Try some new twists on grilled steak
New England's grilling season goes by quickly. By the time you've become reacquainted with the grill and mastered some of your old tricks, the season has faded.
Late summer, when your grilling prowess is strong, is a good time to add a few new dishes to your repertoire. Venture into the familiar realm of steaks, but try cheaper cuts such as sirloin tips or skirt steak. These may be chewy, but they are wonderfully flavorful and pair well with bright, summery ingredients.
These steaks can be the centerpiece of a dinner with friends. The skirt steak could be encrusted with a simple Southwestern spice rub and served with a salsa made of grilled tomatoes. Sirloin tips could be brushed with an orange-soy glaze and grilled. A warm pasta salad with grilled zucchini and sweet corn would be an appealing complement to the steaks. Set the steak and pasta salad out on a patio table along with a green salad and let guests wander over for a relaxed meal as the last rays of summer begin to fade.
Skirt steak is similar to flank steak in both flavor and texture. Thinly sliced, the meat has a texture that resembles a slow-cooked brisket. Most local markets carry skirt steak or will special order it. If it isn't available, substitute flank steak. Sprinkle the skirt steak with a spice rub and grill over a moderate fire until it is done to your liking. While the steak is grilling, prepare a grilled tomato salsa. Fire transforms the ingredients to make salsa with a sweet and smoky tang.
Also chewy but flavorful, sirloin tips seem to suffer from an identity crisis, perhaps because they are often confused with the leftover scraps of meat butchers label as "tips." The cut is properly known as loin flap steaks and comes from the bottom part of the sirloin. Grill the tips over a hot fire until rare and transfer to a cooler part of the grill. Then brush with the orange-soy glaze. The sugary components in the glaze -- honey and marmalade -- caramelize, giving the steaks a wonderful browned finish. Slice the steaks thin and serve with a drizzle of glaze and a sprinkling of scallions.
The pasta salad is classic American party fare. Instead of serving it cold, which can give the pasta a gummy texture and necessitate overdressing to keep the pasta from sticking, try a warm salad. Grill corn, zucchini, and scallions, then toss the vegetables with the hot pasta and a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sun-dried tomatoes. To make the dish even easier, grill the vegetables a couple of hours before dinner and then toss with the hot pasta just as guests arrive.
As you complete the final preparations for the meal, do take a moment to check the weather reports. After all, it is New England, and it never hurts to have an alternate plan for eating indoors.
