RCP: Lemon Marinated Steak

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We started harvesting new crop lemons last week for the packinghouse and the lemons on my backyard tree, while still green, have plenty of free juice ... and over the Summer, my webmaster and I decided a little cleanup of our website was necessary ... noticed on my recipe page I didn't have any lemon based recipes for a beef category ... and Labor Day is upon us and my Weber is beckoning ...

2 Lb Sirloin steak, 2 to 2 1/2 inches thick
1 t Fresh lemon zest
1/2 C Fresh lemon juice
1/3 C Olive oil
2 T Finely sliced green onions
4 t Sugar
1 1/2 t Salt
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t Prepared yellow mustard
1/8 t Finely ground fresh black pepper

Trim steak of any excess fat and then score the fat on the edges of the steak ... put the meat in a marinator or shallow glass baking dish ... in a medium sized bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, sliced green onions, sugar, salt, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and black pepper and stir well to combine all the ingredients ... pour the mixture over the steak ... cover ... let stand 4 to 8 hours in the refrigerator, turning steak several times ... remove steak from the marinade 1 hour prior to grilling, reserving the marinade ... pat excess moisture from the steak with a paper towel ... grill steak over medium-hot to hot coals to medium-rare doneness ... remove steak to serving platter and loosely tent with aluminum foil for 5 minutes ... heat reserved marinade just to boiling ... carve steak across the grain into quarter-inch slices ... spoon hot marinade over the slices ... serve immediately ...

Makes approximately 6 servings

Serving suggestion - sliced multi-colored tomatoes (red, yellow, orange, etc.) with slices of fresh mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil, rice pilaf, zucchini cut lengthwise in half, drizzled with olive oil, and grilled at the same time as the steak, and lots of crusty bread for sopping ... for the wine, I'd choose a big fruit-forward zinfandel or a nice peppery syrah - either would work great !

Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day ! Hope it includes good friends and family, lots of good food, and, of course, too much wine !

Clink !

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Have you ever preserved lemons in salt?

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What would you use them for ?

Clink !

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You see lemons preserved in salt in Morocco, Bill. The juice has a silky mouth feel, and quite an interesting mouth feel. Here's an Alice Waters recipe I like:

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

"Our favorite lemons to preserve are the thinner-skinned, sweeter Meyer lemons, but Eureka lemons work equally well. Preserved lemons make a wonderful condiment that adds a uniquely Moroccan flavor wherever lemon is called for. To make them, all that is required is lemons and salt. Additive-free kosher salt is especially recommended in this recipe because it seems to dissolve more quickly.

Wash the lemons well.

While holding them over a plate to catch the juice, make four deep longitudinal cuts, evenly spaced around the lemon, effectively dividing it into four sections attached at the ends. Don't make the cuts so long (going into the ends) that the lemons separates into pieces; you want to keep the lemons whole. (Alternatively, cut the lemons into quarters, leaving the attached only at the stem end.)

Pack the cuts generously with salt. Put a couple of tablespoons of salt in the bottom of a jar and pack the lemons in layers, sprinkling a thin layer of salt between each layer of lemons.

Push the lemons down firmly to pack them tightly and to help express some of their juice. Finish with a final layer of salt. Pour any juices that collected on the plate when the lemons were cut.

Cover the jar tightly. Leave at room temperature for a few days, monitoring the level of liquid in the jar. The lemons should be submerged in juice after a few days. If they are not, ad more lemon juice. The lemons will be ready to eat in a few weeks and will keep for up to a year. They do not absolutely require refrigeration, but we always keep them in the refrigerator at the restaurant."

Chez Panisse Fruit by Alice Waters (Harper Collins, May, 2002)

I keep a jar in the fridge and add unused lemon juice to the jar from time to time. The juice used for pickling can be used over and over again.

Regards, Bob

Hey Bill,
Loved your lemon marinated Sirloin. Great grilling last night and it went perfect with plate of colorful tomatoes drizzled with a sherry vinegar and balsamic, vinaigrette.
Love those lemon recipes.....keep them coming. I go through lots of lemons each week. It is a food staple in our kitchen!

Oh yeah, it makes a wonderful chicken and preserved lemon tagine or dutch oven dish.

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Always lookin' for and tryin' new recipes that contain lemons as a key ingredient ... Kathleen and I will never die of rickets, that's for sure !

Clink !

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[Jenise]

Yum. That would be a fine recipe for skirt steak too, Bill. Ever use that cut?

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That cut is a staple in this part of the Desert Southwest ... we grill it twice a year for 250 of our harvesters ... my Harvesting Superintendent who prepares the meat does use a lot of lemon in combination with his favorite Mexican spices ... always turns out DEVINE !

Clink !

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