Glazed Flank Steak

This marinade was inspired by the ingredients in the Korean cauliflower rice bowl. The meat was SO good in that dish that I had to try the flavors again! Instead of wasting the yummy marinade, I boiled it down to kill any bacteria from the meat and to thicken it up into a glaze. This steak went great with Thai-style cole slaw. Enjoy!

Serves 4.

Ingredients
1/4 cup coconut aminos
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp coconut vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
1.25 - 1.5 pound flank steak

Preparation

1. Combine aminos, oil, vinegar, and garlic in a rimmed glass baking dish or resealable plastic bag.
2. Place steak in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover dish or seal bag and marinate for 3 or more hours. The longer you marinate, the better the flavor will be. I marinated my steak for 6 hours and it was very flavorful. You can even marinate this one overnight.
3. When ready to grill, preheat grill to medium high.
4. Remove steak from marinade and place on grill grate. Transfer marinade to a small sauce pan.
5. Grill steak to your desired degree of doneness, about 3-5 minutes per side for grass-fed steak. Transfer steak to cutting board and let it rest under tented foil for 5 minutes.
6. Bring marinade to a boil over medium heat and let it boil for 3-5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
7. To serve, thinly slice flank steak against the grain. Arrange 3-5 pieces on each plate and drizzle with boiled marinade. Serve with Thai-style cole slaw on the side.

Steaks with Broccoli and Bacon with Ranch Dressing

I saw an awesome bunch of broccoli at the Farmer's Market and knew the perfect use for it: this recipe in the September 2001 issue of Food and Wine. My paleo version is a quite a treat...and it looks pretty cool, too! This dressing is REALLY good and easy.

Inspired by www.foodandwine.com.

Serves 3-4, with leftover dressing.

Ingredients
3-4 steaks of your choice
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
Dressing
1 cup paleo mayonnaise
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 Tbsp fresh dill, finely minced
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed and ground to a paste with a little sea salt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salad
1 large head of broccoli, cut lengthwise into long pieces
1/2 pound bacon
snipped fresh chives

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium high.
2. Combine mayonnaise, coconut milk, and vinegar in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk to combine.
3. Add dill and garlic and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Season steaks with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Grill for 5 minutes on each side or until they reach your desired degree of doneness.
5. Arrange broccoli and whole slices of bacon on plates. Drizzle with ranch dressing. Season with additional pepper, if desired. Serve with steak.

Rosemary-Thyme Flank Steak

I think my husband has been getting a little overdosed on basil lately as I'm trying not to let our huge basil plants go to waste. For a little change of pace tonight, I clipped some fresh rosemary and combined it with the thyme I got in our CSA basket this morning. The addition of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice gives the flank steak a great flavor. I served this alongside salad with warm pecan vinaigrette.

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients
1 1/2-2 lb flank steak
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp good-quality balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary, cut into 2-inch lengths
4-5 springs fresh thyme
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Cutting a grid pattern into the steak
helps to infuse the marinade flavor.

1. Cut a 1-inch grid pattern in both sides of the steak, being careful not to cut through the steak.
2. Season both sides of steak with salt and pepper.
3. Combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and vinegar in a glass baking dish. Add steak to the dish and turn to coat. Place half of the herbs under the steak and half on top. Cover and let marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes or let it marinade in the refrigerator all day, but remove it 30 minutes prior to grilling.
4. Preheat grill to medium high. Grill for approximately 5 minutes on each side or until steak reaches your desired degree of doneness.
5. Transfer to a cutting board and loosely cover with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes. Cut in thin slices against the grain. Serve with salad with warm pecan vinaigrette or your favorite vegetable side.

Dry-Rubbed Flank Steak with Basil Butter

I typically marinade my flank steak in an olive-oil based marinade, but this time I decided to use a dry rub. It added a lot of flavor in very little time. It was also great served with the basil butter. I have been without a supplier of grass-fed butter for a while, desperately hanging on to my one last pound of butter in the freezer. I am SO happy that my husband can now pick up Amish hand-rolled butter at CrossFit Carbon through their program with themeatgoat.com. A little butter goes a long way so, if you can tolerate a little dairy, indulge sparingly.

Adapted from www.rachaelraymag.com.


Serves 4.

Ingredients
1 1 1/2- to 2-pound flank steak
3 Tbsp softened grass-fed butter
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp sweet smoked paprika
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp sea salt plus a dash for the butter
freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, combine butter and fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
2. Preheat grill to medium high.
3. Cut a shallow 1-inch grid pattern in the top and bottom of steak with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut through the steak. This step is optional but does help to infuse the flavor.
4. In a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, olive oil, chili powder, mustard, dried basil, thyme, and 1/2 tsp salt.
5. Rub mixture into both sides of flank steak.
6. Grill right away or let steak marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes to absorb flavors.
7. Grill steak to your desired degree of doneness, about 5 minutes on each side. Let steak rest, under loosely tented foil, for 3-5 minutes. Thinly slice against the grain. 
8. Serve with beet and peach salad or your favorite vegetable side.

Steak with Tomato-Basil Spaghetti Squash

It's steak night and I thought I'd make some spaghetti squash to serve on the side. I didn't want to use a heavy sauce, so I combined fresh basil, tomatoes, and garlic to make a light, summery dish. The fresh, uncured garlic from my CSA has a strong flavor so I only used a little. If you are using dried, you may want to up the quantity. I also used a really big squash so we had leftovers for breakfast. Enjoy!

Serves 3.

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash

1 c grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup basil, cut in thin ribbons or "chiffonade"

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 ribeye steaks, or your favorite cut

3 Tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar, divided

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Combine olive oil and 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar in a glass baking dish. Place steaks in dish and turn to coat both sides with marinade. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the squash. If you make it earlier in the day, refrigerate and then remove 30-60 minutes before grilling.
2. Preheat grill to medium high.
3. Pierce the squash several times with a fork or sharp knife, being sure to pierce all the way through to the middle.
4. Microwave whole squash at 70 percent power for 15 minutes. Check to see if skin is softened, then continue to microwave in 5 minute increments until skin is very soft and pliable.
   NOTE: Be sure NOT to cook on full power AND that you pierce the squash all the way through, otherwise, you may end up with a squash explosion in your microwave. I've heard rumors...
5. Remove squash from microwave and let it rest for 5-10 minutes to let it finish steaming. 
6. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Scrape squash "noodles" from skin and into a bowl. Reserve half for another use.
7. While squash cooks, prepare other ingredients and combine them in a medium bowl. Add cooked noodles to bowl and toss gently to combine.
8. Grill steaks to desired degree of doneness, about 5 minutes on each side. Serve steaks with spaghetti squash.

Rosemary-Chive Flank Steak

I love flank steak. It's simple to prepare and easily makes enough for the whole family--or leftovers for salad the next day. This marinade includes fresh rosemary and chives from my garden. You can modify the recipe to include whatever fresh herbs you have on hand. The rosemary adds a really nice, yet subtle flavor, but the olive oil, balsamic, Dijon mixture is a great base for any herb combination. Marinate overnight for the most tender and flavorful meat.

Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
1 small bunch chives, chopped (about 2 Tbsp)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 lb flank steak, scored diagonally in a diamond pattern on both sides

Preparation

1. Season steak with salt and pepper.
2. Place oil, vinegar, mustard, and herbs in a resealable plastic bag. Mix by massaging with your hands or shaking marinade in the sealed bag.
3. Add steak. Seal the bag, being careful to release all of the extra air before sealing. Toss steak with the marinade and refrigerate overnight. Flip the bag over in the morning to ensure both sides if of the steak are coated in marinade.
4. When ready to eat, preheat grill to medium high. Grill steak to desired degree of doneness.
5. Let steak rest, covered loosely with foil, for 5-10 minutes.

Strip Steaks with Truffle Poached Eggs

I wanted to jazz up our steaks tonight and I came across this recipe in Rick Tramonto's Steak with Friends cookbook. In my opinion, there is no better resource for steak than Rick Tramonto! Try this recipe and you'll see why! It calls for fresh truffles as an option, which are quite pricey. I used only the truffle oil and they were awesome. I balanced this meal with a green salad tossed with lemon-balsamic vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Adapted from Steak with Friends at Home, Rick Tramonto.


Serves 4.

Ingredients
4 grass-fed strip steaks (or your favorite cut)
8 cups water
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
4 large eggs (preferably locally sourced)
1 Tbsp white truffle oil
1 tsp chopped canned black or white truffles (optional)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Season steaks with salt and pepper.
3. Add water and vinegar to a large, shallow pan and bring to a slow boil.
4. Grill steaks for about 5 minutes on each side, or until they reach your desired degree of doneness. Transfer steaks to plates and keep them warm. 
5. Crack one egg into a small bowl and gently pour into the boiling water. Repeat with remaining eggs. Simmer for approximately 3 minutes or until white is firm and yolk is somewhat runny. Transfer directly onto cooked steaks.
6. Top with truffles, if using.
7. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with truffle oil.

Steak Fajita Bowls

When I'm out and need a quick lunch, Chipotle is one of my top choices. It is really easy to eat paleo there--just order the salad or burrito bowl and skip everything but the lettuce, meat, peppers and onions, salsa, and guacamole. When I decided to make fajitas at home, I played with the idea of rolling them in cabbage, but thought the flavor would be too strong. In the end, I harvested some lettuce from our garden and made our own fajita bowls. They were tasty and we have lots of leftover steak for lunches this week.

Serves 6.


Adapted from foodnetwork.com.


Ingredients
Marinade
1 orange, juiced
2 limes, juiced + 1/2 lime, juiced
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 jalepeno, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 tsp cumin, divided
1 1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
2 1/4 pounds skirt steak
3 bell peppers, thinly sliced (I used yellow, red, and orange)
1 red onion, thinly sliced
guacamole
simple salsa
lettuce for lining serving bowls

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, whisk together juice of 1 orange, juice of 2 limes, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, minced jalapeno, 1 tsp cumin, minced jalapeno, and cilantro. 
2. Place steak in a shallow container, and pour marinade over it. Refrigerate, covered, 8 hours or overnight to tenderize the meat.
3. Drain the marinade from the meat. Grill steak over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest.
4. While the steak is cooking, heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add peppers, onions, and 2 cloves minced garlic and saute over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle cumin, 1/2 tsp sea salt, and juice of 1/2 lime over mixture and toss gently to coat.
   NOTE: If you grill your steak in a grill pan, omit the extra seasonings for the pepper mixture and, instead, saute veggies in the reserved steak juices in the same grill pan.
5. Thinly slice steak against the grain on a diagonal.
6. To serve, line bowls with larger lettuce leaves and add some chopped lettuce in the bottom. Top with a few steak slices, peppers and onions, guacamole, and simple salsa.

Smothered Grilled Steak

I tore this recipe out of a magazine, but it has no title in the footer so I apologize that I am not able to give proper credit. It sounded really good, though...and it was! You can prepare the flank steak early so all you have to do is throw it on the grill. And the "smothering" comes together quickly if you have a chopper to help you out. I use the Williams-Sonoma Professional Multi-Chopper to make chopping a breeze.

Serves 6 - 8.

Ingredients
1 2-pound beef flank steak
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp finely shredded lime peel
4 oz bulk Italian sausage
2 large onions
2 medium red, yellow, and/or green sweet peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Preparation

1. Score both sides of steak in diamond pattern, making shallow diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals. Sprinkle steak with salt, pepper, and lime peel. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill and reduce heat to medium. Grill steak on rack of covered grill for approximately 7 minutes on each side (for grass-fed beef).
3. While steak is cooking, preheat large cast-iron skillet next to steak or on stovetop. Add sausage; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add onions, sweet peppers, and garlic. Cook 8 - 10 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. 
5. Stir in cilantro and vinegar (vinegar will sizzle). Remove from heat.
6. To serve, thinly slice steak. Spoon sweet peppers and sausage mixture over steak slices.

Steak and Asparagus with Wild Gourmet Mushrooms

I am still working on using up my giant container of Manitou Trading Co. Gourmet Mushroom Blend from Costco. Whenever I'm looking for a quick meal, I turn to my freezer full of grass-fed steaks. Tonight we had ribeyes, simply seasoned with salt and pepper. The asparagus and mushroom blend was a great accompaniment. I think this recipe would also work well with broccoli. Enjoy!

Adapted from Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals, Mark Sisson and Jennifer Meier.


Serves 3.

Ingredients
3 steaks
4 cups dried gourmet mushrooms
3 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 large bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Lightly season the steaks with salt and pepper and cook using your favorite method.
2. As the steaks cook, place the mushrooms in a bowl with just enough hot water to cover them. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and set aside for at least 15 minutes. Drain mushrooms, reserving liquid. Chop larger pieces of mushroom, if needed.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm butter or olive oil (or a combination of the two), then add shallot, garlic, and asparagus. Saute 3 - 5 minutes, stirring so the garlic doesn't burn.
4. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and saute one more minute.
5. Add 3/4 cup of reserved mushroom broth and turn the heat up to high, bringing the liquid to a rapid simmer for 5-8 minutes. Add additional mushroom broth, as needed.
6. Season with sea salt and serve asparagus and mushrooms with steak.

Spice-Rubbed Steaks with Spinach

The combination of spices in this rub is very flavorful. The cayenne offers a bit of a kick, but I would consider it subtle. Although the recipe calls for grilling in a skillet, I used my stovetop griddle, set to 425 degrees, so I could cook all of the steaks at once. Either way, they develop a really nice crust which seals in the juices. I also let my steaks rest for about 5 minutes before serving. The spinach is a nice accompaniment, and again, the cayenne is very subtle. To speed up the prep, use bottled minced garlic. And remember to use grass-fed beef, whenever possible.

Serves 4.

Adapted from Food&Wine Magazine's 2002 Cookbook.

Ingredients
1 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, divided
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 Delmonico or boneless ribeye steaks (about 2 1/4 pounds total)
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
10 oz fresh baby spinach

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp of the cayenne pepper with the next 5 ingredients (through cardamom).  Add 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 1/2 tsp pepper. Sprinkle the spice mixture on both sides of the steaks, patting it into the meat. Let steak sit at room temperature while preparing the spinach.
2. In a large heavy skillet, melt 2 Tbsp butter in 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add the chopped garlic and remaining 1/4 tsp cayenne and cook over medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the baby spinach to the skillet and cook, turning, until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving plate to keep warm.
3. Wipe out the skillet and melt the remaining 1 Tbsp butter in the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add the steaks to the skillet and cook them over high heat for about 3 minutes per side for medium rare.
4. Remove steaks from heat and let them rest for 3 - 5 minutes. Set the steaks on the wilted spinach. Serve immediately.

Asian-Marinated Steaks

So...I made this for dinner when Dave requested some paleo surf and turf. When we went to grill it, the grill was out of gas. We went out for dinner, so the steak actually marinaded 24 hours. An hour should be adequate but longer would intensify the flavor.

Serves 3, but easily scaleable.


Ingredients
3 grass-fed steaks of your choice
3 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
dash red pepper flakes


Preparation

1. Combine tamari, sesame oil, vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a shallow dish.
2. Add steaks and coat both sides with marinade.
3. Marinade for one hour or more.
4. Preheat grill to medium high.
5. Grill to your desired degree of doneness.

Skirt Steak and Turnip Risotto

Adapted from Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals, Mark Sisson and Jennifer Meier


Once in a while, my husband still craves his pasta, so when I saw this in the latest Primal Blueprint cookbook, I had to give it a try. It did not disappoint. Delicious and flavorful. The crispy shallots are a must. They reminded us of the French onions in a can that are used on green bean casseroles. Yum!


Serves 4.


Ingredients
2 cups chicken stock
3 – 4 large turnips (enough for 8 cups grated)
2 Tbsp unsalted, grass-fed butter
1 lb skirt steak, trimmed
1 shallot
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh herbs for garnish, finely chopped

Preparation

1. In a small pot, bring chicken stock to a boil. Thoroughly wash turnips, trim ends, and grate in food processor.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add the turnips and stir to coat. Add the chicken stock and keep at a rapid boil, stirring occasionally, for 10 – 12 minutes or until liquid is almost all absorbed and turnips are soft.
3. While the turnips are cooking, slice the skirt steak into thin strips and lightly season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add a few tablespoons of oil to coat the bottom, then add the steak and cook until it reaches your desired degree of doneness. (You could also grill the skirt steak whole and then slice.)
4. Peel the shallot and thinly slice. Heat ¼ cup of oil in a small saucepan. Drop a small piece of shallot in the oil. When it sizzles, add the rest of the shallot and fry until brown, but not burnt, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. To serve, spoon the turnips onto a plate or shallow bowl, top with steak, then crispy shallots (removed from oil with a slotted spoon). Drizzle with a little warm olive oil from the shallot pan. Top with herbs and enjoy!