Grilled Flank Steak with Coffee & Black Pepper Marinade
from Bistro Cooking At Home, by Gordon Hamersley

Don’t throw away that half empty pot of coffee. Instead use it as a marinade. You can marinate pork chops, chicken, steak, or any game meat in coffee. Generally let the meat stand for one to three hours in your favorite cup of Joe. The coffee will give the meat a lovely smoky taste. Just remember to use cold coffee. Hot coffee will cook the meat!

At first bite, the flavor of the marinade seems almost too subtle. Then you realize that the flank steak itself tastes better than ever - richer with a slight sweetness that complements rather than drowns out the flavor of the meat. The sugar may cause the meat to char somewhat, but this just adds flavor. As long as you have the grill going, try serving the steak with some grilled zucchini and eggplant. This recipe comes from Bistro Cooking At Home by Gordon Hamersley.

1 cup strong brewed black coffee or espresso
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
About 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus a little more for rubbing on the steak
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 ½ to 2 pounds flank steak, trimmed of fat

Combine the coffee, mustard, garlic, shallot, balsamic vinegar, the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, the brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a large dish or zip-top bag.

Remove and reserve 1/4 cup.

Add the flank steak, refrigerate the meat, and marinate it for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours, turning the meat every so often.

Heat the grill of your choice to medium-high.

Remove the meat from the marinade, reserving the liquid.

Pat the steak dry with paper towels, rub it all over with a little oil, and season with a little more salt.

Grill, basting with the left over coffee marinade frequently, until cooked rare to medium rare, 3 to 6 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

(You don’t want to overcook flank steak, so take it off the grill when it’s slightly less done than you would like.)

Let the meat rest at least 5 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain.

Combine any juices that have collected with the fresh reserved marinade, pouring over and around the beef and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings