Monday, August 31st, 2009 - Grilled Sirloin with Sunshine Citrus Salsa

After a weekend of indulgences, Mac & Cheese at the Falcon House Friday night, Brie in Puff Pastry with Berry Sauce and Birthday cake on Saturday, I was in the mood for something light, you know, something like red meat. No need to shock the system – better to ease out of decadence if you ask me! Surprisingly, I came across a recipe that satisfied both “light” and “red meat” requirements: The Grilled Sirloin with Sunshine Citrus Salsa.
At first, I was a little put off by the long list of ingredients in the salsa but then I realized I already had most of the ingredients at home (lemons, limes, rice vinegar, orange juice, sugar, salt). And I was already an expert on sectioning citrus after making the Fiesta Shrimp Salad - didn’t that just work out nicely! (If you need a refresher there is “How to Section Citrus” in the margin of “Savor the Moment” right next to this recipe.) The marinade for the steak also sounded delicious, soy sauce, green onions, fresh lime juice – YUM! As an added bonus Steve could do most of the work on the grill – the night was looking up. Although the grill pan (for indoor use) is one of my favorite kitchen utensils, if “The Man’s” around, he assumes all grilling responsibilities. Works for me! As for wine, I was thinking a hearty, fruity red Zinfandel would go well with the grilled steak. This particular wine received a 90 point rating from Wine Advocate and retails for around $17 a bottle.

The Dish:
Grilled Sirloin with Sunshine Citrus Salsa (pg. 151)

The Drink:
2005 Edmeades Mendocino Zinfandel, Mendocino County, CA

The chopping for the salsa didn’t take nearly as long as I feared and was actually a little therapeutic – aaahhh kitchen meditation! Be sure to plan for the 2 hour marinating time for both the salsa and the steak. It gives you ample time to do the chopping, put the marinade together and a few random house chores too (bonus). Once the marinating is done dinner is literally 15 minutes away. I drained the steak, discarded the marinade and sent it outside with Steve. Just a note here - be sure to throw away the marinade after you remove the steak. I know this sounds like a no-brainer but I recently heard of a friend of a friend who poured used marinade over some cooked steaks – needless to say it did not end well for the guests! This marinade smells so good you won’t want to discard it but do it for your guest’s sake. Once Steve returned with the perfectly grilled steak we topped it with the citrus salsa, snapped some photos and dug in. Once again, this recipe was a big hit! The marinade on the steaks grills up to be just delicious – you can really taste the soy which chars a bit in places. The Zinfandel was a perfect accompaniment with its flavors of raspberry, cherry, black pepper, and spice. The citrus salsa complemented the steak beautifully too. It also makes a very nice presentation and would be a great meal for summer entertaining. Pair it with the Tropical Tomato Salad (p. 128) or even the Tuscan Bread Salad (pg. 129) to round out the meal. Trust me, you will look like the Hostess with the Mostess!