Grilled Molasses-Marinated Flank Steak

Caitie and Sean went back to school last week.  It was wonderful to have everyone under one roof, if only for a month.

Boy, do I miss them when they aren't here.

 It was nice that they were able to spend significant time with Clyde while he is still a puppy.  I mean, it would be almost cruel for us to have a new puppy if they didn't get a chance to enjoy his puppyhood.  Is that even a word?  Puppyness.  Puppydom.  Hmmm.  I think you know the point I'm trying to make.

His puppy-ish-ness is fading fast.  He's 40 pounds and TODAY he finally decided he can walk down stairs by himself.

Yes, that's right, I've been carrying him.  Downstairs every morning.  I consider myself quite strong and capable, but as I'm approaching the end of my fifth decade I'd be lying if I said my bones aren't a little creaky when I wake up in the morning.  

One of the few good things I can say about the freezing temperatures today is that I am certain that all of my neighbors had their windows closed because of the cold, so they couldn't hear me enthusiastically praising him as he ran down the steps of our deck each time I took him out today.  "Yay!  Look at you! Good boy, going down the stairs all by yourself! Way to go!"  Of course, if they happened to be looking out of their windows, they might have been wondering why I was clapping and raising my arms in triumph.

Anyhow......I got the inspiration for today's recipe as I was making a batch of  Snow-Capped Molasses Cookies last week.  As I was pouring the molasses I was thinking to myself that it would make a nice marinade.  So I decided to give it a try, and it's a keeper!

Today's Playlist

• "Mambo Italiano".......Dean Martin
• "Mack The Knife".......Kevin Spacey
• "Sway"......Ben E. King
• "Bella Notte"......Lou Monte
• "Pennies From Heaven"........Frank Sinatra
• "One Fine Day".......The Chiffons
• "Brown-Eyed Girl".......Van Morrison

Grilled Molasses-Marinated Flank Steak (serves 4-6)

Total Time: 2.5 hrs (15 mins prep, marinate 2 hrs, cook time about 15 mins)

• 1 (1.5 to 2 lbs) flank steak, trimmed of visible fat
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Gather your ingredients.

Trim the large spots of fat from the steak.

Pour the molasses, mustard and olive oil into a small bowl.

Whisk to combine.  Reserve a few tablespoons of the marinade for brushing the steak when you cook it.

Pour the remaining marinade into a shallow dish that is wide enough for the steak to fit into.  Place the steak into the dish and turn it over so that both sides are covered. (Or you could pour the marinade into a large zip-lock bag and place the steak in the bag, making sure that it is coated with the marinade.)

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Allow the steak to marinate for at least 2 hours.  Up to 12 hours is fine.  If you do marinate it for more than 2 hours, try to flip the steak after half the time has elapsed.

To cook the steak:  preheat your grill to medium-high (about 375 to 400 degrees).  Grill the steak about 6 minutes per side (test for doneness, depending upon the thickness of your steak, it may need a couple more minutes.  After you flip the steak, brush the reserved marinade onto it.

 Allow the steak to rest for at least 5 minutes before you slice it.

 Slice the steak on the diagonal, against the grain.

Enjoy!