Secret Recipe Club: Creative Culinary's Grapefruit, Ginger & Honey Flank Steak

After doing my usual stumbling of food blogs one day, I came across a link for the Secret Recipe Club.  It's a group of bloggers that post a recipe from an assigned food blog every month.  The idea is genius!  #1, you get to discover someone new each month.  And #2, someone gets assigned your blog, so you get to see your recipes done their way.  It's win-win!  To find out more, visit here.

So I decided to join last month and this month would be my first post.  I received the blog Creative Culinary for my assignment.  I'd never been to this blog before, but I knew it was somewhere that I'd be back to again and again.  It was so hard to choose a recipe - because they all looked so good!  Then I came across the Grapefruit, Ginger, & Honey Flank Steak.  I knew it would be a hit just from the name.  So that was my chosen recipe!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Creative Culinary's recipe


2 tablespoons olive oil
juice from 1 orange (I mistakenly bought a giant orange instead of a grapefruit - apparently I wasn't reading the tags correctly, hehe)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
about 1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. skirt steak (I already had some skirt steak in the freezer, so I used it instead of flank)

In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, orange juice, honey, ginger, coriander, salt, and pepper.

Lightly score the skirt steak both horizontally and vertically on both sides.

Add skirt steak to a resealable plastic bag and pour in marinade.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Light a charcoal grill under medium high heat.  Grill skirt steak for about 5 minutes per side for a good medium rare.

Let steak rest for about 5 minutes and slice against the grain.


I really enjoyed this meal and thought it was the perfect weeknight meal!  It was one of those things you could just throw together in the morning for the marinade, come home from work, and within 30 minutes, you've got dinner!  I'll definitely be back to Creative Culinary's blog for more fantastic recipes like this!  So if you haven't stopped by there, you really should - and check out the other Secret Recipe Club members too!


If you're interested in joining, head on over here.  Hopefully I'll see you guys next month!!



Skirt Steak w/ Stout Pan Sauce

Confession.  I love gravy.  Like, really.  I love gravy.  Sometimes I can't have enough of it.  And you can obviously see by the way this dish was plated, that I'm not joking.

This was one of those dinners that I had to savor every bite.  This is literally whipped up in less than 30 minutes and is perfect for those hectic, busy weeknights where it sometimes seems impossible to get a really great dinner made.  Well, worry no more.  Because this will be your go-to meal!  If you're a carnivore, that is. =)

Ingredients:
Adapted from Bon Appetit's recipe

5 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
1/2 lb. skirt steak
salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons flour
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup stout (I used a local brewery beer - BBC Heine Brother's Coffee Stout)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Spread 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard on each side of the skirt steak.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat and add 1 teaspoon olive oil until shimmering.  Add skirt steak to pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side for a medium rare.  Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest.  Tent with foil.

In a small bowl, mash together the butter and flour until you get a nice paste.

Heat the same skillet you used to cook stead under medium high heat once again.  Heat remaining teaspoon of olive oil and add garlic.  Saute for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.  Add chicken broth, scraping up any brown bits on the pan, and bring to a boil.  Whisk in stout, brown sugar, soy sauce, and remaining 3 teaspoons of Dijon mustard.  Slowly stir in butter-flour mixture.

Bring mixture to a boil and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.

Slice the skirt steak thinly and top with the sauce.

I made some cheddar-bacon mashed potatoes and served the steak and sauce atop that.  Of course, I needed to make sure I didn't run out of sauce (because it was just that good!) and filled my plate.  I thought it was a nice touch, and you better believe I didn't run out of sauce. =)

The flavors were amazing in this, and I love that it can differ depending on the type of beer you use, so feel free to experiment!  But definitely definitely give this one a go if you're a meat-eater!  You won't be disappointed!  Enjoy guys!

 

Balsamic Glazed Skirt Steak

I'll say it now and I'll say it forever... TGIF!  I've only got to work until 8:30 tonight and I've got the weekend off, so all is well in the world!  It's definitely been one of those, "I need a drink" kind of weeks.  So that is why this week's poll is a mixed drink one!  Especially after gorging myself on desserts from yesterday's Dessert's First, I need a break from the sweets!  And don't worry, for those of you who don't drink alcohol, I'll be making a "virgin" version of whatever wins, as well!  So it's win-win for us all!

And now to this steak.  Seriously, best. steak. ever.  I'm not even joking.  I mean, look at it... don't you carnivores out there just want to reach through your screen and have a bite?  Simple steak and vegetables are all a girl needs to get her through the week.  Well, this week, anyway. =)

Ingredients:
Adapted from Blissfully Delicious's recipe

1 lb. skirt steak (I love it because it's cheap and a little goes a long way!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 & 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake

To make marinade, melt butter in a medium saucepan under medium high heat.  Add shallots and garlic and saute until they soften, about 3 to 5 minutes or so.  

Add balsamic vinegar to saucepan and bring to a slow boil.  When at a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let reduce for about 15 minutes.  The sauce will be slightly thickened.  Add sugar, chicken stock, soy sauce, and sake.  Bring to another boil.

Let mixture cool to room temperature and reserve a 1/4 cup of the liquid for finished steak.

Place skirt steak into large glass baking dish and cover with remaining marinade liquid.  Cover dish with plastic wrap and let marinate in the fridge for about 2 hours.  Also place the reserved marinade in the fridge while the meat is marinating.

Prior to cooking steak, drain marinade and pat steak dry.  Cut skirt steak into desired size.

Heat large skillet under medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  When oil is shimmering, add 2 steaks at a time and cook to your liking (I had a nice medium rare, at about 4-5 minutes per side).  Let steaks rest on cutting board for about 5-7 minutes before slicing against the grain.  While the steak is resting, you can heat up the reserved marinade.  Just bring to a simmer until mixture is heated through.

Serve with a bed of fresh vegetables (we had some zucchini and carrots that really made the dish quite colorful!) and top with reserved marinade (that you didn't marinate the meat in).

 Seriously.  Best. Dinner. In. A. While.  This made me mouth rejoice because it was just perfect and simple.  The balsamic really let the meat flavor shine and added the perfect touch.  I'm drooling as I'm typing this because I want it again!  Good thing I have the other half of that skirt steak still in the freezer!  Don't forget to vote in the poll below!!  Have a great weekend guys!

Can you tell I might want a Toddy??