Flank Steak - A Break From the Norm

This morning I was depressed. The weather was miserable (more like April than June), the weekend was slipping away quickly, and I was uninspired with regards to Sunday supper. I love to cook, but there are times when I get really bored....how many roast chickens can a girl make? And I am only 30?!?! How will I feel about cooking in another 30 years??!?! Chicken, beef, pork, cod, haddock, swordfish, mahi mahi, shrimp, scallops, lobster, clams, flounder, tilapia, sea bass...yada, yada, yada...how in the world can I make a lifetime of good eating when the world of proteins is so limited! Sigh.

Anyway, in my quest for something out of the ordinary, I was intrigued today by the flank steak at the farmstand and recalled a recipe for beer-marinated flank steak in the June issue of Bon Appetit. I have never made flank steak, and a lot of grocery stores don't sell it, so I decided to give it a whirl. The menu included:

• Roasted garlic and feta dip with grilled pita toasts - I modelled this after a recipe from Seablue at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which is probably my favorite restaurant in the world. I roasted two heads of garlic by chopping off the top, drizzling them with olive oil, sprinkling them with salt, then wrapping them tightly in tin foil and roasting at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Once cooled, I squeezed the garlic out of the papery skin, mixed it into some good-quality feta cheese, doused the mix in olive oil, sprinkled it with salt and pepper, then let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. Before serving I warmed it gently on the stove and grilled the pita bread. I could have made a meal out of this - I will definitely be making this one again and again.


• Arugula, watermelon, and feta salad - I tossed arugula with cubed watermelon, feta cheese, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh ground black pepper. It was very light and refreshing, and the combination of flavors, particularly the watermelon with the balsamic vinegar, worked quite well.


• Zucchini - I sauteed sliced zucchini with olive oil, garlic, and julienned basil.


• Beer-marinated flank steak with Chimichurri sauce - I followed the recipe from Bon Appetit below, then served it with my own simple Chimichurri sauce. To make the Chimichurri sauce, chop two cloves of garlic, two large handfuls of parsley, olive oil, salt, and a pinch of crushed red pepper together in a Magic Bullet or food processor until smooth.

Although I am married to someone who rarely compliments my cooking (how spoiled is he?!?!), tonight's comment was, "this was a meal you could make for company and it would be very impressive." I think we have a winner!

2 1 1/3-pound flank steaks
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
11/4 cups thinly sliced green onions (about 6)
1 12-ounce bottle dark beer
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

Using sharp knife, lightly score flank steaks about 1/8 inch deep on both sides in a crisscross pattern at 1/2-inch intervals. Place steaks in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle steaks on both sides with oregano and cumin and generous amount of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle olive oil over both sides of steaks, rubbing oil and spices into meat. Add green onions, beer, and Worcestershire sauce, turning steaks several times to coat both sides. Cover and chill at least 3 hours, turning occasionally. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush grill rack lightly with oil. Grill steaks to desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes total per side for medium-rare, turning steaks 1/4 turn after 1 1/2 minutes to form crisscross grill marks, if desired. Transfer steaks to cutting board; let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice steaks across grain.