Grilled and Garlicky

Usually when I cook a roast, I roast it in the oven, but when the mercury is on the rise, and the thermometer says it is 95* out, that is the last thing I want to do. Thank God for grills. They are great no matter what time of year, but especially on those super hot days.

I have made this Romanian Garlic steak before, but it has been while. It was definitely time to do it again, so here it is. Romanian Garlic Steak. In Romanian, this is known as fleica. I also threw some corn on the cob on the grill too.

There is NO such thing as too much garlic for this steak. In Romania, flank steak is usually used for this, but here in the United States, we use all kinds of cuts, especially rib-eye. It doesn’t matter if it is bone-in or bone-out. The flavor will rock you to the core no matter what type of steak you use. You can also use this same garlicky mixture on lamb too. You definitely won’t have to worry about vampires attacking you after you’ve been dining on this delicious and flavorful steak, that’s for sure.

To get the most out of this steak, particularly if you are using a more fibrous cut of meat such as a brisket, serve it in thin slices that have been cut against the grain. Cutting against the grain means to cut the meat perpendicular to the fiber. The grain is the muscle fiber found in the meat.

Romanian Garlic Steak

2 lbs steak or lamb

2 TBSP garlic, or as much or as little as you can handle

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

2 TBSP lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped or dried parsley

Combine everything together well and marinade your steak in it for at least 2-3 hours before cooking. The lemon juice will act as a meat tenderizer.

When you are ready to cook it up, fire up the grill, getting it nice and hot. The time it takes to cook depends on the thickness of the steak. My roast was about 2 inches thick, so I grilled it for about 10-15 minutes per side, or about 30 minutes total for a beautiful medium rare steak. I completed the meal with a rich, full-bodied French Malbec, my spicy potatoes, Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Jalapeno Sauce tomato focaccia and grilled corn on the cob. It made for a very delicious and satisfying international meal. C’est manifique!

Bring out your boldness, live dangerously and deliciously. And never be shy with the garlic!

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.