Mismatched Steak and Potatoes

Last night I paired two things together that I liked individually, but not together: marinated flank steak and potatoes and pearl onions with rosemary. Each had great flavors, but that was the problem: the flavors were competing. I think it had something to do with the soy sauce in the steak marinade and the rosemary on the potatoes. Not the best taste combo... I should have known better.

If I made these dishes over again, I'd pair the flank steak with something more simple -- like mashed potatoes (like I usually do) or rice. As for the rosemary potatoes, I would probably match them with chicken (perhaps a rotisserie picked up from the grocery store or my chicken Marsala). If I did the potatoes with steak again, I'd pair them with a grilled strip that's been seasoned simply (salt, pepper and a little garlic powder).

My veggie last night worked fine -- steamed sugar snap peas with a little butter, salt and pepper.

Since the steak and the potatoes are good recipes by themselves, I will include them here. In particular, the flank steak is something I make fairly regularly. I love to use the leftovers in a salad -- or on sandwich.

Flank Steak
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons ground mustard
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Marinate in a shallow non-metal container for 4 hours or overnight.

I like this steak best when cooked on an outdoor grill (3 or 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare to medium), but I also make this in the winter on my indoor grill (if I have a hankering for it like I did last night).

If using an indoor electric grill, preheat grill on high heat. Depending on the thickness, allow meat to grill 6 or 7 minutes on each side. If broiling, place broiler pan 2 - 3 inches from heat. Allow steak to cook 7 minutes on each side for a medium doneness. After you remove the steak from the heat, allow it rest five minutes or so (the meat will continue cooking during this time). Slice on a diagonal into thin strips and serve.

Rosemary Potatoes and Onions
This is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe. You can actually make these a day ahead, reheat them and they are just as good.

Ingredients
2 pounds new potatoes (white, red, or Yukon gold), scrubbed and halved (or quartered depending on the size... my potatoes were a little bigger, so I quartered them)
1 pound cippolini onions, peeled* (I used pearl onions because this is what was available)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients. Spread the mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the potatoes and onions are golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately or cool and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, reheating the next day in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

*The easiest way to peel your onions is to blanch them and the skins will come right off. Do this by boiling a pot of water and dropping the onions into the pot for about 30 seconds or so. Drain and transfer the onions to a bowl of ice water (this stops the cooking process). Remove outer layer of onions and trim the ends before tossing in your potato mixture.