Bal's Steak Massala

From Bal's Spice Kitchen

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Makes 1/3 cup
Lasts up to 3 months

Ingredients:
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds (I used yellow and it was still delicious)
1 tsp black peppercorns
1/4 cup fenugreek leaves
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
1.  In a skillet, toast the cumin, fennel & mustard seeds, and peppercorns on medium low heat until the aroma fills the air - about 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Process the spices in a spice grinder or mortar & pestle until coarsely ground.   Add the fenugreek leaves, paprika, chili pepper flakes and salt and give a quick pulse in the grinder or pounding in the mortar.

Store in an air tight jar in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.  NOTE: I made have the recipe for two steaks and still had enough left over for another time.

Grilled Strip Loin with Spice Hunter Rub

Printable Recipe

From Epices de Cruand The Spice Hunter Box of Spices

Prep time: 5 minutes
Grill time: 8-10 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:2 sirloin tip steaks (if you can, get some grass-fed pasture raised beef)
Dry Rub:
1 tbsp Herbes de Dionysios (Greek blend that one sniff will transport you there)
1 tbsp Vegetable Spice Blend
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/4 tbs[ smoked Pasilla Oaciaca chili
1/2 tbsp salt

Directions:1. Combine the dry rub in a small bowl. Rub into the steaks (both sides) and set aside.

2. Preheat your grill (lucky you if you have a BBQ) – I use my trusty Cuisinart Griddler, but any grill pan would work too. If you’ve refrigerated your steaks, they should come to room temperature before grilling (at least 30 minutes).

3. Grill over high heat (sear on Griddler) for 3 minutes per side. Lower the heat to medium high (shift around on a charcoal BBQ or lower temperature on a gas grill) and cook for another 2-3 minutes per side – or done to your likeness.

4. Remove from heat and cover with foil to “rest” for five minutes before serving.

Marinated Skirt Steak

Adapted from Campfire Cuisine: Gourmet Recipes for the Great Outdoors

Printable Recipe


Prep Time: 15 minutes  

Marinating Time: 2 hours on the counter to overnight in the fridge

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Rest Time: 5 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 skirt steak (flank or hanger steak are wonderful alternatives)

Marinade:

1 cup Manischwitz sweet red wine (or Port or other sweet red wine)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Prepare the skirt steak by peeling off the thick membrane layer on both sides.  Cut off any extra fat or silvery membrane.   Cut into 2-4 pieces for easy grilling.  

2. Place all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Pour into a large zip lock baggie and add the steak, making sure that both sides are covered with the marinade.  Seal and place on a rimmed cookie sheet...nothing worse than having to clean up spilled marinade!   

3. Allow the meat to marinate for at least two hours.  If you are leaving it in the fridge overnight, allow it to come to room temperature (at least 30 minutes) before grilling.  

4.  Prepare the grill, which should be very hot to sear the flavours & juices in (2 minutes per side).  Lower heat and continue to cook 3 minutes or so per side or until the steak is cooked to your liking.

5.  Place the cooked steak on a large platter, cover with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes or so to become even more tender. 

Grilled Ginger Lime Steak

Grilled Ginger Lime Steak
From The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 8th Edition

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinate time: 2 hours to overnight
Grill time: 10 minutes
Rest time: 3-5 minutes

Serves 2 Ruth’s note: if you have an unexpected guest or two, you can slice across the grain and serve over a large green salad.

Ingredients:
2 strip loin steaks
Ginger Lime Marinade:
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium is best)
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice (half large lime)
1 tsp fresh gingerroot, peeled and grated
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp red chili pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients into a large zip lock bag, making sure it’s well mixed. Lightly score the steaks and add to the baggie, massaging the marinade into the meat. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before grilling. Turn the steak once or twice.

2. Preheat grill (Ruth’s note: optimal of course and Anna’s preferred way is the BBQ grill, but if you’re like me and that’s not always an option you can use one of these three options: 1) broiler in oven; 2) grill pan on top of stove over high heat; 3) Griddler or other electric indoor grill.)

3. Grill steaks about 5 minutes per side. Remove steak from the grill and let it rest covered with foil for 3-5 minutes before slicing on the bias (against the grain – to keep this tough cut of meat really tender).

Serve with some roasted cauliflower and a side of salad.

Awesome Mushroom Grilled Steak

Awesome Grilled Mushroom Steak

I thought I had a better photo, but this one, of the steak peeking from behind delicious roasted vegetables, shows that the mushrooms in this steak are actually invisible by the time you cook it. Your guest will drool and wonder what magical thing you did to them.

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes …actually it takes only the time to heat the grill
Grill time: 8-10 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 strip loin steaks (or whatever your favorite grilling steak is), at room temperature
2 tbsp powdered mushroom (if you can’t find powdered, make your own by grinding dried – I use a wild mushroom mix when I can find it)
1 tsp powdered mustard (I like Keen’s)

Directions:
1. Preheat grill (if you don’t have a bbq, heat a grill pan or Griddler) and mix the powdered mushroom and mustard in a small bowl. Make sure the steaks are at room temperature.

2. Coat the steaks on both sides and allow to sit on the counter until the grill is hot.

3. Grill steak to the desired doneness. (anywhere from 3-6 minutes per side, depending on how you like your steak done.)

4. Allow the steaks to rest in the fridge for 5 minutes and serve.

Vietnamese Marinated Steak

Vietnamese Marinated Steak
Adapted from Fearless in the Kitchen

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 8-24 hours in fridge
Grill time: 8-10 minutes
Rest time: 5 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:
Marinade:
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Zest of ½ lime
½ cup sherry
3 tbsp Asian fish sauce
½ tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
½ tbsp brown sugar
½ tbsp fresh ginger, grated
½ tbsp Hoisin sauce
3 whole cloves
½ tsp coriander seeds, crushed
¼ tsp allspice berries

2 strip loin steaks (or 1 flank steak or any other favorite steak of yours)
Garnish: fresh Thai basil leaves or cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions:
1. To simplify the chopping… drop garlic, seeded jalapeno peppers, peeled ginger and quartered onion through the feeding tube of your food processor.

2. Pour all the marinade ingredients into a large ziplock baggie, add the meat, making sure to coat all over and place in the fridge. I always place the bag on a rimmed baking sheet or large plate to make sure there’s no dripping.

3. Preheat the BBQ or grill pan to high heat.

4. Remove steak from marinade, scraping off whole cloves, allspice, peppercorns and grill 3-4 minutes per side.

5. Place the steak on a plate (last side down on the grill is now up-side on the plate) and pop into the fridge for 4 minutes and an additional minute on the counter before serving.

Garnish with chopped Thai basil &/or cilantro leaves

East Coast Cowboy Steak

East Coast Cowboy Steak
From Flavours of Prince Edward Island: A Culinary Journey

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinate:1 hour
Pan Grill time: 5-8 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 rib eye, bone in – not too thick for this recipe (or whatever you’re favorite grilling boneless steak is – we love strip loin)

Marinade:
1 cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
Salt & pepper
¼ cup maple syrup
3 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp garlic, minced
Dash Tobasco sauce (or whatever your favorite hot sauce is – I used Cholulu brand chili & garlic hot sauce this time)

Directions:
1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large zip lock baggie and add the steaks. Marinate on the counter for 1 hour. Coming to room temperature for grilling makes for quick cooking just to your liking.

2. Heat a heavy bottomed fry pan or skillet over high heat. Once it’s hot, add the steaks and grill for 3-4 minutes per side.

4. Remove from the grill and place on a cutting board, cover with foil for a couple of minutes.

The cookbook suggests serving with a warm Sour Cream Potato Salad, but I opted for just roasting thin potato wedges, tossed with chopped rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil at 400°F/200°C for 20 minutes or so. Toss once during roasting so both sides are crispy and golden.

It's also great with just a simple vinaigrette over spicy greens.

Ruth's note: I make the full recipe even when I'm only grilling 2 steaks, and keep half in the fridge for another time. It's great on flank or hangar steak (overnight), and boneless chicken breasts.

Spice Rubbed Skirt Steak

Spice Rubbed Skirt Steak
From my recipe box on Epicurious.com

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Marinate time: 6- 48 hours in the fridge
Grill time: 8-10 minutes
Resting time: 5 minutes

Serves 2-4, depending on your appetite

Ingredients:
1 skirt steak
Marinade Paste:
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 ½ tsp paprika
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mash the garlic and then add the rest of the spices. Mix well and add the olive oil to form a paste. Set aside.

2. Prepare the skirt steak. Check here for step-by-step prep.

3. Rub the marinade paste on both sides of the skirt steak(s) and place them in a zip lock baggie. Marinate for at least 6 hours in the fridge, and up to 48 hours.

4. Before grilling, allow the steaks to come to room temperature (at least 30 minutes).

5. Grill steaks 3 minutes per side and then an additional minute at a time until it’s done to your liking. Total 8-10 for medium-rare.

6. “Resting” Chef Dennis Johnston’s tip: flip the side closest to the grill grates or pan onto a plate so that the meat sits hot side up. This ensures that the heat will rise into the air rather than go through the meat and continue to cook it. Place the plate in the fridge for 4-5 minutes. The center will retain the heat but the meat will be more tender than if you serve it hot off the grill.

7. Like flank steak or brisket, this tough cut of meat so remember to cut across the grain.

This time served with Farfalle with Lemon, Garlic, Parsley & Parmesan, but it will be awesome with a simple salad.

Grilled Steaks In Robust Marinade

Grilled Steaks in a Robust Marinade

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 1-24 hours
Cooking time: 8 minutes (or until it’s done to your liking)
Resting time: 5 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 steaks – our preference is strip loin
Marinade:
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Scant ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped
½ tbsp honey

Directions:
1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a zip lock baggie large enough to hold the steaks side-by-side. Add the steaks and make sure both sides are covered with the oregano and garlic. If you are cooking within an hour or so, leave on the counter at room temperature. If you are planning on cooking the next day, place the baggie on a rimmed plate (just in case the bag leaks) and refrigerate. Take the steaks out of the fridge an hour before cooking so they come to room temperature.

2. Heat your grill or grill pan. It should be very hot. Place the steaks on the grill and lover the heat to medium high. Cook for 3 minutes before turning. Cook for another 3 minutes and then test for doneness. It should be rare at this point. I like to flip mine for an additional minute per side for medium rare. If you want it cooked any longer, reduce the heat or the outside will be charred before it’s cooked to medium well.

3. To rest – a critical step – ask any chef, flip the side closest to the heat up when transferring to a plate. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes. I promise the steak will not be cold, just relaxed and juicy.

Perfect with a salad or some roasted vegetables.

Lime, Garlic & Chili Marinated Skirt Steaka

Lime Garlic & Chili Marinated Skirt Steaks

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Marinate time: 1 hour on the counter or up to 48 hours in the fridge
Grill time: 8-10 minutes
Resting time: 5 minutes


Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 skirt steak (feeds 3-4 – but I’m not sure how much it weighed)
Marinade:
Juice of 1 large lime
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red chili pepper flakes
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped

Directions:
1. Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a zip lock baggie, and set aside.

2. Prepare the skirt steak. I’ve actually done this before, but thought it worth repeating…
Remove the thick membranes on both sides, using a sharp paring knife to separate the membrane from the meat and then pull the membrane back gently with your fingers until you’ve removed it all.
Check out the grain on the steak, which is now ready to marinate. The grain goes across the narrow end of the skirt steak. Once it's cooked, you'll be cutting across the grain to tenderize the meat.
3. At this point, I usually cut the long skirt steak into individual serving size portions (usually 4). Add the steaks to the marinade and make sure they’re coated on both sides. Let it sit in the marinade on the counter for 1 hour or refrigerate for 24-48 hours, flip the steaks over a couple of times to make sure the marinade works its magic evenly.

4. Before grilling, allow the steaks to come to room temperature (at least 30 minutes).

5. Grill steaks 3 minutes per side and then an additional minute at a time until it’s done to your liking. Total 8-10 for medium-rare.

6. “Resting” Chef Dennis Johnston’s tip: flip the side closest to the grill grates or pan onto a plate so that the meat sits hot side up. This ensures that the heat will rise into the air rather than go through the meat and continue to cook it. Place the plate in the fridge for 4-5 minutes. The center will retain the heat but the meat will be more tender than if you serve it hot off the grill.

7. Like flank steak or brisket, this tough cut of meat so remember to cut across the grain.

This time served over a quick stir fry of Yukina Savoy with some grated fresh ginger, minced garlic and a splash of sherry vinegar.

Balsamic Vinegar Marinated Skirt Steak

Balsamic Vinegar Marinated Skirt Steak
Inspired by Lillyann's recipe on GroupRecipes

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 1 hour on counter or 24 hours in fridge
Grilling time: 2 -4 minutes per side
Resting time: 5 minutes

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (I ran out so… ¼ cup bv & ¼ cup red wine vinegar)
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 lb/1kg skirt steak, cut crosswise into 4 equal pieces, membrane removed

Oil for grilling

Directions
1. In a resealable plastic bag or shallow dish, combine vinegar, sugar, garlic, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, coarse salt, and pepper.

2. Remove the thin membrane on the underside of the skirt steak. Use the tip of your knife to start the process and then just use your fingers to pull it away from the meat. Pierce meat all over with a fork; add to marinade, and turn to coat.

3. Let marinate at room temperature at least 15 minutes, or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.

4. Heat grill to high – everyone’s favorite way would be to BBQ, but, if you’re like me – grill pans are the best alternative. Lightly oil grates or bottom of pan. Remove steaks from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Grill steaks 2 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.

5. Transfer to a plate; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Slice across the grain as you would for flank steak. It is, after all a very muscular and tough cut.

I served it with a simple mixed green salad with Citrus Vinaigrette- awesome meal.

Honey & Red Wine Vinegar Marinated Flank Steak

Honey & Red Wine Vinegar Marinated Flank Steak
From A Year in Lucy's Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes and Memorable Meals

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours on the counter or overnight in the fridge
Grilling time: 10-12 minutes for medium rare
Resting time: 5-10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 large flank steak (about 2lb/1kg) (also known as Jiffy Steak, London Broil)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp liquid honey
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1-2 tsp fresh garlic, chopped or minced

Directions:
1. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, thyme, honey and garlic in a small bowl.

2. Place the flank steak in a zip lock baggie, pour the marinade over, making sure it’s covered on both sides. Ruth’s note…unfortunately, I don’t have a bbq – and am especially missing one for this recipe. That said, my grill pan – or my Cuisinart Griddler will sear it up quite nicely. The only problem is that this time, the flank steak is too big. I cut it in half before placing in the zip lock baggie and spread the marinade over all of it.)

3. Preheat your grill – be it bbq, grill pan or griddler – and you could also do this under your broiler in the oven. Because of its size, this time I used my Griddler open and half the flank steak covered one side.

4. Grill for 4-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness (or longer if you like your meat well done). Remove from the grill and let it rest, covered with foil for 5 minutes or so before slicing across the grain.

This time I served it with mashed roasted acorn squash and a quick sautee of baby greens with a little garlic.

Michael Smith's Tuscan Steak Salad

Tuscan Steak Salad
From The Best of Chef at Home
My Honey said it was his best meal ever!

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 2hours to overnight in the fridge
Grilling time: 20 minutes for a full striploin, 3-4 minutes per side for individual steaks
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Marinade:
8 cloves of garlic, pureed
1 tbsp dried oregano
A few splashes of premium extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 striploin (2lb/1kg) 4” thick (Note: I couldn’t find a full strip loin, so I bought individual strip loin steaks)

Salad:
4 handfuls or so of baby arugula leaves (Note: I used a spicy greens mix – figure double handful per person)
Handful or 2 of fresh basil leaves
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
Large chunk of authentic Parmigiano Reggiano,

Directions:
1. Several hours (or overnight) before dinner, puree the garlic & oregano with olive oil. Slather over the steak (In my case slathered all sides of the steaks)

2. When you are ready to grill, preheat at highest setting (Note: unfortunately I don’t have a BBQ – it would be my preference, but a Griddler or grill pan works quite well). Make sure your meat is at room temperature for best cooking.

3. Season meat with salt & pepper. If you’re using a whole strip loin, grill slowly, but allow to sear, flipping as required so that it doesn’t burn. (about 20 minutes total) If, like me you are using individual steaks, I suggest 3-4 minutes per side for medium. You really don’t want it over done. As Chef Michael says…it would be criminal.

4. Once the meat is cooked, take it off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes or so giving the meat a chance to “relax” and reabsorb the moisture. I like to cover mine with foil. After 10 minutes, thinly slice the meat across the grain. I did this at an angle with the individual steaks – across the width (narrower side). Note: the Tuscan way is to actually bring the steak, uncut, to the table on a cutting board.

5. While the beef is “resting”, mound the arugula and basil leaves in the center of a large serving platter. Arrange the slices of beef around the arugula. Sprinkle everything with lots of olive oil, coarse sea salt, lots of freshly ground pepper. Then “theatrically” zest the lemon over the salad and squeeze the juice. Lastly, using a vegetable peeler, garnish the works with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Chili Dry Rubbed Grilled Steaks

Chili Dry-rubbed Grilled Steak
Inspired by Saveur , Texas issue

Printable recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 1-24 hours
Grill time: 10 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 sirloin tip steaks (we’re on South Beach Diet and this is a great lean, yet juicy cut)
Dry Rub:
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp ancho chili powder
¾ tsp ground cumin
Olive oil, just enough to brush on steaks before grilling.

Directions:
1. Combine the dry rub in a small bowl. Rub into the steaks (both sides) and set aside – one hour at room temperature and up to 24 hours in the fridge.

2. Preheat your grill (lucky you if you have a BBQ) – I use my trusty Cuisinart Griddler, but any grill pan would work too. If you’ve refrigerated your steaks, they should come to room temperature before grilling (at least 30 minutes).

3. Baste your steaks with olive oil and grill over high heat (sear on Griddler) for 3 minutes per side. Lower the heat to medium high (shift around on a charcoal BBQ or lower temperature on a gas grill) and cook for another 2-3 minutes per side – or done to your likeness.

4. Remove from heat and cover with foil to “rest” for five minutes before serving.

For South Beach Dieters: this is great served with Roasted Cauliflower and over a bed of stir fried baby beet greens (baby spinach is great too) & chopped shallots, sprinkled with a little baslamic vinegar.

Warning: this is spicy, so you might want to scrape some of the rub off after cooking, if you're whimps like me.

1000 Year Old Steak - at least the recipe is

1000 Year Old Steak (at least the recipe is)
From a Mark Bittman video on NY Times - it's called Frank's Steak)

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinate:1-3 days
Grill time: 5-8 minutes or so

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 strip loin steaks – not too thick for this recipe (or whatever you’re favorite grilling boneless steak is)

Marinade:
½ cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
½ tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp fresh orange zest
1 cup full bodied red wine ( they suggest Amarone – very expensive, so I used Valpolicella)
1 tbsp sugar

Directions:
1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large zip lock baggie and add the steaks. Marinate on the counter for at least 3 hours, but much better in the fridge for 1-3 days.

2. Allow the steaks to come to room temperature before grilling - about one hour.

3. Heat a heavy bottomed fry pan or skillet over high heat. Once it’s hot, add the steaks and grill for 3-4 minutes per side.

4. Remove from the grill and place on a cutting board, cover with foil for a couple of minutes. You can serve each person a steak or you can slice across and serve over your favorite salad.

Simplest, best tasting dinner ever!

Anna's Asian Grilled Flank Steak

Anna’s Grilled Asian Flank Steak
From In the Kitchen with Anna: New Ways with the Classics
No photo this time...although I love grilled flank steak, they never seem to look pretty in a photo.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinate time: 2-12 hours
Grill time: 10 minutes
Rest time: 3-5 minutes

Serves 6-8 (Ruth’s note: actually it depends on whether you serve it thinly sliced over a salad or as the main course with simple side – then I’d say it would serve 2-3)

Ingredients:
1 cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2” piece of fresh ginger, scraped & sliced
½ bunch fresh cilantro
2 tbsp sesame oil
Red chili pepper flakes (how much depends on how spicy you like things)
1 beef flank steak (about 2lb/1kg)

Directions:

1. Stir vinegar, soy sauce & mustard in a large baking dish (Ruth’s note: large enough to hold the flank steak flat or you can use a large zip lock bag). Stir in the onion, garlic and ginger, mix and then tear in cilantro leaves. Add the flank steak, spoon some of the marinade including garlic, ginger and onion overtop. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours before grilling. Turn the steak once or twice.

2. Preheat grill (Ruth’s note: optimal of course and Anna’s preferred way is the BBQ grill, but if you’re like me and that’s not an option you can use one of these three options: 1) broiler in oven; 2) grill pan on top of stove over high heat; 3) Griddler or other electric indoor grill.)

3. Grill steaks about 5 minutes per side. Remove steak from the grill and let it rest covered with foil for 3-5 minutes before slicing on the bias (against the grain – to keep this tough cut of meat really tender).

Serve along side (or atop) a hearty salad. This works great for a buffet.

Julia Child's Tournedos Sautes Chasseur

Tournedos Sautes Chasseur
From Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
6 crustless rounds of white bread 2½” in diameter 3/16” thick
3-4 tbsp butter (Julia suggests clarified, but I didn’t bother)
½ lb fresh mushrooms, whole if very small otherwise quartered (I used cremini, my favorite)
2-3 tbsp more butter
1 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)
2 tbsp shallots, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
4 filet steaks 1” thick 2½” in diameter, wrapped in a strip of fat (I didn't bother with the fat either)
2 tbsp more butter
1 tbsp oil
Salt & pepper to taste
½ cup beef stock or canned bouillon (I used 1 tbsp Maggi which is like Bovril in water)
1 tbsp tomato paste
¼ cup Madeira mixed with ½ tbsp cornstarch (I used sherry instead of Madeira)
2 tbsp minced parsley, tarragon & chervil or simply use parsley (my choice)

Directions:
1. Make the bread rounds:
Sauté bread rounds in hot butter and brown lightly on both sides. Reheat them in a 350°F/175°C for a minute just before serving.

2. Sauté mushrooms in hot butter and oil for 5 minutes to brown them. Stir in shallots and cook slowly for a minute or 2 more. Season and set aside.

3. Cook the steaks:
Pat them dry. Place butter and oil in a skillet (I just used the same ones for the mushrooms and kept them covered in a bowl while I sautéed the steaks) over medium-high heat. Sear the steaks for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how rare/well done you like them.

4. Assemble: Place the steaks on the canapés (remove any string (plus fat if there is any) and keep warm while you prepare the sauce which only takes a couple of minutes. I just tented the steaks with foil.

5. Make the sauce:
Pour fat out of the skillet, stir in the stock or bouillon and tomato paste. Boil rapidly, scraping up coagulated cooking juices until liquid is reduced to 2-3 tbsp.

Pour in the starch wine mixture and boil rapidly for a minute to evaporate the alcohol and to thicken the sauce slightly. Add the sautéed mushrooms and summer a minute more to blend the flavors. Taste for seasoning.

6. Serve:
Spread the mushrooms and sauce over the steaks and sprinkle with herbs. I served it with Roasted Smashed Potatoes and some stir fried baby arugula, sauteed in a little olive oil and some garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar. The slightly bitter taste of the arugula really balanced the very rich mushroom sauce.

Frederique's Fabulous Garlic Steak

Frederique’s Fabulous Garlic Steak
From Anita Stewart’s Canada

Prep time: 10 minutes …actually it takes only the time to heat the grill
Grill time: 8-10 minutes
Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 filet or strip loin steak (4-6oz/125-175g)
1-2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Pinch of salt
1 tsp butter, slightly softened

Directions:
1. Preheat grill and lightly salt the steak. Grill steak to the desired doneness. (anywhere from 3-6 minutes per side, depending on how you like your steak done. I use my Griddler set to Griddle & Sear and spray with Mazola Simplicity or PAM for easier cleaning.

2. Meanwhile crush the garlic onto a dinner plate and top with the butter. When the steak is done, simply lay it on top. Grind some fresh pepper over top and serve.

The surprise factor is when you cut a piece and pop it into your mouth...the buttery garlic has quite a kick!

Marinated Grass Fed Beef Steaks

Marinated Grass Fed Beef Steaks
From The Prairie Table Cookbook

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Marinate time: 8 -24 hours
Grill time: 10 minutes
Resting time: 10 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 rib eye steaks (I actually couldn’t find any so I used T-bones)
Marinade:
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup sliced green onions
¼ cup brown sugar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a zip lock baggie, add the steaks and make sure they’re coated on both sides. Refrigerate for 8-24 hours, flip the steaks over a couple of times to make sure the marinade works its magic evenly.

2. Before grilling, allow the steaks to come to room temperature (at least 30 minutes).

3. Grill steaks 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove from the grill and lightly cover with foil for 10 minutes. This allows the meat to relax and become more tender.

Grass fed beef is leaner, denser and has a very different texture.