Yesterday, my love Kate bought be a red bike (I think its a Schwinn) off of the local teachers message board (like craigslist) which sparked me to acquire an awesome helmet for 20 bucks off of "actual" craigslist. Saftey first.
As I dorked out listening to Rush while wearing my new helmet in my car, I saw the ROOTS Market and decided its time I finally check this place out. Can't say I terribly impressed with anything they offered with the exception of their produce and bakery. Let's face it, I'll be the last guy that ever goes gluten-free or vegan. However, inspiration sometimes comes unplanned. I spotted a small meat section on my way out and found a beautiful Rosdea All Natural Aged Flank Steak that I had to have. 20 minutes and 17 dollars later I left ROOTS with all I needed for this beauty.
Carl's Sangria Aged Flank and S.S.R Salad:
A dish inspired by Spanish flavors, especially saffron and sangria!
Before we get started, this is a GRILL inspired dish. If you lack a grill (or the skill set to properly use one) you can make it as a skillet steak. Alright, let's rock.
Flank:
If you don't know about the power of flank steak, yo' best ax somebody! Flank is like a friggn' sponge if you give it enough time to do it's job. Find a nice flank at your local shop - I used a 1 lb cut for this one (serves 2 comfortably). Remember this steak will need AT LEAST 4 hours of time to marinate (unless you prefer tough and flavorless meat).
Steak Marinade:
1/2 cup red wine (malbec is best)
1/4 cup veggie oil
1 lime
1/2 of a ripe mango
1 tsp champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Toss your steak in a zip-seal bag and add the ingredients above. for the mango and lime, I leave chunks of the flesh and rind in the bag with the meat for an all out flavor orgy. Shake the bag and lay flat in your fridge for 4-24 hours. Walk away.
S.S.R Salad aka Spanish Saffron Rice Salad
This can be served at any temperature. I serve it cold with this dish to provide a subtle salt and savory balance to our bright and sweet steak. Marinate your steak before your make this!
4 tbs olive oil
1 cup of short grain white rice (or whatever is in your pantry)
Half of a sweet onion, chopped small
A clove or two of garlic (to your taste), diced
2 sprigs of green onion, chopped
1/2 cup of small Spanish olives (the green ones)
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
A pinch of saffron
2 cups of water
Salt and pepper
In a quart sized sauce pan, add oil and saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add your rice and coat in this mixture for about a minute. Stir in salt ( about a tsp) and pepper (10 cranks on your grinder) and your saffron. Add the 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. When a rapid boil hits, drop the temp to low and cover for 10 minutes.
Quarter your olives with the little pimento pepper inside. This will add great color and little sparks of sweet/sour play throughout the dish. Add chopped green onion and cilantro to the olives and set aside.
Check your rice; make sure there is still a little liquid in the bottom of the pan. If there is not, add a few tbs of water to keep it steaming. Stir in Olives/Cilantro/Green Onions and kill the heat. Leave it covered for 5-10 minutes. "Fluff" the rice when there is no more liquid in the bottom and set aside for service or in the fridge for a cold salad.
Get your grill up to 400 degrees f and spray/oil the grates. You want a nice sear on this meat, so the high heat is necessary. If you are a grilling noobie or just need a few pointers, check out this link for some great grilling tips on flank (his marinate isn't bad, either) http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/grilled_marinated_flank_steak/
Don't forget to let your steak rest for 10 mins before cutting and enjoy!!
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