Some pine for the perfect storm, I hunger for the perfect meal.
I spend hours of the day and sometimes of the night exploring and obsessing about ingredients and flavor combinations to create a flawless meal to share with people, no matter if I’m conceptualizing for one of my more intricate events or a laidback dinner with friends.
Some might think of it as OCD, I call it love for both scrumptious food and dedication to my guests.
Elegant, no frills, standing up, meat, vegetarian, kids, no kids, celebratory, winter, summer, only a nosh. The possibilities are endless.
Then, there are certain times in life when nothing will do but a steak.
When steak is king, a vast selection flows in to my brain while I go through the different textures, flavors and degrees of tenderness. Rib eye, sirloin, t-bone, dry aged, Fiorentina, Porterhouse, these are all cuts with merits and singular degrees of juiciness and oral pleasure.
If I want flavor and texture, one cut is firmly lodged in my mind and that’s undeniably flap steak. And since the name it’s a bit unappealing, you can add a bit of je ne sais quoi and call it Bavette like the French, or go south of the border and refer to it as Fajitas. I name it my favorite.
And I’m not the only one. Before becoming a darling of the hipster chefs in Brooklyn, it was known as the butcher best-kept secret.
The Bavette is similar to skirt and flank in that it comes from the less tender regions of the animal. Often cheaper than more popular cuts, this little underdog of the beef world has a wonderful meaty flavor and a fine texture.
It demands a good marinade, high heat quick grilling, a mandatory slice against the grain at an angle, and resting time.
This is a steak I would serve to my close friends, at boy’s night or perhaps the poker crew but I’m certain it would impress any diehard foodie hanging around.
My marinade of choice for Bavette is a whiskey, honey, coffee and garlic marinade. Salty and slightly bitter from the espresso powder but with a hint of sweetness from the honey, it enhances the already powerful flavor of the, if cooked right, charred but tender meat.
Photo by Beatriz da Costa, styling by Erin Swift
I like to serve the steak, medium rare, sliced, with a caramelized onion marmalade I have learned to make at Ritz in London that I adore for its sweetness and silky texture and a simple but bright and slightly vinegary salsa verde. Nothing else.
Photo by Beatriz da Costa, styling by Erin Swift
Except, speaking of talented hipsters, a glass of my friend Sarah’s whiskey from Van Brunt Stillhouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn that I like to use for the marinade as well and of course good bread for mopping up the juices.
van brunt stillhouse
If you cannot find Bavette steak, a flat iron, a flank or a skirt steak would be a beautiful and equally tasty substitutes.
A generous helping of coffee affogato could end the evening well, making this, in my mind, a perfect meal and for others a fun poker night.
If you want to learn more about how to prepare and cook steak come by May 31st at the Sustainable Food and Farm Expo at Audubon Greenwich where I’ll be doing 3 demonstrations during the day and using some great cheaper cuts from the skillful and renowned Fleisher’s Craft Butchery.
The Farm Expo will be from 10 am to 5 pm and it will showcase twenty food exhibitors and vendors plus talks, demonstrations, and tastings with a wide range of experts every thirty minutes. The Sustainable Food & Farm Expo is a production of Audubon Greenwich, the Fairfield Green Food Guide, and Strawberry and Sage.
For more information and to purchase tickets click on:
Sustainable Food and Farm Expo
Or get them directly at:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1568464
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 15 minutes | 2 hours |
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini—Flank demands a good marinade to add flavor but also to promote browning and crispness. It needs high heat quick grilling, a mandatory slice against the grain at an angle, and resting time. I marinate the meat for thirty minutes to two hours. For rare steak, I grill it on really high heat for three to five minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Larger steaks might take longer.
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- 1 2-3 pounds bavette or flank steak
- 2 cloves peeled garlic
- 2 tablespoons whiskey
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Honey maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons espresso powder brewed strong coffee can be substitute
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- salt/ black pepper
- olive oil
- Marinate the steak. Place the steak in a ziplock bag. Mix the garlic, whiskey, honey or syrup, soy, coffee and vinegar until well combined, then pour over the steak and close the ziplock bag. Chill for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours in the fridge. Return to room temperature before cooking.
- Remove the steak from the marinade. Put the marinade in a small sauce pan and reduce over medium heat, Bring to a boil then simmer until thickened. About 5 minutes. Reserve.
- Cook the steak. Season well with salt and pepper. And drizzle a little oil on it. Heat a grill pan or a regular pan over high heat. Grill the steak 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare.
- Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice at an angle and against the grain. Drizzle the reserved and warmed marinade over the steak before serving.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 4 large sweet onions cut in to thin slices
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper
- In a large pan, heat the olive oil until shimmering add then butter and melt. Add the onions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15/20 minutes.
- Tie the bay leaves and rosemary and thyme together with kitchen twine. Add the herb bundle to the onions and cook over low heat, stirring a few times, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and cook, without stirring, until the sugar melts, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until an amber-brown caramel forms, about 6 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and simmer over low heat, stirring a few times, until the jam is thick, about 5 minutes. Discard the herb bundle. Season the jam with salt and pepper and let it cool to warm.
- MAKE AHEAD The caramelized onion jam can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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- 2 cups flat leaves parsley
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 fillet anchovies
- 1/4 cup drained and rinsed capers
- 1/4 cup stale bread crumbs
- 1/2 clove peeled garlic you can omit the garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- salt an pepper
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. You can also use a mortar or a hand held blender.
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