Oh, the flavors!

The colors!

Isn’t that what we all like about a great meal? A total sensory experience?

Presentation counts, man. And this one does it up right!

Check it out . . .

Teriyaki Flank Steak With Green Onions

Ingredients

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 flank steak (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions

1. Whisk soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, ginger, pepper flakes, and cornstarch in medium bowl.  (Or use a handheld blender to blend.)

2. Pat steak dry with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steak until well browned and cooked to desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil.

3. Add remaining oil and green onions to empty skillet and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to bowl. Stir soy sauce mixture and any accumulated beef juices into skillet and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Slice beef thin on bias against grain. Transfer to bowl (or serving platter) and toss with sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds. Serve with rice.

Note: To toast sesame seeds, cook them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Mangeratrois.net.

You be the judge . . .

Exhibit 1:

Exhibit 2:

Some people are SO, SO creative!

And they must have a lot of time on their hands.

But anyone who likes steak that much is a friend in my book!

For more steak/cake creations, click here.

Photos courtesy of YesButNoButYes.com.

Perhaps I am a bit of an odd duck.

Scattered in the recesses of my hard drive, among the photographs of my kids playing soccer, the boys wrestling with their dad, family get-togethers, first-day-of-school shots and the like are . . . pictures of steak.

Lots of ’em.

So, when my computer goes into “sleep” mode it randomly chooses photos from said hard drive to display.

It goes a little something like this:

Photo of kids in swimsuits

Shot of family dog (now deceased)

Group shot of kids playing soccer

Picture of raw meat

Posed family beach vacation photo

Picture of my husband and I at some tourist spot in New York

Closeup of steak simmering in its own juices

Weird. I know.

When friends come for dinner (inevitably, beef is involved), they must walk by my “sleeping” computer in my home office to get to the nearest bathroom from time to time.

They’ll stop and admire the photos. Until . . . the meat starts popping up.

“What is that?” they’ll inquire, exasperatedly. Like they weren’t expecting meat or something. Sheesh.

Then I go into my love of steak, the sheer beauty of a great food shot, what it takes to really focus on the main dish in the front of the plate, while still featuring the sides, blah, blah, blah.

I’ll tell them about this blog if they aren’t already aware of it, and what a true “steak enthusiast” is.

It’s my way of educating the public. One recruit at a time.

Most of the time they are intrigued. They want to know more and, perhaps, they wonder why THEY haven’t been photographing their dinners too.

There’s room for all of us, I say. Steak enthusiasts unite!

Because a great cut of meat is truly a concept we can all get behind.

Except for strict vegetarians.

And I don’t know any of those.