Hungry Sam - Hungry Sam

Outstanding Savory Condiment, indeed.

Though I've become a D.C.-citizen, sans-voting rights and all, I remain at heart a Mainer with an inordinate amount of state pride. So, obviously, I am a staunch and stalwart supporter of Stonewall Kitchen products.

Oh, you didn't know? Stonewall Kitchens, purveyor of awesome jarred sauces, syrups, salsas, and other good stuff, is based in York, Maine.

Among their tasty and creative products is a marinade/dipping sauce I've used a couple times now, a Wasabi Ginger Sauce. Light on the wasabi with just a gentle bite of ginger at the finish, I've found this sauce's rich depth of Asian-inspired flavor complements steak and bison. Yes, I'm generally an advocate for making one's own _______ (fill in the blank), but if you're going to go with "almost homemade" anyways, I say choose a high quality product such as this. Particularly if it will benefit the Maine economy. Really, Maine Department of Tourism, just hire me already.

Now, I've been on a real flank steak kick. Flank steak, from the cow's abdomen, is often sold in long thin cuts of meat. Although it's reasonably tough (due to lots of connective tissue), this cut is perfect for marinating and then grilling or searing.

Given that my grill is currently held together with tin foil and rust, I opted for the latter.

Looks just like EVERY other picture of marinating steak.

I tossed about a third of the bottle of marinade in a plastic Ziploc with my steaks for about four hours. Four hours is sort of a sweet spot for marinating whole cuts of steak: less time and the connective tissue won't quite break down; more time and the tissue breaks down too much and the meat gets mushy (more info on marinating here). For the last hour of marinating I pulled the steak out of the fridge -- you want the meat at close to room temperature when you sear or the beef won't cook evenly.

To sear, I simply heated a tablespoon of oil in a heavy pan over medium high and cooked about four minutes to a side for rare/medium-rare.

Sorry there aren't pictures; I can't figure out how to dodge spattering oil long enough to snap a shot that looks remotely appetizing. Instead, enjoy this picture of my beef silicon cutting board (on top of a wood cutting board):

That's right, I've got THE WHOLE SET.

Wasn't that nice? Ok, so the picture isn't great. I was distracted by the smell of searing beef. Sorry.

Ok, remember, when you cook any meat, no matter which method you use, you always let the food sit for a few minutes after coming off the heat. There's disagreement over why; you should do it because I said so. Truth: the meat will cook a few moments after coming off the heat, so keep that in mind as you work toward your desired "doneness."

Juicy.

Finally, I threw together a quick stir fry of zucchini and yellow squash, cooked in toasted sesame seed oil with lots of salt and pepper, three pinches of raw sesame seeds, and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Perfect: