It is no real secret that I love me a bargain; so, when I came across a package of skirt steak with a $4 off (!) manager’s special sticker slapped on the front, I was bringing that puppy home.
Of course, I had never made skirt steak, and kinda thought it was a bit tough if not handled properly, but still; $4 off!
So, packet of steak in the fridge, I went on da Google to see if I could find any usefu tips and/or tricks.
Hmmm…
Pearl onions? I know I have a bag in one of the freezers.
Seasoned flour? Yep, I keep a batch of my own blend in the cupboard.
Slow cooker? I have three, so, covered.
Except…
Where the heck is that bag of pearl onions?
Oh well, not quite the same, but I have a bowl of small onions from the local farm stand, they’ll do; peeled and halved.
INGREDIENTS
Seasoned Flour:
•1 cup flour
•1 tsp paprika
•1 tsp Seasoned Salt
•1/2 tsp black pepper
•1/2 tsp garlic powder
•1/2 tsp celery salt
•1/2 tsp dried basil
•1/2 tsp dried parsley
•1/2 tsp cayenne
Steak:
•1-1/2 lb skirt steak cut into 4 pieces
•Olive oil
•2 cups low-sodium beef stock
•1 cup dry red wine
•1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
•1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
•2 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce
•2 tbsp tomato paste
•1 bag frozen pearl onions, thawed
•1 tbsp green peppercorns
•1 tbsp pink peppercorns
Whisk the flour together with the seasonings until well blended, then stash in a cover container – you’ll only need about 1/4 to 1/2 cup for this recipe. Save the rest for others.
Slice the steak into three or four pieces, then dredge with the seasoned flour.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat, then add the steak slices and cook until both sides are browned – about five minutes for the first side, four minutes for the second. Remove from the pan and arrange in the slow cooker with the onions.
Add the stock and the wine to the pan, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil, scraping up any bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Cook until the liquid has been reduced by half, then remove from the heat, stir in the remaining ingredients, and pour over the steak and onions in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on the low setting for seven hours, or on the high setting for 3-1/2 (I went with the high setting and it all worked a treat).
Pretty darned tasty for a bargain steak. We enjoyed ours with French peas and basmati rice; but I’m thinkin’ that next time, I’m gonna be certain to have pearl onions.
And mebbe I’ll think about adding ‘shrooms.