Summer steak with thyme, garlic and lemon

I've been on a quest to find a great marinade for steak.  My oldest son told me that, although I have a way with chicken, I really need to improve my grilled meat repertoire!

Here's a light marinade that's just perfect for summer. 
 

I find that sirloin could benefit from a few good slams once in a while.

Sprinkle meat with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Mash garlic with some salt using a mortar and pestle.

Spread mixture on both sides of steak.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme. Add some chopped onion and lemon juice and nestle in a bed of lemons.

                                                                 

Summer Steak

1 lb. sirloin steak

4 garlic cloves mashed with salt, or crushed with garlic press
2 TB olive oil
1 TB chopped red onions

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1 1/2 lemons, sliced – reserve remaining ½ lemon for juice

salt and freshly ground pepper

Give the meat a couple of good slams on each side with a meat tenderizer.  On both sides of steak, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme, and spread on the mashed garlic. Place half of the lemon slices and chopped onion in dish, add meat, squeeze juice from remaining half of lemon on top and place remaining lemon slices and onions on top. Place in refrigerator and marinate overnight. 

Remove meat from from refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Discard lemons and remove garlic spread from meat. Grill 3-4 minutes on each side until steak is done to your liking. 

In creating this Summer Steak recipe, I was influenced by a lemon and garlic marinade for flat iron steak that was featured in the May 2012 issue of Food & Wine.

Serving suggestions: 

Simple, boiled, red potatoes topped with unsalted butter, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley...

Summer squash - cooked down to deliciousness - sauteed with vidalia onions and sprinkled with fresh basil...

  

And a nice, colorful salad.  Nothing complicated here, just spinach and greens with tomatoes, red onions, red peppers, celery and kalamata olives.  Drizzled with lemon juice & olive oil, and sprinkled with salt & freshly ground pepper.

It would not be wrong to serve this meal with a lovely, crisp rose.

If I were to go shopping for the perfect wine to complement this meal, I would choose the Vega Sindoa Rose, a Garnacha from Navarra, Spain.

Otherwise, I would drink whatever I happened to have on hand that I like!

I recommend you do the same.

Cheers!