Ancho Marinated Steak and Ancho Chile Steak Sauce

I remember growing up I totally didn’t “get” the steak thing.  Everyone seemed to love it and think that it was this amazing go-to for birthdays and celebrations, and it was really only reserved for special occasions in our house.  I hated it though.  I thought it was weird and I didn’t like the color, and as I grew older I just convinced myself that it was gross.

 

And then I took my college meat class, and I’ve been a steak lover ever since!

Now I’m sure you’re wondering what the heck meat class is, and I’ll tell you:  it’s a class all about meat.  And now you’re all, “Yeah, I’m going now because you’re being ridiculous,” but hear me out.  My degree is in restaurant and hotel management, and so among a modified version of culinary school and classes about alcohol (too bad I wasn’t 21 yet for that one…) I also took an entire class about meat.  With a lab (which we won’t talk about here).  The professor was incredibly smart, but he was hilarious and country as all get out too.  Part of me thinks that I really liked my professor, who liked steak, and so then I thought it was OK too.

 

Who know?

 

Either way, when I had someone explain what makes steak so special and expensive and flavorful it was like I could finally pinpoint the flavor profiles and then it made eating steak fun.  I don’t crave it all the time, but there are days where no amount of chicken or salmon or huge salads will do the trick.

 

And now?  When those days come THIS is the marinade and sauce I’ll be making.  I know some of you aren’t steak lovers and that’s OK.  I know some of you are vegan and/or vegetarian, and I love that.  But for those of you who appreciate steak and need a fabulously killer marinade and steak sauce?  THIS IS IT.  Welcome to summer my friends!

ANCHO MARINATED STEAK + ANCHO CHILE STEAK SAUCE

• 1.5 lbs beef top sirloin steak
• 5 dried ancho chiles
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar

First things first you’ll want to reconstitute the dried ancho chiles.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, place the dried chile in the boiling water, weight them down with a plate or a bowl (to make sure they’re fully submersed in the water), and remove from the heat.  Cover with a lid and let sit for 30 minutes.  When the anchos have reconstituted you’ll want to carefully remove the seeds and the skin, and place the pulp in a food processor.  Add the garlic, red wine vinegar, oil, Worchestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Process until completely smooth.  Place the steak and the marinade in a resealable plastic bag and allow to marinate overnight in the fridge.  To grill, remove the steak from the bag (make sure you reserve the marinade) and place on a plate.  Allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so.  Heat a grill over medium heat and grill the steak for about 5 minutes on each side, or until it reaches your preferred doneness.  Let the steak sit for about 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute, then slice against the grain.

 

For the sauce, pour the marinade into a small saucepan and add 1 cup of water and the 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil until the sauce is reduced by half and very thick.  Serve hot over the sliced steak.