Mind Your P's & 'Ques

Holy Hurricane Schwartz! That was some gorgeous Independence Day weather. Fortunately, the downpour held off until after our down-the-shore family barbeque. It was like trying to eat in a tornado, with Solo cups and Styrafoam plates swirling about our heads, but the menu was pretty sick: barbequed salmon with fresh peach salsa, grilled corn on the cob with Mexican lime-chili butter, grilled Italian sausage with pepper-and-onion giambotta, obligatory burgers and dogs, and Latin American-inspired flank steak salad with mango and charred scallions. Check out our essential grilling guide on AroundPhilly.com—and that ridiculously easy and delicious flank steak recipe, below—in time for your next backyard barbeque.

Espresso-and-chili-rubbed Flank Steak Salad

The rub: Combine ¼ cup whole espresso beans with 1 tbsp. each of chili powder, salt, and pepper. Blend in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet until powdery.

The steak: Marinate flank steak in orange juice, garlic, and peppercorns up to 6 hours. Remove from marinade, pat dry, and coat liberally in espresso-chili rub. Grill for 6-7 minutes on each side until medium-rare, remove, and let rest for 20 minutes. Slice into thin ribbons against the grain and reserve.

The vinaigrette: Combine 1 tsp. honey, 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar, ¼ cup orange juice, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Whisk or blend until emulsified. Reserve.

The salad: Chop 2 ripe mangoes into bite-sized chunks—Pineapple works well, too—and reserve. Drizzle 2 bunches scallions with olive oil, salt, pepper, and espresso-chili rub, and grill until lightly charred. Combine grilled scallions, fresh mango, and sliced steak. Garnish with chopped basil and chopped raw scallions. You can serve the salad hot, room temperature, or chilled. Just drizzle with orange vinaigrette at the last minute and toss.

Photo: blogalicious