Grilled Flap Steak with Herbed Oven Fries

We usually will have beef once a week if even that, and usually on Sunday or Monday. Wade has those days off and it's nice to grill a steak and actually eat with him, instead of something he can warm up when he gets home so late from work.

When Maranda and I were at the farmer's market Saturday we also stopped in Whole Foods, because it's downtown and we don't go there much. They had a flap steak on sale. We get skirt steak all the time and it is a nice thing to prepare stove top, as it cooks quickly. (just messy). She often requests it, but it's getting so pricey, it used to be a pretty inexpensive cut. The flavor is what keeps us going back to it. So I asked what a flap steak was, he said it was like a skirt steak but leaner (we're all for leaner) and it did look like a skirt steak. The price for the flap steak was the same as skirt steak at Publix, and I didn't have to do any trimming, it was so clean!

It is also called bavette, the French name for the cut. You can read more about it in this article check here . If not prepared properly it can be tough and fibrous. It is cooked on a high dry heat, and cut across the grain to avoid it becoming tough. After marinating blot it dry before placing it on the grill. I sprinkled grill seasoning on right before.

About 3 minutes on each side. You can tell by the firmness of it just like other steaks you grill.

I had planned to do it outside on the grill, but it was raining and it take so long for the coals to get going then the steak cooks so quickly, it didn't seem worth it. So I did it on my grill pan inside, after potatoes were in the oven for awhile.

First marinate for an hour or so. Some say to marinate longer, but I don't think it needs it. With a soy based marinade I don't like it to go too long. I usually take the beef out of the fridge to get close to room temperature before cooking. Pat it dry before grilling to get a nice sear.

Marinade:
3 T soy sauce (I used tamari)
3 T balsamic vinegar
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 onion sliced (I had shallots)
2 tsp ginger minced (or ginger paste)
2 T mirin
For the potatoes these I peeled and cut into long wedges. Drizzled with olive oil then tossed with some herbs, and salt and pepper. I used Penzey Parisien Bonnes Herbes 's, which has chives, dill weed, French basil, French tarragon, chervil and white pepper. Last time I was in Michigan and we visited Penzey's there was only one left and my sister grabbed it! That's okay I just mix my own now and it tastes great, love it on potatoes and eggs. Anyway just toss the potatoes in oil and seasoning and roast in on your stoneware bar pans, until nice and crisp or the way you like them done.

It turned out great, nice and tender and full of flavor! We also had some of the organic broccoli that we picked up at the farmer's market.

Tucker at the end of the day yesterday. He is almost falling of his couch here. He gets wore out when we are all home, he can't sleep all day like when we are at work and school.

He has to stay awake and keep an eye on us all day when we're home! He sleeps good later. He certainly didn't look like that when we were eating our steak!