Monday, September 14, 2015

Flank Steak Sliders with Horseradish Gouda Cheese Sauce

The college football season has just kicked off and that means it is tailgate time once again. Even though we aren't big Tennessee Volunteer fans (the home team in Knoxville), we like to go to a few of the games just for the tailgating fun. This is a recipe I have come up with for some of our tailgate menus this year - Flank Steak Sliders with Horseradish Gouda Cheese Sauce!

The creamy cheese sauce had just the right kick of horseradish and the onions bring out the best in the beef.

I like this for tailgates because you can make the onions and cheese sauce at home and just warm them up on the grill while the steak rests after cooking. Just add a little bit of beef stock, beer, or other liquid to the cheese sauce, and whisk on the grill to warm it back up. The amount of horseradish listed provides only a mild taste of the horseradish flavor and not much of its heat.  If you want that kick, start with this amount and whisk in more until you get the heat you want.  If you have any leftover, it doubles as a great dip for chips or veggies.

Flank Steak Sliders with Horseradish Gouda Cheese Sauce

www.nibblemethis.com
Published 09/08/2015

Ingredients

  • 2 lb flank steak
  • 4 medium yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For The Marinade
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Montreal seasoning
  • 1 green onion sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flake
For The Horseradish Gouda Cheese Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
  • 1 cup shredded Gouda cheese
  • beef stock for thinning

Instructions

  1. Marinade the steak 6-8 hours ahead of time.  Mix the marinade ingredients together in a gallon zip top bag.  Score the steak on both sides by lightly dragging a sharp knife across the steak in lines about 1" apart in a crisscross pattern (see pictures).  Place the steak in the bag, press out the excess air, seal it, and refrigerate. 
  2. Caramelize the onions.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium low heat, slowly heat the onions, and season with a pinch or two of salt.  Stir occasionally, until they brown, about 30 minutes.   If cooking at home and taking to the game, when done, cool, place in a zip top bag, add a splash of beef stock, and refrigerate.
  3. Make the Mornay Sauce. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium low heat and stir in the flour until it makes a blonde roux (about 3-5 minutes).  Add the cream in small batches, whisking continuously, adding more time each time it combines.  Don't worry when it starts to coagulate, just keep adding the cream and whisking.  Add the salt, pepper, and horseradish.  Add the shredded cheese in small batches while stirring until melted.  Add stock to thin to desired consistency.  Remove and store refrigerated if cooking at home for the stadium.  Otherwise keep it warm until the sliders are ready.
  4. Grill the steak.  Set up your grill for direct heat and preheat to 450°f.  Remove the steak from the marinade and grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 130°f, about 7 to 10 minutes per side depending on the steak thickness.  Always go by your internal temperatures instead of time.
  5. Remove and rest the steak.  If you are at the stadium and brought the onions and cheese sauce, turn down the heat on your grill to medium low and reheat them on the grill.
  6. Make the sliders.  Slice the steak very thinly against the grain.  Top buns with the sliced steak, cheese sauce, and onions, then serve right away. 

Yield: 8-10 sliders
Tags: beef, tailgate, grilled


Using the zip top bag makes it easy to take your marinaded steak to the game and it minimizes the amount of marinade you need.  The steak doesn't need to be submerged in marinade, just kept in contact with it. 

Standard direct set up using the Grill Dome's hinged grate, no other special equipment needed.

I did the onions at home so I used a skillet.  At the stadium I would just use a disposable aluminum pan to minimize dishes to wash or take home.

Even though you shake off some of the marinade, don't be alarmed when the fire flares up when you first put the steak on, that's just marinade hitting the live coals.  Just stand back and shut your Grill Dome lid, the fire will be gone in seconds.

The scoring lines that you see here let the marinade hit more surface area and penetrate.  They also add texture to the final slices of meat.

This flank steak was thick.  Normally flank steaks take about 7 minutes per side but this monster took 10 per side. That's why you always go by internal temperature, not time. 

The ends will be medium while the center will be medium rare, so you should be able to accommodate people's preferences.  My dad would want the ends while I always want the medium rare ones.


Fancier than the basic tailgate burgers and they pack a flavorful punch.

Game Day Color Grill Dome Kamado Grills
One of the things that I really like about Grill Domes (besides their thick ceramics, heavy duty spring hinge, and adjustment screws for avoiding kamado alignment issues) is that they come in various colors.  

When picking our Grill Domes out, I picked the blue and John choose the metallic silver.

But if you are a superfan and have to have a grill that sports your favorite college team colors, Grill Dome can hook you up with their custom colors!  





The Great Backyard Place in Knoxville has custom color Grill Dome to support the Tennessee Volunteers.  Here's a shot of John cooking some Moink! balls at our last grilling demo there.




If you want to find out more about getting a Grill Dome in your team's colors, check in with your local dealer.  That would be The Great Backyard Place for Asheville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Maryville, or Cleveland, TN.  You'll be sure to make an impression at the next tailgate!