Cinco de Mayo came and went. But not without good food.
My sister Whitney (banana lover) and Jeff (Mexican food obsessed) came for a long weekend in early May.
Truth be told this was originally one of my earlier meals to post last year when I started this blog adventure. But... it was one of those meals that was SO good that we completely forgot to take final product pictures. Not once, but TWICE. I was determined not to miss the boat this time. I just had to share.
This recipe comes from Claudia Berry, my mother's dear friend who passed away when I was in college. Reminds me of shared family vacations in Tahoe and Montana, holidays, games, and good food. My dad could always make her laugh so hard she would cry. Claudia went to be with Jesus after a battle with breast cancer. Flank steak is one of those foods that will always remind me of her kitchen and the smell of grilling while us all of the girls played outside in the Los Gatos heat.
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.
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| GARLIC not pictured?!?! what was I thinking?! |
Grilled Flank Steak:
1 modest size flank steak
16 oz of Coca Cola
3 tbls soy sauce
1 tbls dried minced onion
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
a hand full of finely chopped parsley (1 tsp dried if you don't have fresh)
Throw 'er all in a zip lock bag and let it sit for at least 6 hours.
And now notes from the grill master, Chris:
"Use high heat. Let it warm up for about 7 minutes. Grill 3 minutes on each side. It's so thin that either side is cooking at all times, so it's the 6 minutes total that is important. Our flank steak was 3/4 of an inch thick and we cooked it to medium rare. You may want to add a little time if yours is thicker."
Jeff is ready for dinner!
You want to slice against the grain and at a diagonal. Notice the "muscle striations" running right to left in the photo. My knife is parallel as it cuts these lines. This is essential for tender bites. My mouth is watering.
We served ours on a flour tortilla with jack cheese, sauteed bell pepper and onion. A fresh squeeze of lime, some home-made salsa and guacamole (coming soon to your favorite blog) sits perfectly on top.
This is Californian-Mexican at it's finest. The garlic and the Cola are the stars that really transform the flavors in the meat. The Cola works to breakdown the meat and then gives a flavor profile for the other ingredients to ride on. Don't plan on left overs unless you lock yourself to the table. This meat is just so flavorful.
I will NEVER forget the first time I saw her make this as she poured coke all over that meat!!! I miss her so much, but this recipe is realllllll comfort food! xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteI've heard of using Cola in making ribs. I would imagine that it helps to tenderize the meat. I love flank steak, and am always looking for a great recipe. My mouth would water, too, if I had this gorgeous hunk of flesh ready to be sliced. Fajitas are one of our favorites. All this needs is a Margarita to wash it down.
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