TASTE
Marinate a steak, grill it up for good summer eating
By Susan Selasky
Detroit Free Press
What's your plan for a hot summer meal? A sizzling steak on the grill? Now we're talking.
My advice is to marinate a nice, juicy steak. A marinade will add flavor and help tenderize the meat.
Marinades are usually made up of an acidic ingredient (wines, vinegar and citrus juices); an oil (just about any kind will do. You don't need a pricey olive oil); and any kind of seasoning. You also can use liquids such as beer and soy sauce. Using too much oil will cause flare-ups.
You can marinate steaks for one hour and up to 12 hours, depending on size and cut. Marinades do not penetrate all the way through. You can place steaks in a marinade and freeze them, too.
I prefer to marinate steaks in a plastic sealable bag for better coverage, and it also takes up less room in the refrigerator.
Try not to marinate steaks too long, because the acid can start to make the meat mushy. Larger and less-tender cuts of meat such as briskets, roasts and skirt steak need longer marinating.
When you're ready to grill, discard the marinade. Never reuse marinade used on raw meat, unless you boil it for at least 3 to 5 minutes.
Let the excess marinade drip off and grill the steak as desired. It's best to start the steak off on medium-high heat to get a nice crusty sear. Once seared, move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking.
Today's recipe gets a burst of flavor from balsamic vinegar, an olive sauce and optional feta cheese.
GRILLED STRIP STEAK WITH OLIVES AND FETA
For the marinade:
For the topping:
Cut several slits on the fat side of the strip steaks so they don't curl when grilling. Place the steaks in a plastic bag. In a small bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Pour half over the steaks in the bag. Seal bag and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate rest of the marinade.
Preheat the grill to medium-high.
Remove the steaks from the marinade and discard the marinade. Let steaks sit at room temperature while you make the topping.
In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Add the onions and saute until soft. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, olives and feta and saute 2 minutes. Set aside.
Oil the grill grate. Place the steaks on the grill and grill 5 minutes or until you get good grill marks. If desired, turn on an angle and cook 1-2 minutes to get nice cross-hatch marks. Turn and continue grilling until the steak is cooked to the desired doneness. It's best to have an instant-read thermometer. For medium-rare, the internal temperature should range from 125 to 130 degrees. Cover with the topping and drizzle with remaining marinade, if desired.
Adapted from "Grilling Basics: A Step-by-Step Guide to Delicious Recipes" by Linda Johnson Larsen (Larsen, $19.95).
