Tag Archives: meat

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Grilled Stuffed Flank Steak

Cooks Illustrated is one of my favorite cooking magazines. It does not have a lot of recipes in each issue but what is included is well tested and generally very good. This month’s issue has a grilled stuffed flank steak that just looked fun so I had to try it.

Here is the recipe.

Depending on the steak’s size, you may have between 8 and 12 pinwheels of stuffed meat at the end of step 2. Freezing the steak for 30 minutes will make butterflying easier. You will need both wooden skewers and twine for this recipe.

Ingredients

2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

1 small shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves , finely minced

1 teaspoon sage leaves , finely minced

2 tablespoons olive oil , plus extra for oiling grate

1 flank steak (2- to 2 1/2-pounds) (see note)

4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

4 ounces thinly sliced provolone

8–12 skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Instructions
  1. Combine garlic, shallot, parsley, sage, and olive oil in small bowl. Following illustrations below, butterfly and pound flank steak into rough rectangle. With steak positioned so that grain runs parallel to edge of counter and opened side faces up, spread herb mixture evenly over surface of steak. Lay prosciutto evenly over steak, leaving 2-inch border along top edge. Cover prosciutto with even layer of cheese, leaving 2-inch border along top edge. Starting from bottom edge and rolling away from you, roll beef into tight log and place on cutting board seam-side down.
  2. Starting ½ inch from end of rolled steak, evenly space 8 to twelve 14-inch pieces of butcher’s twine at 1-inch intervals underneath steak. Tie middle string first; then working from outermost strings toward center, tightly tie roll and turn tied steak 90 degrees so seam is facing you. Skewer beef directly through outermost flap of steak near seam through each piece of string, allowing skewer to extend ½ inch on opposite side. Using chef’s knife, slice roll between pieces of twine into 1-inch-thick pinwheels. Season pinwheels lightly with kosher salt and black pepper.
  3. Turn all burners to high and heat with lid down until very hot, about 15 minutes. Scrape grate clean with grill brush. Dip wad of paper towels in oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).
  4. Grill pinwheels directly over hot side of grill until well browned, 3 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip pinwheels; grill until second side is well browned, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer pinwheels to cooler side of grill, cover, and continue to cook until center of pinwheels registers 125 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 1 to 4 minutes (slightly thinner pinwheels may not need time on cooler side of grill). Transfer pinwheels to large plate, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Remove and discard skewers and twine and serve immediately.
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Top Sirloin Steak with Bell Pepper and Onion Sauté

Ingredients
Gorgonzola cheese flavors this hearty main course. Serve with a chilled Beaujolais.

  • 2 1 1/2-pound top sirloin steaks (or one 2- to 3-pound steak), 1 inch thick
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 large green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 cup unsalted beef broth or low-salt chicken broth
  • Crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
  • Minced fresh Italian parsley

Preparation
Place steaks in glass baking dish. Mix 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar and half of garlic in small bowl. Pour over steaks; turn to coat. Marinate 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate 3 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers and remaining garlic and sauté 8 minutes. Add broth, increase heat and boil until vegetables are tender and liquid thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Prepare barbeque (high heat) or preheat broiler. Remove steaks from marinade. Sprinkle with salt and generous amount of pepper. Grill steaks until cooked as desired, about 5 minutes per side for rare. Transfer steaks to platter and let stand 5 minutes. Bring vegetables to simmer. Slice steaks; arrange on platter. Top with vegetables and skillet juices. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley.

Serves 4.

Bon Appétit
August 1993

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Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Shallots, Bacon and Port

Ingredients

Pour a full-bodied red wine, such as a Bordeaux, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.

  • 1 1/2 pounds large shallots (about 24), halved lengthwise, peeled
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cups canned beef broth
  • 1 1/2 cups tawny Port
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 3- to 3 1/4-pound beef tenderloins (large ends), trimmed
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 7 bacon slices, chopped
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 large bunch watercress

Preparation
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. In 9-inch-diameter pie pan, toss shallots with oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until shallots are deep brown and very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Boil broth and Port in large saucepan until reduced to 3 3/4 cups, about 30 minutes. Whisk in tomato paste. (Shallots and broth mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.)

Pat beef dry; sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. In large roasting pan set over medium heat, sauté bacon until golden, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Add beef to pan; brown on all sides over medium-high heat, about 7 minutes. Transfer pan to oven; roast beef until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 125°F for medium-rare, about 45 minutes. Transfer beef to platter. Tent loosely with foil.

Spoon fat off top of pan drippings in roasting pan. Place roasting pan over high heat. Add broth mixture and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer to medium saucepan; bring to simmer. Mix 3 tablespoons butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste; whisk into broth mixture and simmer until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in roasted shallots and reserved bacon. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Cut beef into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spoon some sauce over. Garnish with watercress. Pass remaining sauce.

Serves 12.

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Bacon Herb Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Lemon Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 head garlic, top sliced off
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 to 1 1/2 pound each) trimmed of excess fat
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 12 fresh sage leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 12 1/4-inch thick slices bacon
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place garlic in a small ramekin, drizzle with 1-tablespoon olive oil, and wrap in foil. Bake until soft, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic flesh from head into a small bowl.

Arrange tenderloins on work surface. Rub the top each tenderloin with 1/2 of the roasted garlic and season with salt and pepper. Mix together the herbs and scatter half of the mix over the garlic on each tenderloin. Wrap 6 strips of bacon around each tenderloin and tie bacon in place with kitchen twine.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat oil in a medium, skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the tenderloins until golden brown on all sides. Transfer seared tenderloins to medium roasting pan; place in the oven and cook to medium doneness about 8 to10 minutes. Transfer tenderloins to cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Remove twine before carving.

Lemon Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest
  • 5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation
Combine juice, sugar and zest in a small non-reactive pan and reduce to 1/2 cup. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss sweet potatoes in oil and roast in a large ovenproof skillet. Roast until lightly golden brown and just cooked through. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a burner over medium heat. Add the glaze to the potatoes and toss to coat evenly. Saute potatoes until all are glazed.

Makes 4 servings.

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Pan Seared Rib Eye

Ingredients

  • 1 boneless rib eye steak, 1 1/2-inch thick
  • Canola oil to coat
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Preparation
Place 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature.

When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste.

Immediately place steak in the middle of hot, dry pan. Cook 30 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 2 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 2 minutes. (This time is for medium rare steaks. If you prefer medium, add a minute to both of the oven turns.)

Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 2 minutes. Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto plate.

Yield: 1 to 2 servings

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown