Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [36]
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the burgers directly over the heat, cover, and grill for 7 minutes, flipping after about 4 minutes for medium-done (150°F, slightly pink). Add a minute per side for well-done. Avoid pressing down on the burgers, which squeezes out moisture and makes them dry.
If you like, butter the rolls before grilling. Grill the rolls, cut-sides down, directly over the heat until toasted, about 1 minute. If serving the burgers directly from the grill, serve on the buns. If the burgers will sit, even for a few minutes, keep the rolls and burgers separate until just before eating.
FLANK STEAK/FLANK
Cilantro-Lime London Broil
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Flank steak was the original London broil, a tough, flavorful cut that could be grilled or broiled like more tender steaks, and then sliced against its completely uniform grain to tenderize it. Now it is more common to see London broil cut from the round (leg). But the muscle fibers are not parallel in a round steak, as they are in flank steak, making it impossible to consistently slice against the grain. That’s why London broil made from the round is unreliable in texture, and why recipes often direct you to marinate the meat for a day or more in an attempt to tenderize it. Do yourself a favor and use the real London broil—flank steak. In this recipe, we marinate for flavor. Soaking the beef in coriander and lime infuses the flank with a fresh fajita fragrance in just a few hours. Unlike other tough cuts of beef, which require hours of slow indirect grilling, this flank is ready in just 10 minutes. We serve it gilded with cilantro-lime butter sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
Coarse salt
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
Finely grated zest and juice of 4 limes
½ cup water
2 pounds flank steak
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, the sugar, the zest and juice of 3 of the limes, and the water in a zipper-lock bag; seal and shake until the salt and sugar dissolve, about 30 seconds. Add the flank steak, press out the air, seal, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours if you like.
Remove the steak from the marinade and bring to room temperature before grilling, about 1 hour. Discard the marinade.
Light a grill for direct high heat, about 500°F.
Melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook until the garlic sizzles. Stir in the remaining zest and juice of 1 lime and heat to boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro, and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm while you grill the steak.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the steak on the grill and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes per side for medium-rare to medium-done (135 to 145°F).
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Cut against the grain on the diagonal into thin slices. Serve the steak drizzled with some of the cilantro-lime butter sauce; serve the rest of the sauce on the side.
FLANK STEAK/FLANK
Argentine Stuffed Flank Steak
MAKES 6 MAIN-COURSE OR 10 TO 12 APPETIZER SERVINGS
In Argentina, this stuffed and rolled beef dish is known as matambre, or “hunger killer.” Made with eggs, bacon, and beef, it’s certainly not for the fainthearted. But sliced crosswise, it makes an impressive presentation. Spinach and carrots are traditional vegetables for the stuffing, and we’ve used them here. If you prefer, use almost any vegetable combination you like. Grill cooks at parrillas (traditional Argentine grills) sometimes wrap the meat roll in foil and cook it indirectly to mimic a roasting method. But foil prevents the flavor of the fire from getting on the meat, so we like to brown the roll over direct heat first, and then move it away from the heat to continue grill-roasting the beef to tender doneness. Garlicky, colorful chimichurri sauce keeps the meat moist as it cooks and then serves as a sauce on the plate.
INGREDIENTS: