of the lower salt marinades on the market.  Soy sauce will work here as well.
1 Tbsp of Garlic Ginger paste.  Available at any Indian market.
1 Tbsp of Sesame Oil

I whisked it all together and combined in a plastic bag with my steak...

Every time I walked into the kitchen I flipped the bag over to ensure an even marinade.  The longer you let the meat sit in the marinade, more flavor will be imparted in the end product and the meat will be  more tender.  This one marinaded for about 5 hours.

To cook, I got a screaming hot grill and placed the steak directly over the coals.  I closed the lid, then flipped after 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes on the second side, I pulled from the grill and let the steak rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing...

Still medium in the middle.  I could have pulled this one a little earlier.  But, still moist and tender with hints of orange, garlic, and ginger.  We served this with a side of ginger accented rice pilaf.

For the pilaf, I sauteed sweet onion and celery in some olive oil, then added 1/2 tsp of ground ginger powder to the saute at the end...

This mixture was placed in 2 cups of beef broth and 1 cup of uncooked rice.  Brought to a boil, covered the pot, and simmered for 20 minutes..

While the rice was cooking, I lightly toasted some pine nuts in a skillet on low heat.  You do not need to add oil to the skillet, but you do need to keep your eye on them so they do not burn...

When the rice was cooked, I added the toasted pine nuts and served with the sliced flank steak...

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill

I Needed Something Grilled! Korean Marinaded Flank Steak

Before all of this cold air stated moving into the region, it was nice enough to do some grilling.  Usually I will brave temperatures down into the 20's to fire up the grill.  But, we were lucky and had a day or two in the 40's over the holidays.  This was the perfect time to get some grilling done.  Why?Well, you look forward to the holiday season all year long.  Turkey, stuffing, rib roast, gravy, cheese and meat platters, egg nog, etc..., you get the idea.  But, after awhile, all that heavy food has you craving something lighter.  I was in the mood for something that would go with a tossed garden salad.  Something fresh and light.  Well, I grabbed a flank steak and ran to the grill.

I have been meaning to try out this Korean Style Marinade that I found on Pinterest.  I followed the recipe as written, except I dialed back the sesame seeds to 1 Tbsp instead of the 3 Tbsp it was calling for.  I think it turned out just fine.

So, I mixed the marinade and hit my flank steak with the meat tenderizer front and back.

I put the flank steak into a plastic bag with the marinade, removed all of the air, and allowed to sit in the fridge for 3 hours, turning and massaging the meat every hour.  Then, for the last hour, I pulled from the fridge and allowed to come to room temperature.

While all of this was going on, I took some larger red potatoes and boiled in some salted water for 25 minutes, or until fork tender.  I placed the cooked potatoes on a baking sheet and flattened them with a hand held potato masher.  I coated both slides liberally with olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, and some dried parsley.  You could also add other spices as desired.  We were looking for simple.  I placed the potatoes into a preheated 350 oven and cooked for 45 minutes, or until crispy and brown.

I lit my charcoal.  When the grill was ready, I cooked the flank steak on direct heat for three minutes a side.  Then, I brought the steak inside and let sit for 10 minutes.  Then, I sliced across the grain and served with the potatoes and some homemade Italian bread that Hope made.

With a salad on the side, it was just what we were looking for.  A break from the holidays.

The marinade was outstanding.  When on the grill, it was all that I could smell.  The meat was bursting with Asian flavors.  I can't wait to try on some other types of meat.  The next time, I may add a touch of ginger and some sriracha sauce for some kick.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

World Bacon Championship, Part 2 of 4

Today's World Bacon Championship category is: Anything wrapped in bacon.  Now, I imagine that there will be a decent amount of Fatties and sausages wrapped in bacon that are turned in that day.  For those who don't know, a Fatties is ground sausage, rolled out thin, filled with a stuffing of your choice, rolled up, and encased with a bacon weave.  Here is one that I made.  A good choice for this competition, but I want to be different.  So, in order to get a little beef into our judges diet, I am going down the flank steak path.

So, I took two flank steaks, pounded them out and tenderized.  Then, I marinaded overnight in Stubbs Beef Marinade...

Then, I prepared two types of filling.  One was caramelized onion, Gorgonzola cheese, and sriracha sauce.  One was caramelized onion and garlic herb cheese...

Then, I removed the steaks from the marinade, laid flat, and spread the cheesy filling out on the beef.  Then I rolled up, closed with toothpicks, and wrapped with bacon.  Then, on to the smoker at 375 F...

 Pulled when done, about 30 minutes.  Then let rest, then sliced...

They were both very good.  I liked the creaminess of the Gorgonzola with the added sriracha kick.  Hope liked the mellow flavors imparted by the garlic and herb cheese.  We are still debating over which one to use as our recipe.  Rest assured, I believe we will score well either way.

What will a do differently next time?  A little less filling and I will make a weave to wrap around the outside instead of single bacon slices.

Either way, outstanding!

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

Finally, Grilling Time!

It has been a cold and wet March around here.  Blowing and snowing.  March really didn't go out like a lamb.  It really dug its claws in and hung around.  But, last weekend, it was finally nice enough to do some grilling in shorts!

When I was at the butcher, he had some nice flank steaks in the case and the grocery store had some good looking fresh asparagus.  Some hardcore grilling was in order.

After looking around the pantry, I had 3 or 4 bottles of Stubbs Beef Marinade.  I was not impressed using this stuff on brisket.  It just added flavors I did not care for in my brisket.  But, I figured "why not" and used one of the bottles as a marinade on this flank steak.  I was pleasantly surprised...

Here is the subject in focus, a beautiful flank steak, right out of the wrapper...

I also got to use my new toy, a meat tenderizer that I found in our BBQ trailer.

First, I tenderized both sides of the meat thoroughly...

Then, into a plastic bag with the Stubbs marinade for a two hour swim...

Then, I mixed up some marinade for our asparagus: olive oil, sea salt, minced garlic, and fresh ground lemon pepper blend...

How much of what you ask?  Just enough olive oil to slurry the dry ingredients, a tablespoon of the garlic and salt and pepper to taste.  Nothing fancy.  Then, into the bag for a swim.

I fired up the grill and got it screaming hot.  While the grill was heating up and after two hour of marinade at room temperature, I pulled the flank steak from the bag and let it drip drain.  Then, I coated both sides with a nice beef rub: Oakridge BBQ Santa Maria Steak Rub...

After allowing the rub to form a moist outer coating, about 30 minutes, onto the hot portion of the grill with the asparagus.

Obviously, flank steak is thin.  So, you don't need long to cook on a hot grill.  This piece of meat was on the grill for five minutes a side.  The asparagus was on indirect heat getting turned every minute or so.  The finished product?

Perfect medium on the inside.  Flavorful and juicy.  The Santa Maria rub complemented the citrus, chili, soy, and spice elements of the Stubbs marinade.  Served with the asparagus and crusty bread, it was a tasty night...

If you are craving beef flavor and can't have all that fat and/or don't want to pay premium prices for a better cut of beef, a properly prepared flank steak can satisfy that need for a bovine fix.

Upon further review, the Stubbs Beef Marinade works on the grill.  I would not recommend for use as a brisket injection.  That review stays at 1 out of 4 stars.  But, as a marinade for grilling a piece of beef, I will rate this marinade 3 out of 4 stars.  Is it as good as their pork and chicken marinades?  No.  But, when used for grilling, this marinade has found a place in our pantry.

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill

Orange - Ginger Marinaded Flank Steak

We love flank steak around here.  Our butcher always has good looking steaks of high quality and low fat.  So, whenever he has them on sale, we stock up for those nights when we are looking for some good beef without all the fat.  The only problem is that a flank steak can turn into shoe leather if not cooked properly.  A good marinade is the solution.

I am partial to Asian flavors when cooking flank steak.  I just like how the Asian flavor mingles with that rich beefy taste.  Today, we are looking at a concoction with orange and ginger flavors.

First, I thawed the steak, rinsed well, and patted dry...

Then, I mixed my marinade:

1/2 cup Orange Juice (the acid helps to break down the proteins in the meat, helping to tenderize)
1/4 cup of Moores Beef Marinade.  We like this as it is one of the lower salt marinades on the market.  Soy sauce will work here as well.
1 Tbsp of Garlic Ginger paste.  Available at any Indian market.
1 Tbsp of Sesame Oil

I whisked it all together and combined in a plastic bag with my steak...

Every time I walked into the kitchen I flipped the bag over to ensure an even marinade.  The longer you let the meat sit in the marinade, more flavor will be imparted in the end product and the meat will be  more tender.  This one marinaded for about 5 hours.

To cook, I got a screaming hot grill and placed the steak directly over the coals.  I closed the lid, then flipped after 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes on the second side, I pulled from the grill and let the steak rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing...

Still medium in the middle.  I could have pulled this one a little earlier.  But, still moist and tender with hints of orange, garlic, and ginger.  We served this with a side of ginger accented rice pilaf.

For the pilaf, I sauteed sweet onion and celery in some olive oil, then added 1/2 tsp of ground ginger powder to the saute at the end...

This mixture was placed in 2 cups of beef broth and 1 cup of uncooked rice.  Brought to a boil, covered the pot, and simmered for 20 minutes..

While the rice was cooking, I lightly toasted some pine nuts in a skillet on low heat.  You do not need to add oil to the skillet, but you do need to keep your eye on them so they do not burn...

When the rice was cooked, I added the toasted pine nuts and served with the sliced flank steak...

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill

Product Review: Kirkland Flank Steak with Kalbi Marinade

When I was shopping in Costco the other day, I noted a new line of pre-marinaded meats in the end cases, primarily beef and chicken.  The flank steak marinaded in a Kalbi sauce caught my eye.  I tend to not like pre-marinaded meats, but I was pressed for time and needed a dinner idea, so I picked up one for the grill.

Kalbi sauce is a soy based marinade with pepper, garlic, sesame seeds, and pineapple juice.  Sounded good.  So, on to a screaming hot grill...

The quality of the meat was good.  Not fatty and trimmed real nice.  This flank steak was also thicker than your normal flank steak.  As a result, I flipped after 7 minutes.  The steak had about 15 minutes of cooking time.  Here is the end result...

The steak was a nice medium.  Tender and juicy.  The marinade sounded better than I originally had hoped.  It was a little light on the soy and a little heavy on the pineapple juice.  One positive was it was not overly salty like most processed marinades can be.  Would I buy it again?  Sure, if pressed for a dinner idea.  But, it would not be choice number one if I have time to make something from scratch.

Overall, 2 out of 4 stars.

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill