Sugar Steak with Bourbon
Dinner!
Begin with a good piece of flank steak and some brown sugar.
Toss on some red pepper flakes.
Pour on the very-necessary bourbon. I used Bulleit.
Rub them all together. Get in there and massage that steak!
Put your steak in a bag.
Pour in the marinade.
Push out all the air and seal it tightly.
What happens when you spend too much time at food52? We all start looking and dressing alike! That's Jennifer on the right!
My dear and precious marinated steak.
A watched steak never broils.
But it did eventually. And then I let it rest on the cutting board.
Slice it thinly, about 1/4-inch slices.
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Author Notes: Katy Keck, a culinary consultant, told me about sugar steak, a dish completely foreign to me. What, you've never heard of it either? Good. Time for us all to get up to speed.
Sugar steak is very much what it sounds like: steak that's blanketed with a sugar rub and grilled. Katy, who got her recipe for it by surveying the chefs at the Spring Lake Yacht Club close to Lake Michigan, said, "Some use sirloin, some use rib-eye, I have even used CAB top round –- most agree whatever is cheapest. Also some use white sugar, some use brown, some use both." She uses dark brown sugar.
Katy has also come up with a fool-proof technique. "I have a Weber-performer and don’t use the lid on this, nor am I stingy with charcoal," she said. "It’s really impressive when you get 3 steaks going at once (total 14 pounds of meat), though I nearly set the porch roof on fire. Rip-snorting is the official temperature for the grill."
For the real sugar steak, Katy's version can be found here: http://food52.com/blog/1792-sugar-steak-with-bourbon
- amanda
Serves 3 to 4
- 1 flank steak (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Layer together the flank steak, sugar, bourbon, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Rub the sugar and red pepper flakes into the steak. Put the steak in a 1-gallon plastic bag, add the remaining sugar mixture, seal the bag, and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
- Heat the broiler (or grill) and lay the steak on a baking sheet (one that you're ok with warping under the broiler). Generously season the steak all over with salt. Place the steak under the broiler -- it should be 4 to 6 inches from the flame -- and broil for 3 minutes on each side for medium rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into 1/4-inch slices. Serve with mashed potatoes and sauteed bitter greens.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
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26 days ago Shay Lopez
Made this for dinner tonight in a gas grill. There were no leftovers! Thank you for a great recipe that will be a repeat on out dinner menu.
about 1 month ago figleaf
I love bourbon and an easy recipe. Trying it tonight! Will let you know. Figleaf from Portland, Oregon!
3 months ago Muse
This sounds SO delicious, and I love my steaks medium rare! Yummy.
3 months ago Randi Theobald
Having not made this yet, and I really don't like bourbon (too strong a flavor) how about soy sauce? It's a natural meat tenderizer and the flavor with the sugar and pepper flakes would be wonderful....
3 months ago Kenneth
@littlesister: if the bourbon taste was strong you can add a teaspoon of filtered water (good Bottle water). It will cut the bourbon and may lighten it just right. Similar to adding a small touch of water to a good single malt whisky
3 months ago Gret
Don't use hanger steak! I find it has it's own strong flavor, very fatty and too many crevices, which both absorb too much of the marinade. Use only the steaks suggested. Also not a lover of bourbon, I use red wine. Also don't rinse the steak, just use less sugar.
3 months ago littlesister
Made this last night with some "faux" hanger steak (I'd never heard of this before, but others may know of it). It was okay but I thought it had a very strong bourbon flavor. I considered rinsing it after the marinade because I was a little bit afraid of the high sugar content, but I didn't want to miss out on a nice caramelized crust. Has anyone else tried rinsing it the way you would do a salt brine? The flavor wasn't bad, just strong!
3 months ago Kenneth
Im going to try this except I'm cooking on a Big Green Egg.
3 months ago Gret
I keep it open as small a small crack, not all the way But, do this otherwise when you open the door, you'll get a terrible "blast" in your face. Also if kept closed you might see smoke coming through top.
3 months ago joy
when you broil, do you leave the door of your oven ajar?
3 months ago amanda
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
I do.
3 months ago Robin_M
Katy's version is not shown. I would like to compare!
3 months ago amanda
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
Hi! Here's the link to Katy's version: http://food52.com/blog...
3 months ago Rose of Sharon
I would like to try this...I don't see Katy's version...the real sugar steak...following yours Amanda. Could you add it to this page? I made the Beef Bourguignon with my favorite Suite Petite - Chronic Cellars and it was the best ever! And the Ricotta Lemon Bars (had some meyer lemons) were completely addicting...I'd like to use the filling and make a tart with some blueberries in the spring. Thank you! Thoroughly enjoy opening your emails!!!
3 months ago amanda
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
Here's Katy's version (and glad you've found some good recipes!) http://food52.com/blog...
3 months ago Gret
Save it for the grill!
3 months ago Randi Theobald
For me, when you see a new recipe it's not time to jump in and try to alter/change it... try it, and if it's not to your taste, tweak it... and yes, I made Beef Bourguignon from Julia (she must have been in the army - makes Coq Au Vin look like fast food) and over the decades have tweaked it to my taste... but the technique is still there...
3 months ago horatio mailleblower
abatjour: I'm sure you meant: "my best friends always do flank on Friday evenings and pierce it first with their coat of maile device". Really, though, coats of maile (mail or maille) don't have nails. That would be an iron maiden that would have both a sort of coat of maile AND nails (inside). And definitely good for piercing meat, be it alive or dead.
3 months ago abatjour
i agree with the chastising comments but humbly still want to
pose this questions. sorry joe, sorry sara.
3 months ago abatjour
sounds quite lovely. flank steak is grand. but, has anyone tried
the recipe in a well-seasoned (flax seed oil is the trick) cast iron skillet? my broiler is not worth the name and outside is
not an option just now. maybe i'll have to do it with a small
experimental bit. my best friends always to flank on friday evenings and piece it first with their coat of nail device.
3 months ago Joe Marnell
I vote for comments only AFTER trying a recipe. By the way, the Beef Bourguignon was outstanding!
3 months ago Sara Gillis
I agree!
3 months ago Kathy S.
Sounds very like the teriaki flank steak I used to make, where you mix brown sugar or maple syrup with soy sauce, add a coup[e of mashed garlic cloves and cover the meat. Let marinate in fridge at least an hour, better several hours and broil. Bourbon sounds interesting, but the whole thing seems like a lot of sugar intake for today's tastes... Maybe I'll just start with a good Manhattan and leave the steak alone!
4 months ago Pam Hunt
my daughter and I might try this for Valentines day and her boyfriend too!