Flank Steak

I am sorry guys! I kind of dropped off the face of the blogging world for a few days. Last week was SO crazy busy....my baby turned THREE...so we had a Tiana and Tinkerbell party with 17 kids...plus a family party...plus I ran the Ogden Relay Marathon...and I gutted our basement for our yard sale we had. Talk about exhausting. So I think I will take it easy this week!
You will be excited about this recipe. If you have read our blog since the beginning, you will know I haven't eaten steak for 6 years. I had a bad experience and never had it since. I saw Carrian posted a recipe awhile back for a yummy looking flank steak...and I knew I had to make it for my family. I did try a piece...and it was really tasty. Everyone else seemed to like it too! Thanks Sweet Basil for a great recipe!
PS...be sure to check out Carrian's blog...we have been friends for a few years now, and I just love her!

Ingredients:
2 pounds flank steak
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients in a Ziploc bag (this is my favorite way to marinate any meat). Add steak and put in fridge for at least 3 hours...preferably all day. Cook over medium heat on the grill...until medium rare (as Brooks likes it cooked)...or medium. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Pan Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Bearnaise, Confit Potatoes and Aparagus

You may have noticed that we don't do much with steak.  It just so happens that Lindsay doesn't like it, and I love it.  Of course we see who rules the roost.  However, we also see that in Canada we learned how to cook the most marvelous steak.  They showed us the difference in marbling with a local beef and Kobe beef (amazing). We learned the way to properly butcher a tenderloin.  We also learned just how delicious a perfectly cooked steak tastes... or at least I did!    

Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 6 ounce beef tenderloins
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper
12 fingerling potatoes
6 1/3 cups olive oil or canola oil
thyme
24 spears asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil

Horseradish Bearnaise Sauce
2 shallots sliced
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon tarragon
1 cup white wine
3 egg yolk
2/3 cup clarified butter
1/2 teaspoon grated horseradish
salt and pepper

Begin to confit the potatoes. In a pot, add oil-either olive or canola. Do this instead of water. Seriously the taste of the potatoes with the oil is AMAZING! Then put the potatoes and thyme. Simmer on low until tender. Remove from heat and let cool.
Blanch the asparagus in hot boiling water for 1 minute. Then plunge into ice cold water to ensure the bright green color. Half the potatoes and set the asparagus and potatoes aside.
For the bearnaise, bring a pot of water to a boil. In a separate pot, reduce the wine with the shallots, peppercorn and tarragon by half.
In metal bowl, place egg yolks and wine reduction and whisk together over the top of the boiling water. This is called a bain marie. Whisk vigorously until the yolks become pale, making sure not to heat too much and scramble the eggs. At this point, slowly drizzle the warm clarified butter into the egg mix and remove from heat. Add horseradish and salt and pepper. Keep warm.
In an oven safe pan, over high heat season beef with salt and pepper. Sear beef on both sides and place in the oven at 400 for 4-6 minutes.
When the meat is done and resting (you want to let it rest before serving), saute up the potatoes and asparagus in a little bit of butter and salt and pepper. Add some fresh herbs if you want to season. Plate, and top beef with bearnaise sauce.
Enjoy!    

Steak Pita

When I was in middle school we would go to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to go skiing.  We would always have these pita sandwiches with roast beef and cream cheese.  This is a tribute to my a wonderful sandwich, and wonderful family memories.

Ingredients:

1 Flank Steak (8 oz)

1 package of Mixed Green salad

4 oz plain yogurt

4 oz cream cheese

1 cucumber peeled and chopped

2 tblsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

Italian dressing

Pita Bread

Take the steak and marinade it in a cup of Italian dressing for at least 1 hour in the fridge.  In a blender or food processor mix the cucumber, yogurt and cream cheese and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. (This is my take on a traditional tzatziki sauce you would have on a Gyro) Let sit in the fridge while you cook the steak.  Cook it to your liking, but I don't condone anything that doesn't leave some pink :). Remember to let the meat stand for about 5 minutes before you slice it up.  Cut it into thin slices cutting against the grain in order to keep it tender.  Now, in a salad bowl, mix the greens with 1/4 cup of italian dressing.  NOw, spread some of the cucumber sauce in the pita, fill with a few slices of steak and the mixed greens.  Opa! Or something like that.