Marinated Hanger Steak - Red Wine & Strong Coffee

Marinade from Fine Cooking fortunately saved to my Pinterest Board  the photo of just the steak did not look very tempting - but look closely to see the gorgeous darkness of the marinade.  

Printable Recipe 

Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Marinating time: 1 hour on the counter or up to 4 days in the fridge
Grill time: 8-10 minutes for medium rare
Rest time: 5 minutes to relax the meat

Serves 3-4 depending on the size of your hanger steak and your appetite

Ingredients:

2 lb/1kg (1-inch-thick) hanger steak (not so easy to find, so make friends with a butcher - mine is Chris de Waal of Getaway Farm) If you can't find or don't want to bother with hanger steak, try flank or skirt steak instead.

Marinade:1 cup brewed espresso or very strong black coffee, at room temperature 
1 cup full-flavored red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, or Zinfandel 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
4 medium cloves garlic, grated on a rasp grater 
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard 
1-1/2 Tbs. packed dark brown sugar 
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce 
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 
Coarsely ground black pepper

Directions:

Marinade:  Just whisk all the ingredients together and pour into a sturdy zip lock baggie.

Hanger Steak:
Butchering - A lesson from my friend Chef Dennis Johnston of fidResto

It's critical to remove the membrane that coats the hanger steak (just loosen with a sharp knife tip and peel back with your fingers), allowing the marinade to penetrate the meat.
It's also necessary to remove the thick sinew that runs down the length of the hanger steak (below: that's what it looks like when removed)
And now you have two beautiful fillets to marinate and the sinew to discard.
Marinating:
1. Put the hanger steaks into the ziplock baggie.  I usually place it on a rimmed cookie sheet to avoid finding marinade 'soup' all over the fridge.

2. Marinate for up to 4 days in the fridge or one hour on the counter before grilling. The steak should be at room temperature before cooking, so if you're refrigerating the steak, bring them out about 30 minutes or so before grilling.
Grilling:
1. Heat your grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Cut the long fillets in half across, for easier cooking.

2. Oil grill rack/pan and add the fillets and grill for 3 minutes before flipping. The steaks should come free without sticking to the grill or needing any help from a spatula. In the photo above, you can see the caramelizing effect.

3. Grill for another 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium low and turn every minute or so until done to your liking. We usually like it medium rare and so add another minute or two on each side.

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
Serving:
Slice thinly across the grain, which for the hanger steak, means lengthwise and the very reason I cut the fillets in half to grill.

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. 

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.

Lemongrass & Ginger Marinated Skirt Steak

Lemongrass & Ginger Marinated Skirt Steaks
Marinade adapted from Grilling with Flavor!

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 4 – but I’m not sure how much it weighed)
Marinade:
2 lemongrass stalks – soft inside part only, finely sliced; or 1 tbsp lemongrass paste in a tube
2” piece fresh ginger root, pealed & grated
1 tbsp Asian chili sauce
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
Juice & zest of 1 lime
1-2 tbsp soy sauce

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

2. Prepare the skirt steak.

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.

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.

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!

Sauces, Marinades, Seasonings & Rubs

Sauces, Condiments & Vinaigrettes:

See Pasta section for more sauce options

Black Olive Tapenade


Peruvian Parsley Salsa (great on fish & seafood, salads, vegetables)

Puerto Rican Ajilimojili (spicy and tangy, fantastic over grilled fish)

Roasted Tomato Butter Sauce (wonderful with seafood and fish)

Fermented Black Bean Sauce (great as a marinade too)

Quick Berry Sauce ( spooned over ice cream, crepes, blintzes...)

Basil Pecan Pesto

Garlicscape & Pistachio Pesto

Chunky No Cook Tomato Sauce

Maple Balsamic Dressing (great on fish and chicken, and over salads)

Balsamic Pomegranate Vinaigrette great over mixed greens & berries or drizzled over grilled asparagus

Marinades:

Herb Grilling Oil (not just to brush on pizzas! great to marinate chicken or fish & seafood)

Sumac Marinade ( great on chicken, lamb or beef)

Seasonings:

Creole seasoning

Moroccan style Preserved Lemons

Butters:

Orange Chipotle Butter

Maple Balsamic Dressing

Maple Balsamic Dressing
This time on Roasted Salmon (see bottom of post)
Adapted from Maple Syrup Cookbook

Great on fruity salads, as a marinade for chicken, fish and meats

Hands-on time: 5 minutes

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
Juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (cilantro, oregano would be great too)
1 tsp dry mustard
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine the first six ingredients in a blender or food processor.

2. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube until the dressing emulsifies (less than 1 minute). Taste for seasoning.

Dressing can be stored in the fridge for several weeks. Shake before using.

It’s great as a marinade for meat, chicken, fish and veggies.

To roast the salmon, I poked a few holes in the salmon fillets and basted the top with dressing 20 minutes before baking at 375°F/180°C for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon. Season with salt and pepper and serve with roasted asparagus sprinkled with salt, pepper and coarsely grated Parmeggiano-Reggiano or Asiago cheese. The asparagus only need about 5 minutes or so along side the salmon.