a Taste of Chicago Marinated Flank Steak

A Taste of Chicago… Marinated Flank Steak

Tonight is a taste of Chicago, we’re taking a marinated flank steak and cooking it on a hot open flame; you can see the grill marks on this tender and juicy steak. Sliced thin and served with crunchy fingerling potatoes and green beans almandine.

And why are we making this dish tonight? Well this week we were in Chicago Illinois; Shy Town, the Windy City. A town that was once the largest meatpacking center in the entire United States. Chicago has been tied to the meat packing industry since the end of the American Civil War in 1865, and with the innovation of refrigerated rail cars, Chicago became the hub of meat processing companies like famous Union Stock Yards.

Our mise en place for tonight’s dish is:

The Steak
A 2lb Flank Steak

The Marinade
3 oz of Bourbon (we’re using Tennessee Whiskey)
1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
3 oz of Soy Sauce
1 ½ oz of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The Sauce
2 Tablespoons of Butter
2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Chopped Shallots
4 chopped white mushrooms
Salt & Pepper
A few Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
2 oz of the Steak Marinade
1 Cup of Beef Stock
2 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
1 oz of Corn Starch
2 oz of Natalie’s Lemon Juice

Combine the ingredients of the marinade in a small bowl and whisk everything together until all of the brown sugar has dissolved and the mustard is mixed into liquids evenly. Place the flank steak into a gallon sized plastic bag, and pour the marinade into the bag. Seal the bag and remove as much air as possible, ensure that the marinade coats all of the steak inside the bag. Then place the bag into the refrigerator for a few hours.

Time to put the steak on the grill. We want all of the burners on high so that we get a nice char on the outside of the steak. Once the grill is hot, cook the steak for three minute and then rotate it 45 degrees and cook it for another 30 seconds; we just want to get some grill marks on it. Flip the steak over and repeat the process; total cooking time is only seven to eight minutes for a rare steak. Remove the steak from the grill and place it on a tray with aluminum foil; add some butter and sprinkle the steak with coarse salt, wrap it in the aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Next we’ll make a sauce. Add in the butter and a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a pan on medium heat, add most of the chopped shallots, give them a stir, and sauté for about four minutes. Add in the chopped mushrooms and give them a stir. Cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add in the fresh thyme, steak marinade, beef stock, heavy cream, and lemon juice, and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, add in a chunk of cold butter, give it a stir and let it thicken.
Slice the flank steak against the grain into thin slices. Once you have them plated, ladle some of the sauce onto the dish.

And there it is! A Taste of Chicago! Flank steak marinated in bourbon, olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard. Cooked on a gas grill to a tender and juicy medium rare.

It was delicious!

Until next time,
Bon Appetit.
Ciao,
Mark