Freezer Marinated Steak

The last time I purchased  a package containing four pieces of top sirloin steak from our mega-supermarket,  I filleted the one inch thick pieces into pieces one half inch thick so I could make sure they were cooked medium well for my wife.  That night I cooked one-half of the pieces and decided to freeze the remainder for another time.

Into a sealable bag I placed the pieces of steak, 1/4-cup of apple vinegar, 1-tablespoon of lemon juice, two tablespoons of grape seed oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and one sprig of fresh rosemary.  This made a nice marinade that contains the three necessary ingredients: acid, oil, and seasoning.  Before I sealed the bag, I got as much air out as I could, and then I sealed the bag.  Next, I kneaded the marinade into the meat through the bag, making sure the marinade was covering the steak.  I popped the bag of steak into the freezer until the next time the weather would allow grilling.

This week I saw in the paper that we would finally have a few days of sunshine, so I removed the package of steak from the freezer and let it thaw for two days in the refrigerator.  The day I went to cook the steak, I found that it was still just a little frozen, so I let it soak for about fifteen minutes in a pan of cold water while I waited for the briquettes to get hot.

I split the briquettes and moved them off to each side of the bottom of the barbeque so there was an area in the center of the grill that had no briquettes below it.  I watched an Alton Brown Good Eats TV show where he said that when the fat cooking out of the meat and lands on the briquettes, it creates carcinogens that coat the meat (bad for you), but when you use indirect heat, the meat would still cook, but without the carcinogens.

I opened the bag of steak and drained off the marinade, and then I placed the steak pieces on the center of the grill and put the lid on the barbeque.  I grilled the steak for eight minutes on each side until they were just cooked a little beyond medium.  I placed all the pieces in a glass Pyrex pan, covered with foil and let the steaks rest for five minutes before serving.

I accompanied the steak with brown rice, sautéed mushrooms, steamed broccoli, and a green salad.  Unlike my normal direct heat cooking of the steak, this steak was very moist and tender.  The marinade added just a little extra flavor that really complemented the meat.  The marinade and the indirect heat had made a fairly inexpensive pieces of meat into quite a meal.  I just have to remember to do this the next time.

Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry Howell