Orange Thai Steak

01Jul09

When it comes to picking up the protein in the grocery store, we usually sail right by the steak. For the most part, its expensive and not as easy to cook as our usual chicken, ground beef, seafood, etc. We don’t have a grill. Ridiculous, I know. We’re working on it. When we move to the new place this fall and we finally have a backyard, maybe things will change. But for now, we tend to skip the red meats that are traditionally grilled. But this past week I saw this recipe through Tastespotting and decided to try it anyway, grill or no grill. I ended up using the panini press ‘grill’ we have, and it actually turned out pretty well! It’s the perfect size for a flank steak. I bet it would be better on a real grill, but for now, not too shabby. I really liked the Thai flavors in the marinade. Which brings me to something else we don’t do often – marinate. Normally there’s just not the time. But this week Chris had a couple days off and was able to get the marinade going during the day. This was a good recipe to make the same week as the Peanut Noodles because it has some of the same ingredients and flavors. I used less garlic and would probably skip the hot sauce next time. I love hot foods, but without it the taste would come through much more nicely.

Orange Thai Flank Steak (serves 4-6)
1 lb Flank Steak
Zest and Juice from 1 orange
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Ginger (grated or minced)
2 cloves Garlic (grated or minced)
Scallions for sprinkling

Served with
1 cup sticky rice
fresh sugar snap peas

Mix together everything except the steak and scallions. This makes the marinade and also the sauce. Put it in a plastic bag with the steak and back in the fridge for 4-6 hours. We did 4 hours, and massaged it every 30-45 minutes. The key to getting a marinade right is to allow it long enough time to absorb the flavors, without starting to break down the proteins. The vinegar in the marinade will start to ‘cook’ the beef, in essence, if you leave it for too long (this is why we didn’t do it overnight). It would turn your marinade into a sort of steak ceviche!

When you’re ready, throw the steak on the grill (or whatever you want to use!), 5-7 minutes per side. While the steak is cooking, put the rest of the marinade in a pot and gently simmer to reduce.

At this point, I also steamed my peas and cooked the rice. I love sugar snap peas and they’re great fresh and even raw. For this, I steamed them about 2 minutes.

When the steak is cooked, let it rest for 5 minutes. DON’T SKIP THIS! Resting the meat allows the juices to reabsorb so that your meat is juicy, not your plate. Cut the steak against the grain and drizzle the reduced sauce over top. Tasty! All we had on hand was a Portugese Vino Verde which isn’t what you’d normally think of to accompany this, but it was delicious. The spicyness of the wine stood up to the ginger in the marinade. Yum!!