This Father’s Day, fire up the grill
Offer to work the Weber this Father’s Day and surprise Dad with some “ungrill-ievable” new recipes. Don’t worry. Area chefs have your back, beginning with a marinade.
“I like it because it’s quick and easy just to whip up a marinade and put it in your fridge overnight. It’s not labor-intensive,” explained Chris Welsh, executive chef and owner of The Secret Ingredient Personal Chef Service in Wayne. “I do grilled marinated meats all the time for clients.”
Try her Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak with Zinfandel Sauce or Steak Florentine with Salad. Another surefire hit: Weaver’s Way Marinated Grilled Hanger Steak.
“It used to be a cheaper cut of meat, but that’s not true anymore because the secret’s out,” said Bonnie Shuman, executive chef at Weaver’s Way Co-op. “It’s one of the best cuts of meat.”
Pair it with Quick-Pickled Vegetables and homemade flavored oil.
“We have a trick where we take a neutral oil like safflower oil and infuse it with smoked paprika,” she described. “It’s what we call a showstopper.”
Give the infusion an hour or two for the paprika to settle, “squirt it on the plate and put the steak on top.”
Or impress Dad with Porcini and Tamari Compound Butter.
“The juices from the steak are going to come out and marry with the butter, and you have an instant sauce,” Shuman said. Think “umami bomb.”
Happy Father’s Day, indeed!
Grilling 101
To boost your grilling game, start with clean grate and use charcoal for “a better flavor,” said Bonnie Shuman, executive chef at Weaver’s Way Co-op. “The best way to light your briquettes is to use the chimney with paper in it.”
And since “a cold steak is going to grill unevenly,” take out the meat while the grill preheats.
“You should only be able to hold your hand over the grill for 2 to 3 seconds,” she explained. “That’s how you know it’s ready.”
Remember: “Don’t move stuff around once it’s on there. Let it sit. If you move it before it has a nice char on it, it’s going to stick to the grate,” Shuman warned. Also, “know your grill’s hot spots and use them to your advantage.”
No meat thermometer? Chefs can tell if a steak’s cooked by pushing on it, but “for beginners, I really like the idea of the cake tester,” she said. “If it’s cool to the touch, it’s rare. If it’s warm on your lips, you’re pretty close to medium. And if it’s hot to the touch, it’s well-done.”
Finally, “let your meat rest after it’s cooked,” Shuman added. “It allows the juices to reemerge on the plate.”
Steak Florentine with Salad
Ingredients For the steak:
1 medium onion, diced 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more to sauté onion
4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, 1 1/2-inch thick, trimmed
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper Cooking spray
For the salad:
5 cups trimmed arugula 2 cups diced pears
1 cup blue cheese or to taste 1/2 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup canola oil 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 small shallot, minced 2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 4 lemon wedges
Instructions
Sauté onion in oil until soft and let cool. Place steaks in a freezer bag. Add the cooked onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Prepare your grill according to manufacturer’s instructions. Grease the rack with cooking spray. Grill for at least 5 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking. Let rest and then slice thin. To make the salad, combine the arugula, pear and cheese in a large bowl. Toast the panko breadcrumbs in a pan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Make sure to watch the crumbs because they toast quickly! Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the oils, vinegars, shallot, honey, mustard, rosemary, salt and pepper. Arrange the salad on a large plate or divide onto
individual plates. Top with sliced tenderloin. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4. RECIPE COURTESY OF THE SECRET INGREDIENT PERSONAL CHEF SERVICE
Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak with Zinfandel Sauce Ingredients
2 pounds flank steak 3/4 cups balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons basil 2 teaspoons oregano 2 teaspoons thyme 1 small onion, chopped 1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced 2 cups zinfandel wine
Instructions
Mix balsamic, oil and herbs together. Score beef and marinate at least 4 hours or overnight. For the sauce: Place onion, shallot and garlic in a food processor, transfer to saucepan and add zinfandel.
Bring to a boil and then simmer to reduce in half. Add some marinade to the sauce and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Grill or broil steak on medium-high heat for 5 minutes per side for rare beef. Let beef rest for 10 minutes before slicing. When slicing flank steak, always slice against the natural grain of the beef to assure best flavor and tenderness. Serves 6. RECIPE COURTESY OF THE SECRET INGREDIENT PERSONAL CHEF SERVICE
Weaver’s Way Marinated Grilled Hanger Steak
2 pounds hanger steak 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 garlic cloves, smashed 1/4 cup parsley, chopped 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped 4 sprigs thyme, chopped 1/2 a medium onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Combine olive oil, garlic, herbs and onion in a large, shallow bowl and mix to combine. Add steak (or steaks, depending on cut) and turn to coat, massaging the marinade in until the seasonings are evenly covering the entire surface of the steaks. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight. Light the grill to high heat and allow to preheat for at least 10 minutes. Remove the steak and scrape off the marinade, season all over with salt and pepper. Grill steak over high heat for about 10 minutes to reach medium-rare. Allow to rest 5 minutes before cutting against the grain. Serve with quick pickled veggies and cilantro. RECIPE COURTESY OF WEAVER’S WAY CO-OP
Weaver’s Way QuickPickled Vegetables
Ingredients 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1/3 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
3/4 teaspoon mustard seed 1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup thinly sliced vegetables (any combo of bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers and onions works well) Instructions
Whisk everything but the veggies together until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add vegetables and let sit at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. Cover and chill. RECIPE COURTESY OF WEAVER’S WAY CO-OP
Porcini and Tamari Compound Butter
Ingredients
1 stick (1/4 pound) good unsalted butter
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, divided in half 1 small shallot 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (We prefer tamari for better taste. Unlike soy sauce, it’s gluten-free.)
Instructions
Allow the butter to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, divide the mushrooms in half, placing one half in a heat-safe bowl. Boil enough water to cover the mushrooms. Pour the boiled water over the mushrooms and let it sit for 10 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Drain water and squeeze out any remaining water from the mushrooms. Finely dice the mushrooms and set aside. Place the other half of the mushrooms in a small food processor or coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder. Finely chop the shallot. Place the stick of butter and all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Using a fork, stir all the ingredients together until evenly blended. Take a rubber spatula and scrape butter into a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log shape. Twist the ends of the plastic closed. Refrigerate for an hour until butter is firm. Cut 2 slices of the butter into 1/3 inches coins. Place the butter on a plate. Place hot, grilled steak over the butter and allow it to rest for five minutes. The juice will release from the steak as the butter melts, creating a silky umami bomb of sauce. Bon appétit! RECIPE COURTESY OF WEAVER’S WAY CO-OP