Stuffed and Rolled Flank Steak, Lemon Potatoes and Cole Slaw
Here is a pretty good idea for a summer meal. Partly grilled. Party roasted. With a cool side salad.
The rolled flank steak idea came to me from a recent Sunset magazine recipe (Ref. May 2016, p.108). My version was slightly modified as noted below due to the ingredients I had on hand. I think the potato idea came to me from a small Greek restaurant on Chestnut Street in San Francisco a few years ago . They simply served me roasted potatoes with some lemon wedges to the side. Probably some yogurt sauce as well. But I only adopted the lemon for some reason. The cole slaw is a classic cole slaw recipe I found in a special edition Bon Appetit summer grilling magazine at the grocery counter this summer. If you can find the magazine still, pick it up. It is simple and as good as any recipe I have found. This cole slaw would go great as a filling for fish tacos too.
So here goes in about nine basic steps or so:
A. Olive Tapenade Stuffing:
1/2 cup of tapenade (green olive)
1/4 cup of Italian parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. of chopped mixed fresh herbs. I used oregano. It is basically a weed in my garden. Basil from the back sun porch. Tarragon from a clay pot on my back porch wall.
[1] Mix the tapenade and herbs in a small bowl and set aside.
B. Flank Steak
[2] Layout the flank steak on a piece of Saran Wrap (large enough to wrap over the cut of meat) on top of a cutting board. Flip the plastic wrap over the meat.
[3] Pound the meat with a mallet until it is tenderized and about 1/4 inch thick. Good luck there. I wasn't too worried about precision and just whacked it thinner.
[4] Spread the olive/herb mix over the flattened steak.
[5] Roll the steak so the grain is parallel to the axis of the roll. Tie it off with butcher string.
Oil a preheated grill with a pair of tongs and a paper towel soaked in some cooking oil. I used peanut oil tonight.
Brush some olive oil over the rolled steak. I forgot this step. It is not necessary with a well oiled grill rack.
I salted the meat using a sea salt / rosemary blend. I added ground black pepper over the top.
[6] Grill the steak for about 6-7 minutes on the first side. Flip the roll over. Grill for about the same amount of time on the opposite side - maybe less. Grill the remaining two quarters about three minutes each. Each time I flipped the steak over, I gave it a wash of Worchestire sauce, then sprinkled some salt and ground pepper over the meat.
[7] When done, slice the meat across the roll.
C. Roasted Potatoes and Lemon
Wash 1-2 small Yukon Gold potatoes per person.
Quarter them lengthwise.
Place them in a large enough Tupperware bowl with a snapfilt lid. Drizzle with olive oil. With the lid on, shake the potatoes gently until coated on all sides. Lay them out on a baking rack over a cooking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
Salt and pepper generously.
Place the racked baking sheet into preheated oven at 425F on the center oven rack. Set the oven timer for 25 minutes. You may want to check in on them at the 15 to 20 minute mark and flip the potato slices with tongs.
[8] Serve with a wedge or two of fresh lemon. Drizzle liberally with lemon juice while the potatoes are still piping hot.
D. Classic Cole Slaw
1/2 head of red cabbage
1/2 head of green cabbage
1 tbsp. of honey
1 cup of mayo
1-1/2 tbsp on apple cider vinegar (alternative 3/4 tbsp of apple cider vinegar + 3/4 tbsp. of white or rose wine).
3/4 tbsp. of celery seed
2 carrot julienned into long strips
salt & pepper to taste
Mix the mayo, honey, vinegar/wine, and celery seed in a bowl with a whisk. Set aside.
Julienne the carrots into long straight-edge strips.
Slice the cabbages into thin slices.
[9] Mix the cabbage, carrots and dressing together. Toss in a large bowl. Refrigerate until dinner. This can be made ahead of time to save time. This took the longest tonight due to the prep work.
All in all, pretty good for a lazy summer Sunday night. If I say so myself.