Guy Fieri's Super Stuffed Steak Is A 4th Of July Showstopper
The Fourth of July is a time is the perfect time to throw a party. It's hot, sizzling — a holiday filled with sparklers, splashing pools, plates of fresh fruit, and grills ablaze. But you might be in search of the perfect crowd pleasing meat to serve your guests. Chicken is a classic, of course, but doesn't quite suit the theme. Burgers and hot dogs are also great, but they're a bit, well, expected. And steak? It's great, but cooking up individual cuts for a large party can be rather cumbersome. So what can you cook that will absolutely blow your guests away? Let's look to the inimitable Guy Fieri.
The over-the-top cookbook author, restaurateur, and host of the beloved Food Network series "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" has the perfect centerpiece for a truly dazzling Independence Day party. The dish is called the Zing Zang Flank Steak, and you can bet that this dish is absolutely money. The dish isn't your average flank steak, either. It features a filling of sauteed onions and peppers along with a sprinkle of panko bread crumbs and mozzarella, thyme, and delicious slices of tomato that come together to form a show-stopping entree that will give the celebratory fireworks a run for their money (per YouTube). This dish makes the perfect pairing for a scoop of Homeroom's macaroni and cheese, a cob of corn, or refreshing pasta salad.
Stuffing your flank steak
Now, the star of this dish is, of course, the flank steak. A large cut of beef, usually weighing between one to two pounds, is a particularly lean cut with very little marbling throughout. For this reason, flank steak should be marinated or cook low and slow. Not to be confused with skirt steak, the cut is often served in dishes such as fajitas. Its lean consistency and large size make it the perfect choice for Guy Fieri's Zing Zang Flank Steak, as it provides the perfect base for such a truly indulgent stuffing.
To prepare your flank steak for this recipe, Fieri instructs home cooks to trim the silver skin and fat from the outside of the cut, and then slice the steak through its center, leaving the edge attached so that the cut can open and close (via YouTube). Once prepared, you can add your sauteed onions, Calabrian peppers, mozzarella, thyme, tomatoes, and bread crumbs.
To really help the flavors meld together, you can keep the steaks with the filling in the fridge overnight. Fieri also suggests skewering your steaks in order to help keep the filling inside, a useful tip considering the amount of stuffing that is going into your delicious steak. In terms of cooking, you can keep your grill (or pan) time short since you've cut through much of the connective tissue. You only need five minutes on each side for a juicy and perfectly medium rare cook.
The perfect grilling feat for a crowd
So what makes Guy Fieri's Zing Zang Flank Steak so perfect for a Fourth of July gathering? For one, flank steak is both large and inexpensive, making it a perfect choice for serving big groups. Additionally, utilizing a rich filling turns the steak into not just a protein, but a whole meal in and of itself — meaning smaller portions go further. It is great to serve at outdoor parties as well because it is easily portable, especially when sliced, making the perfect food to tote around on a paper plate, with or without sides.
The rich filling, which features both the savory flavors of cheese and the sweetness of onions alongside fresh ingredients such as tomatoes and thyme, creates a fantastic balance that brings entree and side into one fantastic cut of meat. The dish also has an Italian twist that is refreshing for a meat and potatoes holiday such as Independence Day, which typically sees American foods such as potato salad (which can be a standout if you use Julia Child's genius hack for the dressing) and basic hot dogs served. And, as one of Fieri's most famous one-liners goes, you can put that on a flip-flop and eat it.