Holiday Grilling Recipes & Tips
Today, Iâm sharing a quick beef recipe that puts a unique spin on the traditional turkey dinner yet will have your hungry brood shaking their tailfeathers in appreciation! Grilled Cranberry-Orange Flank Steak is a quick and easy fix, dressed up with a tangy, slightly sweet marinade and compote topping reminiscent of cranberry relish. For my version of a Thanksgiving feast, I paired this 30-minute recipe with lemony green beans, baby potatoes and apple pie! Leftovers, if there are any, can be used to top a salad or scrambled with eggs.
If youâre not familiar with flank steak, itâs a large cut thatâs easy to grill for a crowd. However, it benefits from a good soak in marinade to improve tenderness, from 2 hours to no more than overnight. If you are in a hurry, the butcher case often offers âblade tenderizedâ flank steak. Tiny little cuts have been made, by machine, all over the steak to break down muscle fibers in the hopes of a better eating experience no or minimal marinating. Regardless, I always marinate for 30 minutes to maximize flavor.
This merry marinade is a mixture of cranberry juice, orange juice, fresh ginger, soy sauce, olive oil, and thyme â itâs tangy and sweet, but not overly so. The old-school way to make sauce for meat was to boil down the used marinade. But, for food safety reasons, I always make extra marinade on the front end and set aside a âsafeâ portion for my sauce making later.
As you grill the flank steak over indirect heat on a gas grill, the natural sugars from the juice-based marinade help the outside to caramelize and encourage those desirable grate marks. The whole grilling process typically takes less than 20 minutes for a medium-rare outcome. Allow it a proper rest on the platter for 10 before slicing to prevent the juices from seeping out, resulting in a âtough bootâ texture. Youâll notice that flank steak has a distinct grain, this makes it easier to situate the steak for slicing â always cut perpendicular to the grain. Â Â
Start a new tradition! Beef Loving Texans has a treasure trove of grilling recipes suitable for the holidays, but a few of my favorites are Ribeye Steaks with Blue Cheese Butter & Mushrooms, Pomegranate Steak with Quinoa or Grilled Flat Iron Steaks with Pistachio-Almond Rice!