Book Seventy-Nine: Sunset Grill

by the Editors of Sunset Books


                      Hot Flank Steak Salad with
                    Chinese Black Bean Dressing

Last week we had thunder storms. This week mid 80's and absolutely beautiful - barbeque weather; until next week when showers are forecasted once again. Mother Nature certainly is being fickle this year.

It was warm to say the least. I wanted something quick and light and this was the perfect dish. Flank steak on the grill for a whole eight minutes if that and the dressing took no time at all to pull together. Chop up some lettuce, bell pepper and a few cilantro leaves and bam! dinner is on the table.

I could tell Andy did not care for this one so much though he said the meat was good. His bowl still had a fair amount of greens left in it. May have been the cilantro. This I'm sure would be even better if I had bought the right kind of beans. I could not find fermented black beans so I substituted canned black beans which are not at all the same. Fermented black beans are actually black soy beans that have been dried and fermented in salt and other spices. Still I thought this was a tasty salad.

 Grilled up some naan to go with our salad, opened up a bottle of wine, and life is good.

Success meter (1-3): 3

amazon

Hubby certainly knows how to grill.

Perfection!

You can't see the dressing, but it was there.

Hot Flank Steak Salad with

Chinese Black Bean Dressing

Serves 6

1 ½ to 1 ¾ pounds flank steak

5 Tbl soy sauce

1 Tbl vegetable oil

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

¼ cup rinsed and drained salted fermented black beans

3 Tbl dry sherry

3 Tbl fresh minced ginger

6 Tbl rice vinegar

2 Tbl cornstarch blended smoothly with 2 Tbl water

1 ½ Tbl light brown sugar

½ cup salted peanuts

About 15 large romaine lettuce leaves

¾ cup finely diced red bell pepper

½ cup thinly sliced green onions, including tops

½ cup cilantro leaves

1.       Trim excess fat from the steak. Rinse the meat, pat dry, and rub with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and the oil.

2.       Prepare a grill for cooking over very high heat. First, oil the grill rack. If using a charcoal grill, prepare a solid bed of very hot coals. If using a gas grill, preheat to the highest heat.

3.       Lay the steak on the grill rack. If using a gas grill, close the lid. Cook the steak, turning once, until firm when pressed on the thin end but still quite pink in the center (cut to check), about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the steak to a plate and let cool at least 30 minutes.

4.       On a board with a sharp knife, cut the steak across the grain, straight up and down, into very thin slices, keeping slices in place. Cut the steak lengthwise (I skipped this part) to divide the slices into halves or quarters.

5.       In a large frying pan, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons soy sauce, the broth, black beans, sherry, ginger, vinegar, cornstarch mixture, and brown sugar. Stir the dressing over high heat until boiling. Add the steak and its juices and stir until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

6.       Put the peanuts in a resealable plastic bag and coarsely crush with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small, heavy skillet. Stack the lettuce leaves and cut crosswise into thin slices.

7.       Divide the lettuce equally among 6 wide salad or soup bowls and spoon the hot steak and dressing over the green. Sprinkle with the bell pepper, green onions, and peanuts. Garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately.

Sunset Grill/Editors of Sunset Books