The weather will be warming up and it will be grilling time once again. Of course, with our mild winters, we can grill almost year round. A while back, before we moved to SaddleBrooke, we watched “Coyote Joe” on TV on Saturday afternoons and got a lot of good outdoor grilling recipes from him. This particular one we have grown to love and use it many times over. The hardest part of the recipe is finding good, thick flank steak. Maybe the secret is calling ahead and ordering it especially to the standards of the recipe.
Grilled Flank Steak Stuffed with Chile Relleno
What You Need:
1 Flank Steak, at least 3/4” thick (the thicker, the better)
5-6 Canned Green Chiles (two 7 oz. cans)
Monterey Jack Cheese (or White Cheddar)
Oregano
Garlic Salt
Fresh ground Black Pepper (coarse)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Bamboo Skewers
Preparation & Grilling:
The trick is to cut a slit in the long side of the flank steak while it is lying flat on the cutting board; you will need a good, sharp knife. Continue cutting to make a pocket in the middle of the steak. It should stay about 1” from the outside edges; keep the knife parallel to the cutting board, taking care not to cut through the back of the steak. Make sure to leave an opening 3”-4” long for stuffing. (Or, ask the butcher when you buy it to cut the pocket for you).
Slice cheese fairly thick and place inside each Chile and then stuff them into the steak. Alternate placement of the Chiles so the pocket is evenly stuffed. Pin the opening closed with the skewers.
Rub a little Olive Oil on the exterior of the steak (both sides). Season the outside with a little Garlic Salt, Pepper, and Oregano on both sides. Let sit 1 hour before grilling.
Using a very hot grill, cook the steak about 5 minutes on each side. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes after removing from the grill.
We slice with the grain with a good, sharp knife. (We have tried slicing across the grain and it doesn’t have the same presentation. You can experiment on the length of time cooked and the slicing.)
Serve with your favorite salsa. Hash brown potatoes are a good compliment. A nice orange or lime sherbet is an excellent dessert.
Original ChopShop is making its Tucson debut this summer
