Recipe of the Month – October 2009

By Paula Hendricks - Nutritionist on October 3, 2009

Grilled Flank Steak over Greens – Makes 4 Servings

 This is a Hendricks family favorite!  Dr. Hendricks has been grilling flank steak outdoors for over 30 years.  It can be grilled indoors or outdoors but we like to grill outdoors, rain or shine.  It is a nice, lean, and inexpensive cut of beef and the left over makes a great steak salad for lunch the next day.  Enjoy on all Key Diets.

Ingredients:

•  1 ½ pounds lean flank steak, (you can buy a larger one for left over meals or large families)  
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Two large bunches Swiss chard (or spinach, mustard greens, arugula)
• High quality olive oil (try our Calolea brand sold in our office)
• Dipping sauce for meat (optional) – mix 2 T. horseradish with 1 T. plain yogurt and 1 T. sour cream with a dash of garlic salt.

 Instructions:

 Trim off any excess visible fat from steak and place steak in a large baking dish.  Rub 3 minced garlic cloves into meat on both sides.  Pour half the soy sauce on one side; flip steak over and pour remaining soy sauce on other side.  Let steak marinade for about 10-15 minutes.  Turn on the grill to preheat. 

While the grill is heating, prepare the greens.  If you are using fresh Swiss chard, cut the red stalk off the bottom and part way up the leaf as the stem can be a bit bitter.  Chop into strips and rinse thoroughly; drain.   Place in a heated wok style pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil at medium heat.  Add a little salt and cover with a lid.  With tongs, toss in pan every couple minutes until chard is cooked, about 5 minutes.  Mix in one minced garlic clove.  Turn heat off and let sit with the cover on while you grill the steak.    

 When grill is hot, throw the steak on.  Cook on one side for one minute, flip and cook on other side for one minute.  Flip again and cook for 4-5 minutes, and again for another 4-5 minutes.  A 1-1/2 pound steak takes about 10-12 minutes to cook for a medium-rare center and about 12-14 minutes for a larger one.  Cook longer if you like your meat well done.   

Place the cooked steak on a slightly slanted cutting board next to the sink to let juices drain when cutting.  Cut the entire steak across the short end (against the grain) into very thin strips, about 1/4 inch in thickness.  The ends are always more cooked than in the center.  When cutting, if the steak is not cooked to your liking, throw it back on the grill for a couple more minutes. 

 Divide the chard into four servings and place one serving of chard and a 4.5 ounce serving size (or more if needed) of steak on each dinner plate.  A side salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomato and one serving of avocado makes this meal complete.     

 Nutritional Value:  Each 4.5 ounce serving of meat contains approximately 30 grams of protein and the vegetable serving contains approximately 4 grams of net carbohydrates.  Add the side salad and add 6 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of fat.

Posted in Recipe of the Month |