A great summer grilling meal, but great at any time of year.  I used flap steak for this recipe, but any cut of meat would work.  The flavors all meld well together in this meal. The french fry recipe is my Mom’s and while making homemade french fries is a bit time-consuming, they are well worth it, as they are just delicious and will more than likely become a family favorite.  This meal is great with Tsatsiki (recipe can be found in the archives)

 

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For Meat and Marinade:

3 lb flap steak

Kosher salt and pepper

2 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

5 crushed garlic cloves

2 y smoked paprika

Juice of 2 lemons

Olive oil

Cauliflower Tabbouleh:

1 large head of cauliflower 

1 can chick peas

1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped in quarters

4 Persian cucumbers, diced

1 large bunch parsley, finely chopped

1 bunch mint, finely chopped

Juice of one lemon, or more to taste

Olive oil, about 5 tablespoons

French Fries:

5 large Russet potatoes

Vegetable oil for frying

1/4 cup olive oil

Penzey’s Smokey Salt

DIrections:  

For flap steak:  Heat grill to medium about 375.  Remove steak from marinade and discard marinade.  Place flap steak on the grill for about 8 minutes a side (for rare) about 10 for more well done.  Remove from grill and let rest about 10 minutes before slicing across the grain.

For Cauliflower:  Preheat oven to 375.  In a large sheet pan, break up cauliflower in small chunks and toss with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder to coat. Roast in oven for about 25-30 minutes, tossing occasionally so edges of cauliflower are golden brown and tender.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Place in food processor and pulse until the cauliflower appears to be the size of a grain.  In a bowl, place all the remaining ingredients with the cauliflower and toss to combine.  Adjust seasonings, add remaining oil and lemon juice and refrigerate or serve at room temperature.  

For French Fries:  Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with paper towel.  You will be double frying the potatoes, so this will help to avoid the potatoes from becoming too greasy.  You can use extra layers of paper towels in between batches.  Peel and cut potatoes into rectangular shape (1/2 ” x 1 1/2″, they need not be perfectly uniform).  Heat a large deep sided pan with oil/olive oil combination about 1 1/2- 2 inches high and heat to 350.  In batches, fry potatoes being careful not to over-crowd the pan.  Fry for about 5 minutes, allowing the oil to reheat in between batches if necessary. When they start to get a bit golden, remove and place on paper towel.  After completing the first round of frying, in batches, once again fry the potatoes for an additional 5 minutes or until the fries have a deep golden color.  Sprinkle with smoky sea salt and serve immediately!

Note:  Serve along side tsatsiki and a big salad with Feta for the ultimate Mediterranean feast.