Recipes
Marinated Flank Steak with Zinfandel Vinaigrette and Orange Gremolata
Serves 4
Ingredients
1-1½ pounds flank steak
4 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
— Kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced oregano
2 pinches ground clove
½ star anise
¾ cup zinfandel
1 cup olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons best-quality red wine vinegar
— Grated zest of 1 small orange, Handful of Italian parsley leaves, chopped, Oregano sprigs, for garnish
Preparation
Set the flank steak on a clean work surface. Set aside about a quarter of the garlic and rub the rest into the meat. Season it all over with salt and pepper and slip it into a freezer bag.
Set aside about a third of the oregano. In a small bowl, combine the remaining oregano with a pinch of clove, the star anise, ½ cup of the zinfandel and ½ cup of the olive oil. Whisk, season with salt and pepper and pour into the freezer bag with the meat. Close the bag, pushing out all of the air as you do. Massage the meat and marinate for a few minutes and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours and as long as overnight.
Shortly before cooking the steak, remove it from the refrigerator and prepare the vinaigrette.
Put the shallot in a medium bowl, season with salt and pour the vinegar over it. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of zinfandel and ½ cup of olive oil and add the reserved oregano. Taste the vinaigrette and if it is a bit flat, add a bit more salt and taste again. Add several turns of black pepper.
To make the gremolata, put the orange zest in a small bowl, add the reserved garlic, season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
Remove the meat from the bag and discard the marinade. Heat a stove-top grill or ridged pan or prepare a fire in an outdoor grill. Set the steak on the hot grill or in the hot grill pan and cook for 2 minutes; rotate 90 degrees and cook 2 minutes more. Turn the steak over, cook for 2 minutes, rotate and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a warm plate, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and let rest 5 minutes.
Set the flank steak on a clean work surface and cut into ¼-inchthick diagonal slices. Return to the warm plate. Spoon the vinaigrette over the meat, sprinkle gremolata on top, garnish with oregano sprigs and enjoy right away.
Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including "Vinaigrettes & Other Dressings."
Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com
