Marinated Grilled Flank Steak w/ Baked Beans & Basil Tomatoes

Information About Flank Steak

Flank steak is a cut of beef that comes from the cow's belly muscles. It’s a flavorful piece of meat, but is very lean, containing almost no fat. Despite its toughness, it can be tasty and tender if you learn how to prepare it properly. Flank steak benefits from marinating! You can choose your own marinade but the key is oil and acid which are the two main components that make up marinades. (I’ll give you guidance in this blog). A marinade can help tenderize the meat in addition to providing extra flavor.

The key to cooking flank steak is “hot and fast” (that’s what he said!) LOL! But seriously, when cooking a flank steak, it is best quickly grilled or pan seared over high heat and left to rest before slicing.

Marinated Flank Steak Recipe

Ingredients
½ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup soy sauce
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 fresh lemon, washed and quartered
1 fresh orange, washed and quartered
1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ½ pounds flank steak

Directions
Step 1: In a medium bowl, mix the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon, orange, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and ground black pepper. *Laurie’s Note: I use the whole lemon and orange - peel and all! I quarter the fruit, squeeze the juice into the marinade and then toss the peels in too. It gives the marinade even more acidity and flavor.

Place meat in a gallon baggie and pour marinade over the steak, turning and “massaging” marinade into the meat to coat thoroughly. Seal, and refrigerate for 6 hours (or even overnight). Always marinate proteins in the refrigerator.

*Laurie’s Note: Some recipes have you place the meat and marinade in a sealed container, but one tip I’ve stuck by is using plastic sealable bags to marinate just about everything. They are easy and convenient. Once I add what I am marinating, I press out all the air from the bag and seal, placing the bag in a shallow dish to avoid spills . Throughout the marinating process, I toss the ingredients around in the bag every couple of hours, to ensure all the meat is marinating and not just the bottom where it rests in the refrigerator. Another rule I follow is NOT to reuse marinades that contained raw meats, poultry, fish or seafood. If you plan on using the marinade as a sauce, the best bet is to make extra to serve on the side.

Step 2: Preheat grill on medium-high heat.

Step 3: Oil the grill grate.
*Laurie’s Note: I’m not a fan of spraying open flames with an aerosol can, even sprays “made for” high heat and grilling. Something about burning off my eyebrows or compressed aerosol can explosions don’t appeal to me! So to oil your grill grate, use a wadded paper towel, dip it in oil and with tongs, rub over the grates to coat.

Place steaks on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill meat for 2-3 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Remove meat from heat, loosely cover with aluminum foil and rest cooked steak for at least five minutes before serving. When ready to serve, slice thinly against the grain, preferably at a 45-degree angle, for the best texture. Slicing with the grain will result in an unpleasantly chewy steak.

Baked Beans Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups dry navy beans
½ pound bacon
1 onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup brown sugar

Directions
Step 1: Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.

Step 2: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Step 3: Arrange the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with bacon and onion.

Step 4: In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.

Step 5: Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.

*Laurie’s Note: There are many pre-made, quality baked beans in the deli section of a grocery store, if you’re short on time. (For the love of God, try not to buy canned, mushy pork and beans! Ugh!) I have bought Hy-Vee baked beans or Zarda’s brand (sold in grocery stores and Wal-Mart) and added a little ground beef or leftover brisket for some extra texture and thickness. It’s all a matter of preference though.

Basil Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients
Sliced tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse Ground Salt and/or Pepper to Taste

Directions

This is a simple, delicious side for almost any meal. The best tomatoes for slicing are generally those big, meaty tomatoes sliced up on a plate, but Roma tomatoes are full-flavored too and more “bite sized” when sliced. There are so many types of tomatoes you can choose from - especially with spring and summer coming! It’s all up to you and your preference.

Fresh basil is key in this side dish. It has SO MUCH flavor! You can grow it in your herb garden or purchase from the produce section at the grocery store or farmers market. *Laurie’s Note: Some people like whole basil leaves but some prefer chiffonade (“thin slices” for translation). The easiest way to chiffonade basil is stack, roll and slice:

Slice and arrange tomatoes, layer basil on top, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Easy!