June 22, 2007

Summer Grilling

Nothing says summertime like firing up the grill and tossing on a few steaks, kabobs, hamburgers or ears of corn on the cob. I started thinking that grilling often ends up with a protein heavy meal - the options are endless, after all. Every carnivore loves a slightly charred steak or pork chop, eh? We have been marinating and grilling our favorite flank steak for a few weeks in a row now, and occasionally, our dinners lack, well, vegetables. The easiest solution? Put the vegetables on the grill, too!

My parents are avid gardeners who've grown everything: peppers, onions, corn, potatoes, asparagus, blueberries, raspberries, green peas, green beans, (gasp for air!) broccoli, cauliflower, squash, melon, and the list goes on and on. I hope everyone can experience the taste of new potatoes cooked the day they are dug out of the ground. Simply brilliant.

For grilled corn on the cob, clean off the silk while leaving the husks on and soak the entire cob in water for about 15 minutes. This will allow the corn to steam inside its husk while on the grill. Place on the grill for 15-20 minutes or until the corn kernels are tender. Slather with butter, salt and pepper and enjoy!
Marinated Flank Steak

For this sweet, flavorful flank steak, marinate the steak overnight (24 hours, but 8 hours would do) in:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 green onion, sliced
ground black pepper
1 flank steak (about 3 lbs), trimmed of fat

Mix together and place in a large ziploc bag. Tenderize the flank steak by going over it with a fork, stabbing it throughout. This also allows the marinade to really be absorbed. Marinate in the fridge overnight. Cook the steak about 5-8 minutes over medium high heat for medium rare. The steaks are quite thin so cook accordingly.

1 comment:

Katie Zeller said...

The cutworms just took out 2 rows of my sweetcorn. I replanted and am hoping.... We can't buy it here (as you probably know - I bring seeds from the U.S.) so we wait patiently until August and then pig out for 2 weeks!
Definitely on the grill - yours looks sooooo good!