Yum
Sometimes you want to have a little fancy dinner at home.
Like a date night. Or a holiday celebration. Or a birthday.
To me, fancy usually includes an indulgence, and really says "beef" to me.
That's what I LOVE...Steak! I usually favor Filet Mignon, but I also love Flank, New York, and Sirloin steaks. All cuts are juicy, cook up easily and taste great. When I want to serve fancy slices of steak instead of a whole piece I usually go for a flank or sirloin steak. London broil is another option that slices up nicely but is a tougher cut of meat and takes a little more prep and cooking to get it really tender.
MGG and I wanted to have a quiet date night at home. A little cocktail time followed by a delicious dinner and mood music. Then on to a great movie. Everyone needs a little down time after the holidays. (I know I sure do!) So, tonight I chose a wonderful sirloin steak which I marinaded with some garlic, fresh cracked multicolored peppercorns, and balsamic vinegar. This marinade is a fabulous way to give the steak a lot of flavor. A slight Italian themed meal is on the horizon!
There is about a 30 minute marinade time which you can do ahead. The actual cooking time is about 15 minutes depending on how you like your meat cooked.
Serve this with my Risotto with Mushrooms and Sage (recipe coming up next!) and a vegetable of your choice and you have an elegant dinner at home!
Now this is what I call a fancy "Date Night" dinner at home! Date night was a complete success and will certainly be repeated in the near future.
Enjoy!
Balsamic Steak
serves 2
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 large cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon cracked black or multi-colored peppercorns
½ cup balsamic vinegar, divided
1 - 1 ½ pounds sirloin steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Combine ¼ cup of olive oil, the garlic, cracked peppercorns, and 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar in a ziploc bag. Add the steak and seal the bag, turning to coat the steak completely. Marinate on the counter for 30 minutes
Heat a grill pan (or use and outdoor grill) over medium heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and discard. Place the steak on the grill pan and cook 3 minutes, then rotate the steak 90 degrees to create cross hatch grill marks. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Brush the top of the steak generously with the balsamic vinegar then flip the steak. Brush the other side . Turn the steak over and brush the other side generously with balsamic vinegar. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, then rotate the steak 90 degrees. Cook and additional 3-4 minutes for medium temperature. Transfer to a platter and tent loosely with foil for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain in strips. Serve with a little extra balsamic vinegar drizzled if desired.
Like a date night. Or a holiday celebration. Or a birthday.
To me, fancy usually includes an indulgence, and really says "beef" to me.
That's what I LOVE...Steak! I usually favor Filet Mignon, but I also love Flank, New York, and Sirloin steaks. All cuts are juicy, cook up easily and taste great. When I want to serve fancy slices of steak instead of a whole piece I usually go for a flank or sirloin steak. London broil is another option that slices up nicely but is a tougher cut of meat and takes a little more prep and cooking to get it really tender.
MGG and I wanted to have a quiet date night at home. A little cocktail time followed by a delicious dinner and mood music. Then on to a great movie. Everyone needs a little down time after the holidays. (I know I sure do!) So, tonight I chose a wonderful sirloin steak which I marinaded with some garlic, fresh cracked multicolored peppercorns, and balsamic vinegar. This marinade is a fabulous way to give the steak a lot of flavor. A slight Italian themed meal is on the horizon!
There is about a 30 minute marinade time which you can do ahead. The actual cooking time is about 15 minutes depending on how you like your meat cooked.
Serve this with my Risotto with Mushrooms and Sage (recipe coming up next!) and a vegetable of your choice and you have an elegant dinner at home!
Now this is what I call a fancy "Date Night" dinner at home! Date night was a complete success and will certainly be repeated in the near future.
Enjoy!
Balsamic Steak
serves 2
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 large cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon cracked black or multi-colored peppercorns
½ cup balsamic vinegar, divided
1 - 1 ½ pounds sirloin steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat a grill pan (or use and outdoor grill) over medium heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and discard. Place the steak on the grill pan and cook 3 minutes, then rotate the steak 90 degrees to create cross hatch grill marks. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Brush the top of the steak generously with the balsamic vinegar then flip the steak. Brush the other side . Turn the steak over and brush the other side generously with balsamic vinegar. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, then rotate the steak 90 degrees. Cook and additional 3-4 minutes for medium temperature. Transfer to a platter and tent loosely with foil for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain in strips. Serve with a little extra balsamic vinegar drizzled if desired.
