Beef Archives Page 3 of 3 - Nerds with Knives

Asian-Marinated Grilled Flank Steak — Drizzled with Miso Glaze from Miso-Ginger Grilled Eggplant

One of the main things I was excited about when we moved out of the city was being able to grill. Clearly I love to cook, but since NYC + outdoor space = $$$, it wasn’t until we moved to Beacon that trying to cook outside was even possible.

That’s why I can’t believe it’s already June and we’re just now grilling for the first time this summer. Silly Cliftons!

We’re making up for it though with an all-grilled dinner (this delicious steak as well as Miso-Ginger Grilled Eggplant.) Yum.

In this case, I used a flat-iron steak (known as butlers’ steak in the UK) but flank steak is easier to find and either works well. Just make sure not to overcook it, let it rest after grilling and most importantly of all, slice it thinly against the grain.

Cutting against the grain:

If you look closely at the meat (especially visible in cuts like flat-iron, flank and skirt), you’ll see little lines running across it. That’s the grain. Hold your knife crosswise to the grain and cut thin slices.
If you cut WITH the grain: tough and stringy.
If you cut AGAINST the grain: like buttah.

Braised Short Ribs with Beer and Hoisin — Served with boiled fingerling potatoes and Asian Cabbage and Fennel Salad.

One of the few benefits of living in an area where terms like “polar vortex” and “snow-mageddon” are bandied about is that you have the right, nay, the duty, to pull out the crockpot or dutch oven and put something yummy in it.

(Nerdy Game of Thrones warning ahead) Seriously, it’s so cold right now, all I want to do is curl up by my squid-themed fireplace, grab my adorable direwolf puppy, and eat something delicious.

Unfortunately I don’t have a fireplace, squid-themed or regular, and my direwolf hates the cold even more than I do. But I can definitely manage the delicious part.

Short ribs are great because they’re not terribly expensive, taste amazing and are incredibly easy. The only things you need to remember are to use the right cut for the recipe you’re making and leave yourself enough time to cook them low and slow.

In fact, I’m a huge fan of making them a day ahead. They actually taste better when they’re reheated, plus it’s so much easier to de-fat the sauce when it’s cold. Win-win. The only problem with making them in advance is that on the day you cook them, your house will smell like delicious short ribs that you will have to wait to devour. Lose-lose!