Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Verde

T.G.I.Almost.F.

Never has a four-day work week felt longer.

Vacation depression has fully taken over my body and soul.

While sitting at my desk at work, sorting through the hundreds of emails I had upon returning from my Maui vacation, I often find mind wandering far away to palm trees and breaking waves.

Then I snap back to reality and realized I’m staring at a computer screen in a dimly lit office.

Dimly lit by my own choice of course. I love a little ambiance.

But with Friday comes the promise of a three-day weekend. A three-day chance to get out of my funk and back into the sun.

I’ll be celebrating my three-day weekend with a tasty dish.

Plus, it’s a great dish for the barbeque. Perfect for Labor Day and your party people.

You will need…

2 lbs thick cut (1 ½ to 2 inches) flank steak or London broil

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zest and juice

½ tablespoon anchovy paste (or 2 anchovy fillets finely chopped if you have them)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

½ tablespoon finely chopped oregano

½ tablespoon finely chopped mint

1 tablespoon vegetable oil for the grill

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by lightly oiling your grill and heating it to high heat.

Season the steak well with salt and pepper on both sides.

When the grill is nice and hot, add the steak to a hot spot and seer it on one side until it has good grill marks. About 4 minutes.

Flip the steak and seer the other side so it also has good grill marks.

Move the steak to a cooler part of the grill and cook until it is medium rare in the center. It should be 125 F in the center of the thickest part.

Remove the steak for the grill and cover it with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

While the steak is resting, combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, anchovy paste, garlic, capers, parsley, oregano and mint in a small bowl. 

Season with salt if needed.

When the meat has rested, slice it into ½ inch slices against the grain.

Top with salsa verde and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Verde

2 lbs thick cut (1 ½ to 2 inches) flank steak or London broil

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zest and juice

½ tablespoon anchovy paste (or 2 anchovy fillets finely chopped if you have them)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

½ tablespoon finely chopped oregano

½ tablespoon finely chopped mint

1 tablespoon vegetable oil for the grill

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by lightly oiling your grill and heating it to high heat.

Season the steak well with salt and pepper on both sides.

When the grill is nice and hot, add the steak to a hot spot and seer it on one side until it has good grill marks. About 4 minutes.

Flip the steak and seer the other side so it also has good grill marks.

Move the steak to a cooler part of the grill and cook until it is medium rare in the center. It should be 125 F in the center of the thickest part.

Remove the steak for the grill and cover it with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

While the steak is resting, combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, anchovy paste, garlic, capers, parsley, oregano and mint in a small bowl. Season with salt if needed.

When the meat has rested, slice it into ½ to ¾ inch slices against the grain.

Top with salsa verde and serve. 

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Tangy Tomatoes and Radicchio

Sometimes you have a weekend, or even a couple weekends in a row that are completely packed with activities.

So many activities that you need a weekend from your weekend.

I didn’t think this was possibly for me to have too much going on, but I think I may be over doing it in the next two months.

Between two weddings, three bridal showers, three birthdays, a baby shower, a trip to Vegas, a trip to Maui, a visit from my Amsterdam friends and having to bake a wedding cake, I want to stop checking out my calendar and just take a nap.

I know that all those events are going to be amazing, but a two-month nap would be pretty awesome too.

During my two-month nap, I will be dreaming of this pork dish.

On their own, the pork and the veggies would just be all right. BUT together, they were incredible.

You will need…

1 ½ pound pork tenderloin

5 garlic cloves, chopped

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons oregano leaves

1 cup olive oil, divided

1 head radicchio, cut into wedges

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon anchovy paste

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining your garlic, lemon juice and zest, oregano and ½ cup of olive oil in a food processor and blend until it is completely blended.

Place your pork in a large plastic bag, season with salt and pepper to taste and add in the marinade.

Close the bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours.

While your meat is marinating, heat your grill to high.

When the grill is nice and hot, remove your pork from the marinade and place it over a hot part of the grill.

Cook the pork for 20 to 25 minutes, turning every 4 to 5 minutes so that all sides have nice grill marks and that the pork is cooked evenly.

The pork should have an internal heat of 145 degrees F when it is cooked.

About 4 minutes before the pork is finished, add the radicchio and tomato wedges to the grill. 

Cook them for 3 to 4 minutes, just till they are hot and have nice grill marks.

Remove the veggies and the pork from the grill.

Cover the pork with aluminum foil and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

While the pork is resting, combine the remaining olive oil, anchovy paste, honey, mustard and red wine vinegar in a small bowl.

Whisk until the dressing is completely combined.

Chop the now cooled radicchio and tomatoes and toss them in a bowl with the dressing.

Now your pork should be rested. Slice your pork in slices ¾ to 1 inch thick.

Top the pork with a large spoonful of your radicchio and tomato and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Tangy Tomatoes and Radicchio

1 ½ pound pork tenderloin

5 garlic cloves

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons oregano leaves

1 cup olive oil, divided

1 head radicchio, cut into wedges

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon anchovy paste

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining your garlic, lemon juice and zest, oregano and ½ cup of olive oil in a food processor and blend until it is completely blended.

Place your pork in a large plastic bag, season with salt and pepper to taste and add in the marinade.

Close the bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours.

While your meat is marinating, heat your grill to high.

When the grill is nice and hot, remove your pork from the marinade and place it over a hot part of the grill.

Cook the pork for 20 to 25 minutes, turning every 4 to 5 minutes so that all sides have nice grill marks and that the pork is cooked evenly.

The pork should have an internal heat of 145 degrees F when it is cooked.

About 4 minutes before the pork is finished, add the radicchio and tomato wedges to the grill. Cook them for 3 to 4 minutes, just till they are hot and have nice grill marks.

Remove the veggies and the pork from the grill.

Cover the pork with aluminum foil and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

While the pork is resting, combine the remaining olive oil, anchovy paste, honey, mustard and red wine vinegar in a small bowl.

Whisk until the dressing is completely combined.

Chop the now cooled radicchio and tomatoes and toss them in a bowl with the dressing.

Now your pork should be rested. Slice your pork in slices ¾ to 1 inch thick.

Top the pork with a large spoonful of your radicchio and tomato and serve hot. 

Green Goddess Dressing

I’m not going to lie. I am not a huge fan of creamy dressings.

Ranch?

Pass.

Thousand Island?

No thank you.

Blue cheese?

Well, maybe. But only because I’m obsessed with blue cheese and love to eat it all by its little lonesome.

Whatever. I think you get the point.

And while I am not a fan of creamy dressing, I am obsessed with this dressing.

Any time they have it in a restaurant, I’m all over it. Or rather, it's all over my salad. 

No? Not funny? Sorry, it's Friday and I'm loosing it.

Anyway...

So I finally decided to figure it out at home and make it for the family.

And good lordy was it good.

I made a huge salad. Because, I always make a huge salads and I love salad leftovers.

Too bad the salad was so good that it all got gobbled up and there was nothing left.

You will need…

1 cup chopped green onions (about 7-8)

1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

¾ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 teaspoons anchovy paste or 2 fresh anchovies

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Here is the really hard part.

Put all the ingredients in a food processor. 

And blend.

Store the excess in a mason jar.

Enjoy!

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Green Goddess Dressing

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 cup chopped green onions (about 7-8)

1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Here is the really hard part.

Put all the ingredients in a food processor. And blend.

Store the excess in a mason jar. 

Panzanella Salad

When I started getting more serious about cooking, food and the blog, I decided that I had to make a conscious effort to not be restricted by foods I didn’t like.

I started forcing myself to eat thing that I had previously rejected.

For the most part it worked out. Suddenly I will eat oysters, curry and I will actually try something that is “spicy.”

When I made this dish, I found myself put off by an ingredient for the first time in a long time.

It wasn’t even something that I had really had before. But every cartoon/movie I watched as a child told me to stay far, FAR away.

Anchovies.

Even though there was an insanely small amount in this salad, it really freaked me out.

They looked fine and smelled fine, but every time I just THOUGHT about the word anchovy, I got the willies.

Of course I forced myself to eat them. And they tasted great. As long as I didn’t THINK about it.

Mind over matter people. Mind over matter.

I hope you are a little more open minded than I was, but if not, this salad will be just as delicious if you decided to go sans anchovies.

You will need…

1 cup chopped romaine

2 anchovies, filet

1/8 cup roasted red tomatoes

1/8 cup roasted yellow peppers

½ lemon, juice and zest

1/4 pound ciabatta bread

4 fresh basil, leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup parmesan reggiano

Salt and pepper to taste

For the oregano vinaigrette...

4 garlic cloves

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh oregano

3 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat (350F will work). Brush the ciabatta bread with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Place on the grill and cook for about a minute on a side. Be sure to get some goo grill mark on the bread to add flavor to the salad.

Once bread has been grilled, cut into 1 inch pieces.

To make the dressing, combine the garlic, vinegar, fresh and dried oregano, parsley, honey, salt and Dijon mustard in a food processor or blender.

Blend until the mixture is smooth. Add in the olive oil a bit at a time until completely blended.

In a medium bowl add the chopped romaine, anchovies, roasted red tomatoes, roasted yellow peppers, fresh lemon (juice and zest), fresh basil, ciabatta grilled crotons and salt and pepper to taste with.

Dress the salad with ¼ up of the dressing (the recipe makes a lot more for future uses).

Top it off with the parmesan, toss and serve.

What foods freak you out?

Love and Beer Floats

Angela