Is It Too Late to Barbecue?

One of the things that I love about Face Book is when a memory pops up that you might want to share again. Recently a nine-year-old post for a Marinated Steak popped up. This brings me to the question – is it too late to barbecue?

For those in the Southern Hemisphere, it is spring. Spring showers bring new flowers. I would have said April showers bring May Flowers, but that only applies to the Northern Hemisphere and our springtime. Spring is a nice time to get outdoors and grill.

North of the equator depends upon how far north you go. In my neck of the woods, it’s almost always grilling season. Our grill sits just on the edge of a covered patio. It’s actually more uncomfortable to be outdoors in the summer than in the fall. Although this year was a strange fall. We had a week in September that it was triple digit temperature every day. The highest was 115 degrees – most days hovered around 105 degrees. When the hot spell finally broke, it was 90 and raining. Not raining as in Thank You Lord, we need the rain. The few drops we had evaporated before ever reaching the ground, so it was more a My God, this humidity is too much!

Oh but we aren’t really here to talk about the weather. If you love to grill, and we do, a little rain or snow doesn’t get in your way and more than blazing heat gets in your way. Okay, that’s not entirely true. When we had our heat wave, the last thing anyone wanted to do was to have a big meal. We lived on salads and ice cream.

Now I will give you a tip – these steaks can be cooked indoors, in a cast iron skillet. Just be sure to shake off any excess marinade or the skillet is liable to smoke a lot. You might want to have an overhead exhaust fan going just to be on the safe side.

Thank you, Face Book, for the memory. I had forgotten just how yummy these steaks are. If it weren’t for Face Book, this recipe might have been lost forever. Now I have it saved, safe and sound.

Marinated Mexican Steak
Steaks
2 lbs Skirt Steak or Flank Steaks
Kosher Salt to taste
Freshly ground Black Pepper

Note: This works best with thin steaks. If the flank steak is thicker than 1/2-inch, ask the butcher to cut in half lengthwise or select a thinner steak.

Lay steaks out on a flat work surface. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place steak in a non-reactive baking dish. Set aside to make marinade.

Marinade
4 Garlic Cloves
1 large Jalapeño Pepper, see note
1 large handful fresh Cilantro
2 Limes, juiced
Kosher Salt to taste
Freshly ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Cumin, see note
2 tablespoons White Vinegar
1/2 cup Olive Oil

Note: If using Cumin Seeds, toast lightly in a dry skillet before grinding. If using ground cumin, no need to toast. If using Nacho Jalapeño Peppers, pat dry with paper towels before chopping.

Peel and mince garlic, place in a bowl. Finely dice Jalapeño, add to garlic. Rinse cilantro, chop and scatter over garlic mixture. Squeeze lime juice over the garlic mixture. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Add vinegar.

Slowly add olive oil in a steady stream while whisking to emulsify. Pour over steaks. Turn steaks several times to make sure each piece is well-coated in the marinate. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of an hour but no more than 4 as the acid in the lime will begin to “cook” the steaks.

To Cook Steaks: When ready to start steaks, heat grill over medium-high flame. Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Remove the steak from the marinade.

Grill the steaks only a few minutes per side, depending on how thin they are. Steaks are best with some pink, never well-done.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve as is, or as strips by cutting across the grain into thin strips.

Optional for Serving:
Flour Tortillas as desired
2 ripe Tomatoes
1 Avocado
Sour Cream as desired

While the steaks reset, warm the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side in a dry skillet or on the grill, until toasty and pliable. Dice tomatoes, place in a small serving bowl. Peel and slice avocado. The avocado can garnish individual plates or the meat platter, depending upon desired presentation.

Pass the sour cream as desired around the table.

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Suggested Sides to Complete the Meal

Farmhouse Mexican Rice
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 cup Water
1 box Farmhouse Mexican Rice
1 tablespoon Butter
Pinch Salt

Fill saucepan with chicken stock and water. Add seasoning mix from rice, whisk to blend. Add rice, bring to a boil.

Add rice and season with salt. Stir to blend. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Fluff and serve.

Easy Mexican Refried Beans
1 tablespoon Bacon Drippings
1 can Spicy Refried Beans
2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning

Heat a small amount of bacon dripping in a skillet over medium heat. Spread refried beans out in the skillet, reduce heat to low heat.  Stir and season. Simmer until heated through.