During a trip to the Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork Ireland—and more than a few hours logged in the local pub, I developed a definite fondness for Guinness.   When I returned to the states, I started cooking everything from Gingerbread to Flank steak with the sudsy brown nectar.  This recipe makes a great sandwich for any sports occasion.  I usually serve warm but it is also perfect packed in a picnic and eaten at room temperature.

 Serves 4

Grilling Method: Direct Medium Heat

1          2 pound flank steak or London Broil, at least 1-inch thick

1          14.9 ounce Guinness beer

2          large red onions, cut into ½-inch slices

            Olive oil

            Kosher salt

            Freshly ground pepper

1          small container Boursin cheese, room temperature

8          slices thick sourdough or country bread

8          Bamboo skewers, soaked in water

Special Equipment: VacuVin Instant Marinater

Remove steak from wrapper and pat dry to remove excess moisture.  Place in a non-reactive container with a tight seal. Pour the Guinness over the steak and set aside.  Peel the red onions and cut into slices ½-3/4 -inch thick.  Place onion slices on top of steak.  Cover the container and marinade in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

When ready to grill, remove meat and onions from the marinade and pat dry.  Brush with a thin coating of oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place steak and onions directly on the cooking grate over direct heat and sear.  Cook 6-8 minutes.  Turn steak and onions with a pair of tongs and sear the second side.  Continue grilling until done, another 6-8 minutes.  (Both the steak and the onions will have grill marks on each side.)  The steak and onions will take about the same amount of time to grill.  

Remove steak and onions from grill and put on a clean platter to rest.  While meat is resting, spread a thin layer of Boursin on the top of the meat, and the tops of the onions—a trick is to freeze the Boursin to make it easier to shave just enough cheese on the top of the meat and onion, but not too much which can happen when spreading soft cheese.  

Note:  The meat and onions can be served at this point as a main course instead of a sandwich.  If serving as sandwiches, spread one side of the bread slices with olive oil and grill 1-2 minutes or until toasty and marked.  Remove bread from grill and spread untoasted sides with Boursin cheese.   Put two onion slices on 4 pieces of bread and set aside.  Slice steak in long thin slices.  Place slices of meat on top of the onion and top with other piece of bread.  Push down to compact the sandwich a little before cutting in half.  Serve while still warm or wrap and refrigerate until ready to eat. 

Sidebar on Grilled Onion Slices: Onions are easier to grill without falling apart if you skewer them before cooking.  Cut an onion into ½-inch thick slices.  Thread the center of each onion with a bamboo skewer that has been soaked in water. Place the onion skewers (they look like lollipops) on the cooking grates and turn once, without losing any of the onion rings, during the cooking time.

ALL RECIPES ©ELIZABETH KARMEL 2020