Dinner # 2 of the 12 Dinners of Christmas - Flank Steak with Wine and Balsamic Mushroom Sauce



Flank Steak with Wine and Balsamic Onion Sauce

 The Kids are tired of poultry. If I try to fashion our leftover turkey into one more dish, I think they will revolt. Tonight's dinner featured BEEF.

My Middle One and No Thank You Boy have been asking me to make "Steak" for some time now. Grilling is my preferred method for preparing beef. With it getting dark at about 4:30 p.m., I am not one to grill in the cover of darkness. I have a few tips for achieving the grill taste without firing up the Weber.

Try using a grill pan to sear your steaks and give the beef some nice grill marks. A generous sprinkle of a smokey steak seasoning such as Chicago Steak Seasoning from Penzeys Spices or Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick available in your grocery store spice aisle adds just grilled taste to beef.

Tonight's dinner of Flank Steak with Wine and Balsamic Mushroom Sauce was well received by the peanut gallery. Everyone had double portions of the steak except for My Middle One who eat about a half pound of brie and crackers right before dinner. Also on the menu were roasted green beans (a drizzle of olive oil and a shake of salt and pepper then 12 - 15 minutes in a 500 degree oven) and steamed rice.

After finishing his dinner, The Husband announced, "That was good." I'll take that as a positive endorsement of the meal. I'll be adding this recipe to the Make Again Soon file.

Flank Steak with Wine and Balsamic Mushroom Sauce

serves about 5

1 flank steak, about 1 and 1/2 pounds
steak seasoning, such as Penzey's Chicago Steak Seasoning or Mc Cormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 10-ounce package baby portebello mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
a couple shakes of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup beef stock
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Season both sides of steak with steak seasoning and place on a baking sheet. When the oven is preheated, roast the steak for about 6 - 7 minutes per side. The internal temperature of the steak should be about 130 degrees for medium rare. If the steak is cooked longer, it will be very tough. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan to medium high. Add the olive oil and shallots and saute for about 5 - 6 minutes or until the shallots are softened and begin to brown. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and saute for an additional 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Add the wine and cook for about a minute. Add the stock and heat the sauce through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, thinly slice the steak against the grain. Spoon the mushroom sauce over the steak.