Marinated Flank Steak

I am not too fond of flank steak.Most of the time,it  turns out dry and tough.This recipe uses beer as the marinade base.It takes a little planning because it has to be marinated over night.The two things every marinade needs are a good blend of spices and an acidic component to soften the meat.

Ingredients:

1 two pound flank steak(sometimes called London Broil)

For the rub:
1 tablespoon of dried thyme
2 teaspoons of chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

For the marinade:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 bottle of beer
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce


Preparation:

Using a meat mallet,pound the steak on both sides ,and remove any excess fat
Mix the rub ingredients together and use it to rub the steak on both sides
Place rubbed steak into glass baking dish
Mix marinade ingredients and pour over the steak
Refrigerate over night
Heat the grill to a medium high temperature
Brush the grill rack with olive oil to prevent sticking.
Grill steak 4 to 5 minutes per side for rare or 6 or 7 minutes a side for medium
Let steak rest for 5 minutes then slice and the diagonal and serve

I like to serve this with a salsa or a relish.

Serves 4

Caramelized Onions

In my daily wanderings through foodie websites,I came across a posting by an angry man who wrote "Don't believe anyone who says you can caramelize onions in less than 40 minutes ." I love caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms; especially with a good steak.I had never timed my preparation of this lovely addition to my dinner,so I took the challenge.I got well caramelized onions in 15 minutes.Here is what I did.

Ingredients:

1 large onion,sliced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Preparation:

Peel onion in half and slice into 1/2 inch strips
Wrap sliced onion in paper towels for about five minutes
Heat olive oil in saute pan until hot,but not smoking
Add onions to pan and make sure the slices all touch the surface of the pan.Do not crowd.
Saute onions over high heat for about a minute,then flip onions over and saute for another minute.Onions should be caramel colored at this time.
Turn down heat to medium low and cook onions for about 10 minutes or until soft and sweet.Salt the onions
Remove and serve with your favorite beef.

 If you are cooking mushrooms as well,DO NOT cook in same pan.Cook separately and add together with onions after both have cooked.Mushrooms are mostly water.Cooking them together with the onions will turn your onions to mush.

Basil Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella

I wait all year long to get fresh basil from our container garden to make this recipe.I admit you have to really love the smell and taste of basil to like this dish.When I add heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market I am in culinary heaven.The ingredients below are approximate,but will feed four.

Ingredients:

About 40 large basil leaves,washed and patted dry
4 large heirloom tomatoes(no substitutes!)
12 ounces of fresh mozzarella
Balsamic vinaigrette
Salt and pepper to taste


Preparation:

On 4 salad plates,create a fan of basil leaves to form a base for the other ingredients
Thinly slice the heirloom tomatoes and place them on top of the basil following the fan shape of basil.
Cut the mozzarella into four 3 ounce pieces and place in the center of the plate like the eye of a daisy
Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and serve


Note:The recipe for Balsamic vinaigrette is on my blog under the November 1, 2012 posting called "Let's Talk About Salads"