RECIPE: Plank Grilled Steak and Bacon Bites......

Each recipe is made with a grilling accessory that the World’s Largest BBQ Store, Ontario Gas BBQ sent me to use.  For today’s recipe I was sent some wood planks. I use wood planks all the time and it is a great way to cook some of the more delicate food. I love using wood planks for grilling fish, cheese, mashed potatoes and even preparing dessert on the grill.

I was not given any of those options for this challenge. Instead, I was told to plank grill some steak and prepare is as an appetizer. Along with that, I was to use Middle Eastern spices and flavours. So, this was a real challenge, but in the end, I am THRILLED with how the dish turned out. I love beef shish kebabs and usually make my own marinade. The marinade for these steak bites is similar and the combination of fresh mint, parsley and garlic worked really well along with some brown sugar, oil and Worcestershire sauce.

Regarding the steak, there are many options from striploin, ribeye, sirloin and others. I actually used a tenderloin and cut it up into 1 inch cubes.

As I was developing this recipe, I decided to wrap the steak cubes in bacon. It did not take much convincing, because, everything is better with bacon, right?!?

Using wood planks is a simple method of cooking on a grill and it can produce consistent results. One step that is extremely important is to soak the wood planks in water. A minimum of 30 minutes is necessary, but I like to let it soak for at least an hour.

While the planks are soaking, it is the perfect time to make up the steak and bacon bites. I cut the bacon in half which worked out to be the perfect length to wrap around the cubed steak. Spearing a toothpick ensured that the bacon stayed in place.

It is essential to keep the lid closed as much as possible in plank grilling. This type of grilling has a roasting effect as the wood protects the food from charring on the bottom and the ambient heat does the cooking. After about 15 minutes, the steak should be perfectly cooked and the bacon rendered. If desired, throw the bites on the hot grill for no more than a minute to crisp up the bottom of the bites.

Plank Grilled Steak and Bacon Bites

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

These little steak bites are the perfect appetizer to start any meal. Marinated with mint, parsley and garlic, the steak is packed with flavour. But, wrapping them in bacon and grilling on a wood plank, brings the taste to a whole new level of awesome!

Author: Steve Cylka

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 450g (1 lb) 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick steak (striploin, ribeye, tenderloin, etc.)
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 10-12 bacon slices, cut in half
• 2 tbsp water
• Toothpicks
• Wood planks

Instructions

1. Soak wood planks in water for at least 1 hour.
2. Trim steak of any fat and cut into 1 inch cubes.
3. Make the marinade by mixing together the oil, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, parsley, mint, garlic, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Add the steak cubes and toss them so they are all coated in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
4. Take one steak cube and wrap it with half of a slice of bacon. Spear it with a toothpick to hold the bacon in place. Do this with the remaining meat.
5. Preheat the grill to 400-450F.
6. Remove the wood planks from the water. Place the bacon wrapped steak bites onto the wood planks, ensuring they are not touching each other.
7. Place the wood planks on the grill and close the lid. Check every few minutes to ensure that the wood has not caught fire. Keep a glass of water next to the grill to put out any flames that start on the wood planks.
8. After about 15 minutes on the grill, the steak bites should be fully cooked and the bacon should be starting the crisp up.
9. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.

201