Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri is oil and vinegar based marinade that is used in Argentine dishes to accompany grilled steaks and other meats. I find chimichurri to be interesting because there are hundreds of variations and interpretations of the sauce. Traditionally, it includes red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley and red pepper flakes. Aside from using different ingredients,  the real balance is developed in the ratio of vinegar to oil that is used. I prefer my sauce heavy on vinegar because I think it adds a great depth to the overall taste. I usually prepare it in advance so it allows time for the flavors to blend.  I also like to use my chimuchurri as a marinade and a dipping sauce, so I usually make extra!  It can be stored in the refrigerator up to a day in advance, but be sure to bring it to room temperature prior to using.

Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Courtesy of Cookthink.com

Serves 4

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

1 2lb flank or skirt steak

Combine the first seven ingredients and whisk until the sauce has emulsified. Take half of the marinade and add it to a Ziploc bag with the steak and marinate for 4-6 hours. Refrigerate the remaining sauce.

When ready to grill, remove the steak and the sauce from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling. Preheat the grill to med-high heat and grill the steaks (4-5 minutes per side if using flank steak or 2 minutes per side if using skirt steak). Once ready, remove the steaks and allow them to rest for 10 minutes prior to cutting. Cut them against the grain and drizzle remaining sauce over the top.

Steak Tacos

As most of you know by now, Mexican food is a favorite of mine.  I love just about any form of tacos, rice, beans, guacamole… whether it is traditionally prepared or newly deconstructed  I can assure you my plate is always clean when the menu is featuring something south of the border.  Finding a good steak taco recipe proved to be a little challenging, but finally I have found a keeper!  This “jam” that accompanies the steak is really what makes this dish special, so the freshest ingredients should be used.  Also, make sure your pan is hot so you sear that rub on the steak, it makes all the difference!  

Steak Tacos with Tomato and Cilantro Sauce

adapted from Bon Appétit 

serves 4

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 1 1/4-pound top sirloin steak, about 1 inch thick
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, diced
3/4 pound plum tomatoes, seeded, diced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

8 flour tortillas

1 small avocado, sliced
1 lime quartered
Sour cream and queso fresco

Rub cumin and chili powder onto both sides of steak, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak to skillet and sauté until cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steak to plate and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium an add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cilantro. Cook until tomatoes begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Cut steak crosswise into thin slices. Arrange slices on platter. Mix any steak juices into sauce. Spoon sauce over steak and assemble tacos with your favorite toppings.  

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

While we still have a bit of cold weather left, I thought I would share one of my favorite winter comfort foods.  Beef Bourguignon is typically associated with a long list of ingredients, several steps of preparation, and an interactive cooking process.  That being said, it is one of the most delicious dishes that I have ever eaten and I find all of the effort quite rewarding.  Initially, I was reluctant to try this “crock pot” version of Beef Bourguignon because I was certain that this dish could not possibly have short cuts that would not compromise flavor.  However, I am a sucker for a good crock pot dinner so I decided to give it a try.  Am I glad I did! Now my “special occasion” meal can be made any day of the week with very little effort. 


To ensure this dish is successful I would advise using a quality Burgundy wine.  It is the focus of your dish, so a decent bottle that you would enjoy drinking is necessary.  Also, a proper sear on the meat will deliver much better flavor, so take the time on the front end to sear your meat over med-high heat in an uncrowded pan.  It might take a few batches, but this is the only active labor and makes a huge difference.  


When I am making it for a crowd, I make it a day in advance and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator- it gets better with age!   To reheat, transfer to an ovenproof dish, wrap with foil and bake at 350 until it is bubbling (around 30 minutes).  It doubles and freezes beautifully! 

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Recipe adapted by Aggies Kitchen


2 pounds beef chuck shoulder pot roast, cut into 1-inch pieces- seasoned with salt and pepper- genorously
1/4 cup all-purpose flour- seasoned with salt and pepper
olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup beef broth
2 cups Burgundy or other dry red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 crushed garlic cloves
2 teaspoons dried marjoram leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon thyme
10 ounces baby carrots
10 ounces fresh or frozen pearl onions, or quartered onion pieces
10 ounces mushrooms, cut in half if large
Chopped fresh parsley

Lightly coat beef with flour. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in stockpot over medium heat until hot. Brown 1/2 of beef; remove from stockpot. Repeat with remaining beef, adding oil as needed. Remove beef from stockpot and into slow cooker; season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup broth to stockpot and deglaze beef drippings.  Add this broth to slow cooker.
Stir in wine, tomato paste, garlic and marjoram. Add carrots, onions and mushrooms.
Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.

Mustard Pepper Burger

I am sure that everyone has meals that remind them of specific times in life.  For me, the Mustard Pepper Burger at Village Tavern in Winston-Salem, NC reminds me of high school- a time when sitting down to eat a ½lb hamburger and plate of fries was a weekly occurrence with my best girlfriends.   I was fiercely loyal to this burger for many years of my life, so when I was craving a hamburger this weekend I decided to try and replicate this old favorite.  To my delight, after a little research, I found the recipe for the marinade and gave it a try.  I was really satisfied with the results; it was not exactly like theirs, but pretty close. This not the time to buy lean ground beef, I would stick to 80/20 for the most flavor and to ensure that your burger is not a well seasoned hockey puck.  Now all I need is the recipe for their mustard sauce and I will be all set!

Mustard Pepper Burger

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Hamburger

1lb ground beef (preferably 80/20)

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

4 hamburger buns

Dijon mustard

Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles

Mustard Pepper Marinade

1 ½ tablespoons Soy Sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1/8 Tablespoon Cracked Black Pepper

·          Place all ingredients for the marinade in a container and whisk or shake until well combined. 

·          Preheat grill or grill pan to med-high heat.

·          Season meat with salt and pepper and form 4oz patties.  Once grill is hot, place patties on surface and grill for 5 minutes on each side.  Flip the burgers only once and do not press on them while they are cooking.

·          When burger has reached desired doneness, remove from grill. Brush with Mustard-Pepper Marinade and add cracked peppercorns. Then place burger on bottom half of the bun.

·          Add Dijon mustard to top and bottom of bun. Then add lettuce, tomato, onion and garnish with a pickle.

Beef and Broccoli

I would not say that I love Chinese food, but I do LOVE Beef and Broccoli. In an attempt to lighten up this “take out” favorite, I turned to Cooking Light for inspiration on how to recreate this dish at home. I used to stray from recipes that had a lot of ingredients (a lot meaning more than 5!), but realized quickly that I was missing out on some great meals! If you have a well stocked pantry cooking becomes a lot easier because it is less to add to your weekly grocery list. When considering Chinese food, some of the staples to have at home are: dark sesame oil, grated jarred ginger or fresh ginger root, soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, srirachi, sherry, five spice, rice wine, and rice wine vinegar. With these on hand you can create most stir-fry and noodle dishes with whatever meat and vegetables you have around. This one is my husband's favorite!

Beef and Broccoli
Serves 3-4

Ingredients

8 oz cooked whole wheat spaghetti or soba noodles
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup vertically sliced onion
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup shelled edamame
1 lb top sirloin – cut very thin- against the grain
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon srirachi (chili paste with garlic)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup beef broth

Directions

· Prepare pasta water and bring to a boil. First add the broccoli and boil for 2 minutes. Remove all broccoli with a slotted spoon and set aside. Then add pasta to the same boiling water and cook according to package directions and drain. Combine pasta and sesame oil, tossing well to coat.
· While pasta cooks, heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
· Season the sliced beef with salt and pepper and add it to the hot pan. Be sure that the meat has room to cook. If there is too much meat in the pan, it will “steam” instead of sear. Cook 1 minute per side or until browned and done. Remove the steak from the pan and set aside. Do not over cook.
· Add more oil if needed and then the onion; sauté 3 minutes, then add the ginger and garlic; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
· Add broccoli the carrots and edamame and sauté for 1 minute.
· Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, and srirachi and add to the pan, then combine the cornstarch with the broth, stir and add that mixture to the pan and stir for 1 minute until the sauce thickens. (Prepare these two bowls in advance)
· Add the pasta and cook for one minute until everything is coated and heated thoroughly.


* The srirachi adds significant heat to this dish. If you do not care for spicy food, I would decrease the srirachi to 1 teaspoon.

Rosemary Grilled Flank Steak

I found this recipe a few years ago on Epicurious.com when researching for my husband’s birthday dinner menu. Since then, I have made my own adjustments to the original recipe by decreasing the oil, eliminating the salt and adding red pepper flakes for some heat.  The result was my “go to” marinade for any meat.  This works wonderfully on steak, pork tenderloin, chicken breast, and chicken thighs.  I would not marinate the meat for over six hours because the soy starts to over power and the meat becomes too salty.  Anywhere from 2-6 hours is ideal.  Whether you are cooking on a grill, grill pan, or under the broiler, be sure to have med-high heat to create a good sear.  That honey will caramelize and create a salty sweet crust that you do not want to miss!  

Rosemary Grilled Flank Steak

Adapted from Epicurious.com

Serves 4-5

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried
• ¾  tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
• ¼-½  tsp red pepper flakes- depending on how much heat you like
• 1 2 pound flank steak

Combine all and place in a Ziploc bag to marinate for 6 hours.  Grill over medium high heat or broil for 4-5 minutes per side for med-rare.  Remove meat and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before serving.