Recipe of the Week: Chili-Rubbed Flank Steak with Tomato and Crumbled Blue Cheese
In the heat of summer, it is wonderful to keep the kitchen cool and grill outdoors. I love to prepare this steak and rub it with the spice blend and place it in a seal plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight. Then after my grill is clean and brushed with vegetable oil, I preheat it to 350 degrees and grilled the steak on both sides until medium rare. I remove it and let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing it against the grain. I serve it with cherry tomatoes and blue cheese and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar glaze and the dill potato salad. Serves six. (Chef tip: Never overcook flank steak or it will become tough.)
1 flank steak, about 2 pounds, trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground steak spices
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
Balsamic vinegar glaze
In a small bowl combine all the spices, season steak with spice blend, rubbing it in on both sides. Pre-heat grill to medium-high. Grill flank steak until it reaches an internal temperature of 135F, about 6-7 minutes per side over medium heat.
Rest meat for 10 minutes covered with foil before slicing it against the grain. Serve with a few tomato halves and some crumbled blue cheese. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and potato salad.
Dill Potato Salad
2 pounds red skin potatoes
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 tablespoon chopped dill
2 stalks celery, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Place the potatoes and in a large pot of salted cold water. Bring the water to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Chop the potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Refrigerate to cool.
In a large bowl combine sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, and dill. Gently fold potatoes and celery into dressing and season with salt and pepper.