Asian-Marinated Grilled Flank Steak

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.
Asian-Marinated Grilled Flank Steak
These gorgeous flowers came from our friends Larry and Catherine’s garden … eyes front, soldier.

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Baked Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Garlic

Baked Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Garlic

If you’re looking for a quick, inexpensive weeknight dinner, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a great option. All they need is a few minutes in a marinade, 25 minutes or so in the oven (even quicker on a grill or grill pan) and they’re ready to go. Unlike chicken breasts, which dry out if you stare at them too long, thighs are extremely forgiving. They’re actually hard to overcook.

I like baking them with this lemony, garlicky marinade (recipe below), but you could easily switch the flavors around. I sometimes use soy, honey and ginger. Sometimes sage, rosemary and mustard. The process is the same. Really, by the time you’ve made a salad and opened a bottle of wine, they’re pretty much done.

IMG_3112 - Version 2If you do have a little extra time, they’re perfect with Mashed Butternut Squash with Thyme and Mascarpone.

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