This is one of my award winning recipes, although sadly I was robbed of the grand prize that I so richly deserved. A couple years ago, the radio station I listened to sponsored a contest in conjunction with my favorite garden center. The grand prize was a Weber gas grill-not my dream grill, but bigger than the one I currently had. Contestants had to submit a recipe, and the winners would be selected from the entries. I knew that my flank steak was a ringer.
A week after submitting the recipe, I received an email notifying me that I was a finalist, and I should show up at Gerten's the following Saturday morning. I asked if I should bring a sample of the finished recipe, but was told that it wouldn't be necessary. I decided this was because the station probably had a test kitchen, and would announce the winner in some grand fashion at the garden center. I notified all of my friends and relatives of the news and told them to listen for the announcement on the station.
Saturday arrived and I reported to Gerten's at promptly 8 AM. There were a dozen other contestants there, most starstruck by the goofy sidekick DJ. I looked around for my "major award", but couldn't see it. Why wasn't there some type of table with all of our prepared recipes?
A PR rep from the radio station appeared and explained that the grand prize winner would be determined by a game of musical grills. The garden center had a display area with twelve grills, and one of them had a certificate inside. Whoever landed on the grill with the winning ticket inside would take it home. All I could think is, "What?! This isn't right. The winner should be determined by merit, by depth of flavor, not by a children's parlor game." Ultimately, some guy with a pregnant wife at home won, and I grudgingly accepted my runner up prize of mesquite chips and butt rub. Gyp.
Amy's Two Day Flank Steak
You could marinade for 24 hours only, but trust me, it's called TWO DAY Flank Steak for a reason. Flank steak is one tough cut of meat, and you need every minute of those 48 hours to tenderize that bad boy.
2 lbs. flank steak
1/4 C olive oil
1 6 oz. can pineapple juice
1 C soy sauce (Kikkoman's low sodium)
1/4 C honey
1/2 C rice vinegar
1 bunch green onions thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Score the flank steak in one inch intervals on the diagonal on both sides of the meat. Mix all of the marinade ingredients well in a gallon sized resealable freezer bag. Insert the meat and flip the bag several times to thoroughly coat the steak. Refrigerate, and turn the bag several times over the next 48 hours. When grilling time has arrived, cook for 6 minutes on each side. Slice on the diagonal every half inch and serve immediately. The leftovers make great sandwiches on a baguette roll.
