Chef Anthony Espinosa of the Great Street Restaurant and Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel has the types of steak to buy that won't break the bank. He came to our ABC7 studio to show us how to select cuts.
Chef Espinosa's Tips For Choosing Meat Cuts:
1. Strip Steak:
- great for your wallet and your grilling menu
- flavorful without being too pricey
- but it's easy to overcook, so make sure that the steak has a good sear
- leave it on each side for 3 to 4 minutes without touching it
- the times may need to be adjusted depending on the thickness of the steak
- after a few minutes on each side, take it off the grill and let it rest for about five minutes; that preserves the natural juices in the steak
2. Flatiron:
- flavorful
- not quite as expensive as other premium cuts
- packs a lot of flavor
- but it is slightly tougher
- sear for 3 minutes on each side at most, so it doesn't dry out
- a significant amount of marbling makes it particularly tasty
3. Flank Steak:
- inexpensive, flavorful option
- a simple marinade of olive oil, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper is all you need before grilling the steak for 3 to 4 minutes
- let the meat stand for five minutes in order for the juices to redistribute
- then cut against the grain to keep the pieces tender and moist as opposed to tough and stringy
Chef Espinosa's Recipes:
Marinated Skirt Steak
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup soy sauce
2 cloves of crushed garlic
½ cup of olive oil
4 oz. ancho powder (optional for smokey flavor)
2 oz chopped oregano
½ of a lime, squeezed
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Preparation:
Allow the skirt steak to sit in marinade overnight.
Be sure to have the marinade completely cover the skirt steak.
Pre heat grill, make sure the grill grates are oiled and very hot.
Remove skirt steak from marinade, pat dry with a towel, season with salt and pepper.
Set on grill, cook to desired temp and cut across the grain.
Marinated Grilled Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup of balsamic vinegar
3 cloves of minced garlic
2 oz. of chopped thyme
2 oz. of chopped Italian parsley
4 oz. of honey
1 oz. red pepper flakes
4 cleaned portabella mushrooms
1 bunch of pencil asparagus
2 cleaned red peppers
2 cleaned yellow peppers
1 cut zucchini
1 cut yellow squash
Preparation:
Combine all the liquid ingredients in a bowl, slowly whisk together, and then add the herbs.
Whisk until all incorporated.
Then in a separate bowl, add vegetables to marinade.
Let sit in marinade for a few hours, not overnight.
When ready to grill, remove vegetables from marinade, gently pat down with a towel.
Season with salt and pepper, make sure grill is hot and grill grates are properly oiled.
Cook until tender.
