Berry good cheesecake and grilled steaks

7/18/12 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Well, folks, the month of July is whizzing by and that means we’re well into barbeque season. At our house we cook everything from fish to hot dogs on our grill but nothing beats the satisfying flavor and texture of a good steak.

My challenge always is…how to chose a good cut of steak. It used to so simple. My dad thought that the only steak worth putting in his mouth was a filet mignon and that’s what he bought. The local butcher knew his name and how thick to cut his steaks.

Today, filet mignons are way out of the price range for most of us. So, for a recent dinner party, I checked out my other options. A New York strip steak is fairly tender and has lots of flavor but is also pricey. A flank steak is a whole other cut of meat. They are lean and flavorful but not thick and juicy. They need tenderizing.

My final choice was a sirloin steak and as the saying goes, “there are sirloins and then, there are sirloins.” Some are tender but most are not. In fact, there are about 10 kinds of sirloin steaks. Four are bone-in and six are boneless. I steer clear (pun intended!) of most of these unless I’m putting them in a stir-fry or stew.

Then I discovered another cut of sirloin that hit a home run at our house. In some markets it’s known as the Baseball Cut Sirloin Steak. Cut from the center of the sirloin, about six ounces in size, it is called the ‘baseball’ cut due to its rounded shape. My local butcher highly recommended it. So, on his recommendation, I bought them.

I must say that they weren’t filet mignon quality but they were good. As a matter of fact, there was barely a morsel left on any of the dinner plates. I did marinate the meat for about 6 hours and they probably could have been marinated longer. Marinades serve two functions: as a tenderizer and flavor enhancement. Flat cuts of meat benefit the most from tenderizing marinades and all surfaces of any meat need to be exposed to the marinade for maximum benefit. Most recipes suggest that you place the marinade in a heavy zip lock bag, add the meat, squeeze out the air, turn to coat all surfaces and refrigerate. Then you have to remember to turn the bag occasionally and bring the meat to room temperature before cooking.

I was really terrified that my Baseball Cut Sirloins weren’t going to be tender, so of course, I whipped up an old tried and true recipe-with a new twist: lemon lime soda. It was good as a tenderizer but a little bland. I’m going to give you the recipe as printed in ‘Quick Cooking” and next time I’ll also use a dry rub before they hit the grill.

There are an endless variety of BBQ side dishes to go with your meat of choice. My husband’s side dish choices tend to run to the ‘heavy on the carbs’ category. He would prefer to eat potato salad and baked beans with his steak—and cheese cake for dessert! Instead I pair a steak with a green salad and corn on the cob.

Then, we can have cheese cake. Enjoy!

Lemon-Lime Soda Meat Marinade

1 cup lemon-lime soda

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

6 (or more) quality beef steaks

In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the first six ingredients. Add steak and turn to coat. Seal and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Drain and discard marinade. Grill steaks, covered, over medium-hot heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°). Serves 6+

Sunset Dry Steak Rub

1/3 cup smoked paprika

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground or rubbed sage

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons oregano

1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Mix all dry rub ingredients together in a large bowl. Store in an airtight container and use as needed: 

Coat each steak with a bit of olive oil and place directly into the dry rub mixture. Make sure each side is well coated. Let the steaks sit for at least 30 minutes before grilling.  

Mixed Berry Cheesecake

Cookie crumb crust

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 300° F.

Spray a 9-inch springform pan. Combine all ingredients and press evenly on bottom of pan. Set aside.

Filling:

1 pound cottage cheese, low fat

1 (8-ounce) block Neufactchal cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sour cream, low fat

3 tablespoons flour

2 eggs, room temperature

2 egg whites, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

Place cheeses either in bowl of a food processor or stand mixer. Process or beat until smooth (cottage cheese is a little lumpy). Add sugar, sour cream, flour, eggs, eggs, ell whites and vanilla. Process or beat until smooth. Pour into pan and bake 55 minutes or until just set. Cool on wire rack. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, a few hours before serving, remove the cake from the springform pan but leave on the bottom of the pan for serving.

Prepare the topping:

1 cup strawberry jam

1/2 pint sliced strawberries

1/2 pint fresh raspberries

1/2 pint fresh blueberries

Combine the fruit in a medium bowl. Melt the jelly in a small pan over low heat. Pour the warm jelly gently over the berries and mix gently. Allow to slightly cool. Arrange the berries on top of cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 12

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.