Posts Tagged ‘great steak challenge’

My award-winning steak recipe

Sep 10

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Well, maybe I didn’t win the whole shabang, but I was a regional finalist and that’s worth eating, isn’t it?

This recipe is so simple and incredibly delicious. To be honest, I’m 100% sure the contest was a scam. I mean, who wouldn’t pick Mediterranean Steak as the Grand Champion?! Oh yea, the judges who also got to try a BERRY PRESERVES STEAK SANDWICH. I mean who would want that?! Just everyone I tried to snag a bite, but got shooed away with the other “losers.” I kid, I kid.

Anyway, if you want to try a “good enough” recipe, make this right away. Very simply – easy peasy.

You’ll need:

Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
6 garlic cloves
Oregano
Black pepper
1 flank steak
Jarred sundried tomatoes (preferably marinated in oil)
Jarred artichokes (also in oil)
FETA CHEESE – the good kind. Go all out on this one, people, it’s worth the few extra buckaroos.

First. combine 1 cup of oil, 1 cup balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, pinch of oregano and sprinkling of black pepper. Mix together well.

BEFORE you add your flank steak, score the meat against the grain. For those of you who look confused, take a knife and run it along the steak in the opposite direction of the natural grain of the meat. This will help the marinade soak in.

Now set the steak in your marinade bowl and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes (if you have time to kill and are making this the day before, putting it in the fridge overnight is best.

After your steak has marinaded to its hearts content, place on a med-high heat grill. Grill on each side for 3-4 minutes. DO NOT touch the meat during this time. Use a timer if you have to. Trust me.

After you’ve cooked the meat on both sides remove from the grill, cover from foil and let it sit for 10 minutes. DO NOT even THINK of cutting the meat. All the juices will run out and leave you with something that tastes like a dry, leathery beggin’ strip.

Once you’ve waited patiently, top your meat with sliced sundried tomatoes, artichokes and LOTS of feta cheese. Drizzle with a balsamic reduction sauce. (You can whip up the reduction sauce while your steak is resting. Simply pour 1/2 cup balsamic in a skillet and keep stirring on medium/high heat. It will reduce and thicken to a sweet, amazing smelling sauce. DO NOT leave this unattended, though. Your kitchen will be filled with smoke and everyone in your family will give you dirty looks. Not that I would know anything about that…

Serve with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I know, I know, you are all freaking out that I’m serving WHITE wine with steak. Relax. It works incredibly well with the artichokes and salty feta cheese. Trust me, I’m a wine connoisseur (as a matter of fact I know NOTHING about wine and just did a ton of research in selecting this pairing).

Can you believe that I don’t have a photo of my winning recipe?! And Beringer doesn’t have it up on the website for me to steal yet!

Well, just imagine it looks like the best steak you’ve never eaten (yet).

Alright, now that you are mentally prepared, fire up those grills and get COOKIN’!

What’s your favorite steak recipe? Please post or link to it in the comments!

Special thanks to my taste testers: the Mister and my daddy

P.S. this recipe will result in a winning smile

Try it – Be a LOSER and still have fun!

Sep 7

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Try It

So I did not win the Great Steak Challenge. It’s OK, though! As you might imagine, I did not even expect to make it this far and I was so incredibly honored to cook alongside such talented grillers – seriously, some of these guys were hardcore – you should have seen all the deliciousness! All in all, it was a wonderful weekend to be a loser.

If any of you get the opportunity to participate in a similar challenge, I’ve listed some tips on how to get the most from the experience.

1.) Bring a family member, friend, loved one – you’ll have a lot more fun during all the “down time” and will have plenty of opportunities for touristy fun!

2.) ALWAYS take advantage of cheese and wine sessions

3.) Come prepared, but don’t psyche yourself out. If you’ve made it this far, you know what you are doing and the best you can do is relax and do your best.

4.) Talk to the other contestants! Don’t be shy — everyone is in the same boat. Introduce yourself and strike up conversations — you’ll be surprised how much you have in common and how much more fun it is when you like the people you’re hanging out with for multiple hours.

5.) SMILE - Just because you feel stressed out and jittery, doesn’t mean you have to look it.

6.) BE NICE TO THE SET-UP COORDINATORS. These people are your lifeline and will make sure you have all your ingredients, needed details, etc. They’ll also make sure your grill is actually ON when you start — minor detail

7.) Take lots of pictures/video so you can share your experience with everyone who couldn’t be there to watch. I believe the Mister has some EXCLUSIVE footage that I may have to post (provided it isn’t TOO embarrassing!).

Have you participated in a cooking contest? How was your experience? If not, when is a time when you lost at something, but still made the best of it?

Whirlwind Weekend

Sep 7

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Oh.my.goodness!

This past weekend has been a whirlwind! Sorry I’ve been absent on the blog, but I’ve been busy livin!

Friday the Mister and I headed to Detroit for The Great Steak Challenge — full update to come! I didn’t win, but I had a ton of fun, met super cool people (and bloggers!) and have some great stories to share The Mister and I enjoyed a super fancy dinner on Friday night at one of Detroit’s finest, The Beverly Hills Grill – I cannot wait to share our drool-worthy photos!

Saturday was spent participating in the challenge, driving home and catching “Going the Distance” (great movie, by the way!)

On Sunday, The Mister’s bday activities began! We enjoyed an incredible lunch at the Fish Market and then headed to the Mister’s Mama’s house for dinner and homemade key lime pie.

Yesterday (The Mister’s actual birthday) the Mister and I got lunch with his dad and then made two BIG decisions.

1.) WE RENTED THE HOUSE WITH THE RED DOOR

2.) We got a mommy/daddy car!

Daddy will be the primary driver – look how good he looks!

After our activity-filled weekend, we spent the evening relaxing, watching movies, eating stuffed crust za and savoring CAKE! I came up with a great, healthy recipe — I can’t wait to share it with you. Here’s a sneak peek:

How did you spend your long weekend?