If you are as big of a fan as I am of Mashed Potatoes, Red Wine and red meat, you will love this hearty dish. I got the idea for this recipe from one of my college roommates. I had several unsuccessful attempts before I figured out what went into the pot to make this comfort food classic.
What you'll need:
Large 4+ quart pot
Medium 2-3 quart pot
Strainer
Potato Masher
Ingredients for the steak and sauce:
~2 pounds flank steak (sometimes sold as "London Broil")
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red wine (I like a mellow earthy Merlot for this, but you can skip it altogether if you so choose)
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
pinch cinnamon powder (optional)
pinch ginger powder (optional)
1-2 large bay leaves (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
For the mashed potatoes:
2-4 large Russet potatoes
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and whole (these are merely boiled in the water with the potatoes, but removed before straining)
4 tablespoons butter
pinch of parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
(or if there's a way you like to make mashed potatoes more, feel free)
*Make the potatoes as you normally would (boil, strain, mash) and include the rest of the ingredients while mashing. If you are using a food processor to mash your potatoes, the garlic will be nice and soft at this point and can be left in the mixture. Otherwise, if you are mashing by hand (as I must) you will get large chunks.
1. Coat the steak with liberal salt and pepper. Heat up the olive oil on high, or medium-high, in the larger pot until it is fuming. Sear the steak on one side in the oil until some parts are nice and caramelized. Flip and repeat.
2. Once both sides of the steak are done, remove from the heat to a plate and let the meat set for now. Turn the heat to medium instead of turning it off. In the larger pot, add the red wine. Make sure to scrape any of the steak bits off the pan and into the wine. Reduce for a couple of minutes and then add the red chili flakes, chili powder, turmeric, marjoram, bay leaves, cinnamon, and ginger. Boil down for a few more minutes.
3. Slowly add the crushed tomatoes to the wine reduction. Bring back to a boil. At this point, you can add corn starch or the likes to thicken up the sauce.
4. Add the flank steak to the boiling mixture, turn the heat to medium-low or low and simmer covered for the next hour and a half to two hours. Make sure to stir the sauce occasionally and flip the meat every half hour. If you want more tender meat, opt to simmer it for longer. It should fall apart with the pressure of a fork when done.
Serve the sauce and a healthy cut of the steak over a large spoonful of mashed potatoes (they are meant to be mixed together). I like to add some corn to the mixture (kernel, cob, etc.) along with a glass of the Merlot.
My cost to make this, including the wine: $14 for 3-5 servings (please keep in mind that I do not include the herbs in this calculation, as I stock these regularly regardless of the dish).
~Tiffens
