Here’s a hearty sandwich that will make a meat-lover happy! However, my favorite part was the Chimichurri Mayo, a delicious combination of chopped parsley, red onion, garlic, red wine vinegar and mayonnaise. Yumm!

I pretty much followed the recipe except for substituting red onions for the shallot in the chimi mayo. To slice the cooked steak, I used my Cuisinart Electric Knife to carve thin slices…much faster and easier than using my regular carving knife. For the sandwich, I took the Test Kitchen’s advice and layered some roasted red peppers between the mayo and steak (a delicious addition). I served the sandwich open-faced with a knife and fork, which was still a little messy but, hey, that’s what napkins are for.

Steak Sandwich with Chimichurri Mayo
-recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers (Winter 2010)

The tangy, herbal mayonnaise complements the full, beefy flavor of the flank steak. Serves 4.

1 small flank stead (about 1 pound)
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
8 slices thick-cut crusty bread
Pat steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skilled over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steak until well browned, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.

Whisk mayonnaise, parsley, shallot, garlic, and vinegar in bowl. Spread mayonnaise mixture over each slice of bread. Slice steak thin against grain. Arrange steak on bread to make sandwiches. Serve.

Test Kitchen Note: Add a slice of tomato or roasted red pepper for a more colorful and flavorful sandwich.

Tags: chimichurri, mayonnaise, roasted red peppers, sandwich, steak

Here’s a delicious, Mexi-inspired steak just in time for grilling season!  I can usually find flatiron steaks at Fred Meyer. New York strip steaks or rib-eyes would be a good substitute if you can’t find flatiron steaks (adjust the cooking time to the size of steak you use). Flatiron steaks are best cooked to medium-rare and sliced across the grain.

The sauce is a flavorful mix of smoky chipotle chiles and roasted red peppers, and it’s a bit spicy so you may want to start with half a chipotle chile and add more to taste (if the sauce is too spicy for you, just add a bit of sour cream to tame the heat). You can use jarred roasted red peppers for the sauce instead of grilling fresh ones…just dry them thoroughly with a paper towel before processing them or your sauce will be runny instead of thick. Grilled red potatoes, corn on the cob and rustic bread are delicious accompaniments to the steak and chipotle-red pepper sauce.

Chile-Rubbed Flatiron Steaks with Chipotle-Red Pepper Sauce
-recipe from Weber’s Real Grilling Cookbook by Jamie Purviance

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Sauce:
2 large red bell peppers
2 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 canned chipotle chile pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 flatiron steaks, about 1 pound each and 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons prepared chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To make the sauce: Grill the bell peppers over Direct High heat until they are blackened and blistered all over, 12 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Place the peppers in a large bowl and cover with plastic to trap the steam. Set aside for at least 10 minutes, then remove the peppers from the bowl and peel away the charred skins. Cut off the tops and remove the seeds. Place the peppers in a food processor or blender along with the remaining sauce ingredients. Process until smooth. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

Allow the steaks to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Lightly brush or spray the steaks all over with oil and season with the chili powder, salt, and pepper. Grill over Direct High heat until cooked to desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before cutting into 1/4-inch slices. Serve warm with the sauce.

Tags: chipotle, flatiron steak, Grilling/BBQ, Quick Cooking, red pepper, steak

Here’s a good, quick springtime recipe if you’re hankering for a steak. The colors and flavors of the tomato salsa are vibrant and fresh, and it adds an Italian flare to the pan-seared rib-eyes. This is an easy recipe to cut in half if you’re only cooking for two (or even one). I served the steak with crusty bread and sauteed zucchini.

Pan-Seared Rib-Eye Steak with Balsamic Onion & Tomato Salsa
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into medium dice (to yield about 1-1/2  cups)
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
4 boneless rib-eye steaks, 3/4 to 1 inch thick (6 to 8 oz. each)

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot; add the onion and sugar. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften but not brown, 4 to 5 min. Add the vinegar and cook until the onions are soft, 2 to 3  min. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until they just begin to soften, 1 to 2 min. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the basil, and season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and keep warm.

Season the steaks generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Wipe out the skillet and melt the butter in the skillet over high heat. Cook two of the steaks until nicely browned on both sides and cooked to your liking, about 3 min. per side for medium rare. Transfer the steaks to plates or a platter and keep warm while you cook the remaining two steaks. Serve the steaks topped with the onion and tomato salsa.

Serving suggestions: Serve alongside a mixed salad of Bibb lettuce, spinach, and torn basil.

Tags: balsamic vinegar, basil, Beef, onions, Quick Cooking, rib-eye, steak, tomato salsa, tomatoes

Husband will eat salad but it’s never something he gets too jazzed about. He likes veggies, he knows they’re good for him, but I’ve never known him to crave a salad (or at least he’s never admitted to it). He was quite intrigued, however, when I told him one night that we’re were having Steak Salad for dinner using a leftover piece of steak from the previous night’s meal. Steak two nights in a row…you should’ve seen the look of delight on his face!! This recipe was a cinch to throw together and it tasted great. The dressing is a basic vinaigrette, which is fine on its own but could easily be jazzed up with a teaspoon or so of Dijon mustard and some fresh herbs. I really liked the mixture of salad ingredients: tender steak, tangy blue cheese, red onions, vine-ripened tomatoes, mixed baby greens…how could you possible go wrong with that combo? For the greens, I just used what I had in the fridge (baby greens and a romaine/iceberg salad mix). The substituted greens were fine and it saved me a trip to the store. Add a loaf of crusty bread and you’ve got a delicious light meal!

Steak Salad
-Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis - foodnetwork.com
4 servings 

1/2 head romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large head Belgian endive, thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
3 cups fresh baby arugula
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces Gorgonzola, coarsely crumbled
Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound steak (such as New York, rib-eye or filet mignon), pan-fried or grilled and chilled
 
In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, Belgian endive, red onion, baby arugula and cherry tomatoes, and half of the cheese. Toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the salad on a platter.

Cut the steaks crosswise into thin slices. Arrange the steak slices atop the salad and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the steak slices and serve.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Yield: 1 2/3 cups

Tags: gorgonzola, Salad, steak, vinaigrette

I’m a year-round griller. Although I live in the Pacific Northwest, I’m not going to let a little rain or cold weather keep me from enjoying my outdoor grill during the non-summer months. Yes, I sometimes get drenched or a little cold, but it’s worth it to have a juicy grill-marked piece of meat in the middle of winter. The other day I got the hankering for steak and so I surprised Husband with a good ol’ meat-n-potatoes dinner hot off the grill. It didn’t matter to me that it was cold outside. I had Husband fire up the grill and I went to work. I decided to make Grilled Steak and Potatoes with Garlic Butter. Let me tell you, I’d brave the elements again to make this recipe! The garlic butter that graced both the steak and potatoes was delicious, not to mention my handiwork at the grill! The recipe calls for using strip steaks (aka New York or Kansas City strip steak, shell steak, Delmonico, or striploin), but it would also be great with rib-eyes (you may need to adjust the cooking time a bit depending on size and thickness).

Grilled Steak and Potatoes with Garlic Butter
- from Cook’s Country magazine

To speed things up, grill the steaks and potatoes at the same time—place the steak on one side of the grill and the potatoes on the other side. Serves 4.

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
Table salt and ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless strip steaks, about 1 inch thick

Toss potatoes and oil in medium microwave-safe bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high power until slightly softened, about 4 minutes, tossing potatoes halfway through cooking.

Beat butter with fork in medium bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Grill steaks over hot fire until well browned on both sides and internal temperature reaches 125 degrees (medium-rare), 5 to 6 minutes per side. Grill potatoes, starting cut side down and turning several times, until soft and grill-marked, 7 to 8 minutes.

Transfer steaks to serving platter and top each steak with 1 tablespoon parsley butter. Cover with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Toss potatoes with remaining tablespoon parsley butter in serving bowl. Serve steaks with potatoes.

Tags: Grilling/BBQ, new york steak, steak, steak and potatoes