I just planted flowers on my porch this week. A thunderstorm rolled in and upon leaving brought a humid sticky feeling in the air. Green grass is sprouting up everywhere. The Masters golf tournament started today. All these things point to one thing…..May 2 is approaching and I will no longer be in my 20’s. As I approach this birthday with hesitation, I am reminded that a fun night for me now includes sitting in a dark living room, watching a Chicago PD episode, and getting to bed at a reasonable hour. Think how old some people must feel…like my nosey ruthless commenter, Fredo, who is quickly approaching 65 years of life. So as the weather changes from winter to spring, try to enjoy these sunny days with your friends and family and remember how fast life flies by. A great way to enjoy those you are close to is a weekend cookout. Make this easy and intensely flavorful steak with a healthy steak sauce to drizzle over the charred skirt steak. This meat main course will leave anyone, young or old, feeling good about life.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Roasted Tomato Steak Sauce 

Ingredients

For Marinade:
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic , minced
1 medium shallot , minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
For Steak:
1 skirt steak (about 3 pounds), patted dry with paper towels
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Steak Sauce:
4 Roma tomatoes
2 tsp. herbs de provence
1 1/2 cup Italian flat leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. crushed red papper flakes
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
extra salt and pepper to season tomatoes before roasting

Directions

For the Steak: Puree all marinade ingredients in blender until smooth, scraping down blender jar as needed.  Place steak on rimmed baking sheet or in large baking dish. Using dinner fork, prick steak about 20 times on each side. Rub both sides of steak evenly with salt and then with paste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Heat grill to high heat. Using paper towels, wipe paste off steak; season both sides with pepper. Grill steak until well browned, 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, flip steak; grill until second side is well browned, 2-3 minutes. Transfer steak to cutting board. Cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.  Using sharp chef’s knife or carving knife, slice steak about 1/4 inch thick against grain and on bias. Serve immediately. Serves about 4 people as win dish.

For the sauce: Quarter the tomatoes and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with Herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Let cool. In a blender or food processor, add tomatoes, parsley, garlic, red pepper, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Mix until combined. Slowly add in olive oil until smooth. Serve with steak.

Katie’s Tips:

*Always make sure you let steak rest before slicing it. This will help the juices redistribute in the steak and not pour out of the meat.

*Cut skirt steak against the grain when you slice it.

*Make sure your grill is very hot. You will not get the beautiful char flavor and look without a smoking hot grill.

Isaac’s Tip:

*Pay attention. Instead of relying on an exact time that the meat is supposed to cook, stand close by and monitor it closely so your meat does not overcook.