Barbecue and Grilling:
BBQ Recipes: Beef Main Dishes

Vietnamese Marinated Flank Steak
Vietnamese Tangerine Dipping Sauce
Shotgun Willie’s Sirloin Steak for Two
Shotgun Willie’s Rowdy Rub
Beef T-Bone Steak and Vegetable Dinner for Two
Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Blue Cheese Topping
Caesar Salad Beef Burgers on Garlic Crostini
Ginger-Soy London Broil
Grilled Flank Steak with Aioli

Vietnamese Marinated Flank Steak

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 flank steak, usually about 2 pounds
4 ounces Vietnamese Tangerine Dipping Sauce (recipe below)

Make the marinade a few hours before you will use it so that the flavor has time to bloom. Stored in a glass jar under refrigeration, this sauce will last for a week or so.

Trim the flank steak of any silver skin and place it in a zip lock style bag and pour the sauce into the bag. Marinate under refrigeration for a least four hours.

I prefer to grill flank steak and I always cook it on high for about 3 minutes on each side so that it is just hitting medium rare. Then let the steak rest for about 5 minutes before you slice it. Slice against the grain of the meat in thin strips. If you are comfortable doing so, cut the meat on a bias (angle) and serve immediately.

If you like, you may serve a little of the reserved sauce on the side in small dishes. It's OK to heat it up, but don't boil it.

Vietnamese Tangerine Dipping Sauce

A colorful dipping sauce for spring rolls, fried rangoons or fried quail. Use as a most unusual marinade for flank steak.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic
1 red jalapeno, chopped, seeded, ribs removed*
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
6 tablespoons tangerine juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4-cup Nuoc Mam, Vietnamese fish sauce
1 tablespoon Mirin, sweet rice cooking wine

Combine garlic, jalapeno, sugar, and the juices in the blender and liquefy. Add the vinegar, fish sauce and Mirin. Blend for 5 seconds.

Can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

* A dried pequin pepper can be used if red jalapenos are out of season.

NOTE: Vietnamese fish sauce can be found in most major Supermarkets in the oriental food section. Also, I always buy tangerines when they are on sale, then juice them and freeze in ice cube trays. Then I dump them into a freezer bag for eventual use. I like the flavor! You can certainly substitute orange juice if you can't get tangerines.

Shotgun Willie’s Sirloin Steak for Two

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound sirloin steak, about 3/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon (or more) Shotgun Willie’s Rowdy Rub (recipe below)
6 button mushrooms
2 slices of onion, thick sliced
your favorite Italian dressing

Rub the steak with Shotgun Willie’s Rowdy Rub about 20 minutes before grilling and allow steak to sit at room temperature.

Put the mushrooms and onion slices on a plate and drizzle a couple tablespoons of dressing over them.

Place all on the grill for about 8 minutes until steak is cooked to desired doneness. Put the onion slices and mushrooms on top of the steak and allow to rest a minute or two. Cut the steak in half and serve.

1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh cracked peppercorns

Place all in a spice grinder and pulse a few times to blend thoroughly. Store like all spices, in a tightly sealed jar away from heat and light.

Beef T-Bone Steak and Vegetable Dinner for Two

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 beef t-bone or porterhouse steak, cut 1 inch thick (about 1 pound)
1 large all-purpose potato
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise in half
1 small red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into 6 pieces
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Pierce potato with fork. Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes, cool slightly. Cut lengthwise into 4 wedges.

Combine oil and Italian seasoning, brush on cut surfaces of vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese.

Place beef steak and vegetables on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 3 to 4 inches from heat. Broil 15 to 20 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness and until vegetables are tender, turning once.

Remove bone, carve steak into thick slices. Season beef with salt and pepper, as desired. Serve with vegetables.

Grilling Note: Brush vegetables with oil-seasoning mixture, place well-trimmed steak and vegetables on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 14 to 16 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness and until vegetables are tender, turning occasionally. About 5 minutes before vegetables are done, sprinkle with cheese.

Source: National Cattlemen's Beef Association http://www.beef.org

Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Blue Cheese Topping

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 beef tenderloin steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 1 pound)
1 large clove garlic, cut in half
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
4 teaspoons crumbled blue cheese
4 teaspoons plain yogurt
2 teaspoons minced onion
dash ground white pepper

Combine topping ingredients in small bowl.

Rub both sides of beef steaks with cut sides of garlic clove. Place steaks on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 2 to 3 inches from heat.

Broil 13 to 16 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning once. One to two minutes before steaks are done, top evenly with topping.

Season with salt, sprinkle with parsley.

Grilling Note: Place well-trimmed steaks on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 13 to 15 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally. One minute before steaks are done, top evenly with topping.

Source: National Cattlemen's Beef Association http://www.beef.org

Caesar Salad Beef Burgers on Garlic Crostini

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
salt and pepper
4 romaine lettuce leaves
1/4 cup freshly shaved or grated Parmesan cheese
romaine lettuce leaves (optional)

8 slices sourdough bread (about 4 x 3 x 1/2-inch)
extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, cut lengthwise into quarters

Combine ground beef, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Lightly shape into four 3/4-inch thick patties, shaping to fit the bread slices.

Place patties on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 13 to 15 minutes to medium (160°F) doneness, until not pink in center and juices show no pink color, turning occasionally.

Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

Meanwhile brush both sides of bread slices lightly with oil. Place bread around outer edge of grid. Grill a few minutes until lightly toasted, turning once.

Remove bread from grid; rub both sides of each slice with a garlic quarter.

Place one lettuce leaf on four of the crostini, top each with a burger. Sprinkle evenly with cheese, cover with remaining crostini.

Cut burgers in half, if desired, arrange on lettuce-lined platter, if desired

Cooking Note: Use a vegetable peeler to shave Parmesan cheese quickly.

Source: National Cattlemen's Beef Association http://www.beef.org

 Ginger-Soy London Broil

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 beef top round steak, cut 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches thick, or 1 beef flank steak (1-1/2 to 2 pounds)

Prepare the marinade: Place the ginger, onion, garlic and cilantro in a food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. Add the wine, soy sauce, oil and pepper and process to combine.

Place the steak in a baking dish just large enough to hold it and spread the marinade over it. Let marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 4 hours, ideally 6 hours, or even overnight (12 hours) if time permits, turning the steak a few times.

Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate.

Remove the steak from the marinade and drain well.

Place the steak on the hot grate and grill until cooked to taste, 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium-rare, 2 minutes more per side for medium, rotating the steak 90 degrees after 3 minutes if a crosshatch of grill marks is desired.

(This isn’t absolutely essential, as the steak will be carved for serving, but the perfectionist in you may want to do it anyway.)

Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Using a sharp knife, carve it into broad thin slices, holding the knife blade at a 45-degree angle to the top of the meat.

Serve at once.

Note: Because grill brands vary greatly, consult your owner's manual for recommended grilling temperatures and cooking times.

Courtesy of Steve Raichlen, How to Grill (Workman, 2001)

Source: National Cattlemen's Beef Association http://www.beef.org

Grilled Flank Steak with Aioli

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pound flank steak, trimmed of any sinew
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 large cloves garlic
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
sea salt and fresh ground black peppercorns, to taste

Place the flank steak in a zip lock style bag with the garlic and the oil and shake to coat thoroughly.

Marinate under refrigeration for a couple hours.

Combine garlic and egg yolks in a blender or food processor with a blade and pulse until garlic is finely chopped. Add vinegar and blend.

With the blender or food processor running, slowly add the olive oil in a thin stream until mixture thickens.

Remove to a bowl and gently stir in the parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate covered immediately until ready for use.

When your grill is ready, cook the flank steak for about 4 minutes on each side until medium rare.

Remove from the grill and allow to rest for about 5 minutes.

Slice the meat on a bias against the grain and serve at once with the Aioli on the side in small ramekins.