A Bone Blasting Barbecue 2020!
Get Grilling Part 3: Steak and Dessert
Some of my happiest summer memories are cookouts at my cousin Arlene’s. I would spend a whole Saturday afternoon with my tomboy sister and 5 boy cousins, none of whom wanted to play dolls with me, but the late afternoon barbecue made it all worth it. Four families gathered together for a smokin’ afternoon, each bringing their own cuts of beef. I especially loved the chance to eat the non-Kosher cuts of meat that were forbidden in my home—much fattier, hence more succulent, hence more delicious than the kosher meat my parents brought to the grill.
Chimichurried Skirt Steak with Broccolini
Serves 6
Whether your life is filled with Meatless Mondays or you skip meat every day of the week except for Monday, barbecues deserve their beef (and we deserve the added muscle strength its protein supplies—so important when it comes to protecting our bones). Skirt steak and a barbecue grill are a gustatory match made in heaven. Because skirt steak is thin, it needs to be cooked with intensely high heat to char its outside while keeping the inside nice and juicy. And because the muscle structure of skirt steak is kind of crinkly it soaks up marinades more efficiently than other cuts of beef, which means enhanced flavor for you.
In keeping with the osteo-BLAST promise to steer you toward bone friendly nutrients, a traditional chimichurri recipe was tweaked with the addition of scallions. They’re loaded with vitamin K (twice the DVA for adults in a one cup serving steers calcium straight to our bones) and vitamin C (25% of the recommended DVA in a one cup serving builds up collagen, our bones’ matrix). It’s packed with flavor and is a much better-for-you slathering medium than sugar-laden barbecue sauces. And if that isn't enough of a bone blast for you, be sure to serve with calcium-rich broccolini.
MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF: Blanch the broccolini the day before and store covered in the fridge.
2 ½ lbs. skirt steak, cleaned of tough sinew, and divided into 3 or 4 manageable pieces
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, stripped from the stem and finely chopped
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 1 tablespoon)
For the chimichurri:
1 bunch scallions, sliced
½ cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
¼ cup loose packed fresh oregano or basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
½- ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper (to taste….it’s spicy!)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 bunches broccolini
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil…just a drizzle
1 lemon
Combine the balsamic, rosemary and oil in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and add the steak. Let it marinate, refrigerated, for an hour or 2 before grilling.
Make chimichurri: Stir together chopped greens and herbs, garlic, oil, vinegar, crushed pepper, and salt. This is best done close to grilling time. Let it sit and mellow while you prepare the grill.
Prepare your grill (charcoal, gas or grill pan!) for medium high to high heat. When hot and ready, season the skirt steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and leave them be. Let them develop a nice char on one side without moving or poking, 3-5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side. These steaks are thin so they won’t take long. Also, there are thick pieces and thinner ones, a perfect way to please guests who prefer their steak rare and those who prefer their steak well done. But either way, you need high heat to get a good char on the outside while keeping the inside from over cooking. Use an instant read thermometer to take the internal temperature:120 degrees for rare, 140 for medium, 160 for well done.
Remove meat to a tray and let rest for 5 or 10 minutes so juices settle and the steaks stay juicy when cut. Thinly slice on a steep bias.
Slather with chimichurri or serve on the side.
For broccolini: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Trim off the tough bottoms of the stalks. Place in boiling water for 1- 2 minutes (till thick stems are tender). Remove, then douse in very cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and lay on towels to dry.
Drizzle stalks with olive oil, and place on a hot grill. Allow to char on one side, flip, char on the other side, then remove to a tray. Squeeze a lemon wedge over broccolini to taste and serve.
Champagne Soaked Summer Peaches
Serves 6
When I was a kid, our cookouts were capped off with the brood standing around the grill and roasting marshmallows on sticks while fireflies flickered around us—so much better than holding them on a fork above the gas burner in my apartment kitchen! And while marshmallows can be a fun treat, I’d much rather fill my grill with slices of tasty pound cake to cradle one of my favorite late summer crops,, peaches.
With peaches’ intoxicating fragrance, this scrumptious finale hits all the marks a dazzling summer dessert should, in more ways than one. Peaches contain all the bone building nutrients that their bone-blasting cohorts do: Vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc and copper, but in lesser amounts per cup. That might keep them off the “powerhouse” list, but as far as dessert goes, they certainly make a healthy contribution to your bones. I couldn’t resist including this indulgent dessert in our barbecue menu. Add a champagne marinade, ice cream, and a slice of toasty grilled, best quality poundcake and you’ve got yourself one fancy-schmancy dessert!
6 ripe summer peaches
A 355 ml champagne split or a 12-ounce bottle non alcoholic champagne
2-3 sprigs basil
1 pound cake, homemade or purchased
Neutral oil spray or 2-3 tablespoons melted butter
1 quart of your favorite vanilla ice cream
Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Fresh currants for garnish
Cut peaches in half and remove the pit. Peel off the skin with a paring knife or a sharp peeler for a smooth texture to your peaches, or leave the skin on for a better nutrient count. Slice each half into 6 wedges. Place in a bowl. Add the champagne and basil sprigs. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Cut pound cake into 1 inch slices. Mist with oil or lightly paint with melted butter. Place on clean grill grates to toast over medium-high heat. Using a spatula, gently flip and toast the other side. Remove and reserve.
To serve, place 1 slice of cake in each serving plate or bowl. Add 1-2 scoops ice cream, a generous spoonful of peaches and their juices, a small sprig of fresh basil and a small stem of fresh currents.
If you’d like to prepare the entire barbecue menu, from appetizers to dessert, here’s a helpful schedule to follow:
Barbecue Timeline
2 days before:
Buy all food
Make tahini yogurt and all dressings, store them, covered and labeled in the fridge
*tahini yogurt
*potato salad
*slaw
Day before:
Boil potatoes, cool, refrigerate in a covered container
Roast beets, cut and store in a separate airtight contain
Chop celery, scallion and store in a small ziptop bag till ready to mix with potatoes
Cut slaw veggies
Wash and trim broccolini
Chop olives or capers for halloumi if using. Store in a small covered container
You can scoop ice cream into balls on a parchment lined tray, cover with plastic, and freeze. The ice cream can then be assembled and plated and it stays cold enough to get the tray out to your guests before melting.
Barbecue day:
Morning:
Clean and marinate steak- cover and chill
Cut halloumi and lay out on a small sheet tray, cover with plastic and keep cool
Broil tomatoes and peppers (if not grilling) for the tahini yogurt, leave at room temperature loosely covered
Cut watermelon, lay out on a sheet tray and cover with plastic, keep cool
Make chimichurri, cover and chill
Make scoops of ice cream on a parchment lined sheet tray. Cover with plastic and freeze till dessert time. Makes for easy plating and firmer ice cream
Afternoon/evening:
3 hours before serving:
Cut and douse peaches in champagne, store in the fridge, covered
Toss slaw with dressing and plate, cover and chill
Toss potato salad with dressing and plate, cover and chill
2-½ hours before serving:
Start grill
Grill pound cake while grill is clean, cover and set aside for dessert time
1-½ hours before serving:
- Grill halloumi and plate with watermelon
1 hour before serving
- Grill steaks, broccolini, baby bell peppers and tomatoes (if not done earlier in the broiler)
- Plate peppers/tomatoes and tahini yogurt
Slice steak and plate with broccolini when guests arrive!
Let us know how it goes!!
Credits: Photographer, Charlie Rappa; Food Stylist/Recipe Developer, Leslie Orlandini;Creative Director/ Prop Stylist, Francine Matalon-Degni; Editor, Sarah Marie Degni; Logo Designer, Zoe Miolla; Graphic Designer, Una Miolla