There was an article in the food section of the paper about flat iron steak, a cut of chuck that, if prepared correctly, is very good and not too, too pricey. I was interested, and heading to the market anyway, so…
Bummer. There was no flat iron to be had, and the very nice folk at the butcher counter were tied up with folk who seemed intent on discovering the middle name of their chosen cut’s favorite uncle (twice removed), so I went rummaging in the meat cases.
And came across this sirloin tip steak, which I knew would require some care and handling before cooking, much as my hoped for flat iron would.
I could’ve done my regular (and very nice, we think) steak and chop marinade, but I was looking for a little sumpin’ sumpin’ different; so compared and contrasted several options on da Google, and came up with this, pretty nice, recipe.
INGREDIENTS
Marinade:
•1 cup brandy
•3/4 cup peanut oil
•3/4 cup Worcestershire
•1 tsp minced garlic
•1 tsp dried shallots
•1 tsp thyme
•1 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1 tbsp horseradish
Steak:
•1-1/2 lb sirloin tip steak
•1 tbsp unsalted butter
•1 tbsp + 1 tbsp peanut or olive oil
•8 oz. sliced fresh ‘shrooms
•Hot sauce
Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, then pour over the steak (I’d cut mine in half) in a gallon-sized zipper bag.
Close the bag, then stash (on a rimmed plate to catch any leaks) in the fridge for a few hours or – always more better – overnight, giving the bag a flip and a bit of a squeeze or three when you think to.
When ready to cook the steaks, remove from the marinade and allow to rest on the counter for an hour or so while you finish stuff off.
Transfer the marinade to a small pan on top of the stove.
Note: I would never, usually, advocate using a marinade after it’s served its purpose (especially with poultry), but this marinade is only one day old, has been in the fridge around a piece of beef most of the time, and is just about to be boiled the heckoutof, so I’m feeling pretty good about it. You do what you want, but you’ll need to make another batch of the marinade before finishing the steak.
Bring the marinade to a boil, stirring often, and, well, let it go for a good ten minutes, then remove the pot to the back of the stove to cool a bit while you get on with stuff.
Melt the butter and one tablespoon of the peanut or olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, then add the sliced ‘shrooms and sprinkle with a bit of hot sauce. I used my standard Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Pepper.
Toss the ‘shrooms to coat with the butter, oil, and hot sauce, then sauté, mebbe adding a bit of the boiled and cooling marinade, until the ‘shrooms ore nicely browned and any cooking liquid has been cooked off. Transfer the ‘shrooms to a bowl.
Heat the last tablespoon of peanut or olive oil in the skillet over medium high heat until the oil just begins to smoke.
Add the steak(s) and cook for one to two minutes per side – just until they are nicely browned with just a bit of a char.
Add the boiled marinade and the reserved ‘shrooms, bring to a boil, and continue to cook for another three minutes per side. I covered my skillet for part of this process, but remember, you’re gonna want the marinade – now sauce – to reduce while the steaks finish cooking.
Remove the skillet from the heat, cover, and set aside to rest for five minutes, then serve.
We had ours with some balsamic roasted asparagus and baked potato; with this lovely brandy and ‘shroom sauce drizzled over the steak and potato.
Nice.
But think how much nicer when I finally find my flat iron steak?