With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’m sure many of you have turkey on the brain. For those of you who don’t really much care for turkey meat, here’s a steak recipe that still manages to capture some of the flavors of the season. Specifically, I made a cranberry-flavored cream cheese that I stuffed into the steaks. I was inspired by a chicken recipe I recently made with a filling of Granny Smith apples. The only difference is beef doesn’t need to marinate overnight. Allow beef to marinate for at least 15 minutes, but no more than 30 minutes. I used my usual meat tenderizer (green papaya paste).
After stuffing the steaks with cranberry cheese filling, I sealed them with twine. I gave them a quick searing and then transferred the steaks to the oven to bring them to a perfect medium-rare. The cranberries bring a hint of tartness to the beef in addition to fitting perfectly on your (non-traditional) Thanksgiving table.
1. Info for Cranberry Cream Cheese Stuffed Steak Recipe
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 6
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Cranberry Cream Cheese Stuffed Steak Recipe
- 6 boneless beef round steaks (flank steak)
- 2 tablespoons papaya paste (see tips)
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
- ½ (8-ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup cream cheese
- 6 tablespoons curly parsley, snipped
3. Directions:
- In a large sealable zip-top plastic bag, combine 1 teaspoon maple syrup, papaya paste, 1 clove of garlic, mustard, 1 tablespoon canola oil and black pepper. Seal the bag and shake well.
- Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Create a pocket by making a deep, horizontal incision for the filling. Put the beef pieces in the plastic bag, chill and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- Making cranberry cream cheese filling: In a mini-food processor (if you don’t mind chunky bits a small bowl will work as well), combine the chopped cranberries, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, remaining garlic, cranberry sauce and cream cheese. Pulse a few times so the mixture is barely combined. Transfer to a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil and mix using a spatula. Add 4 tablespoons curly parsley. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Remove the beef from the refrigerator so it returns to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pat the meat dry one more time.
- Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons cranberry filling inside the steak. Carefully fold the beef tightly. Seal the stuffed steak with twine. Repeat with the remaining steaks. Brush the steaks with oil and sprinkle with salt.
- With a brush, grease a cast iron skillet grill (a regular frying pan will work, but you won’t get the nice grill marks) and heat until it’s really hot, almost to the smoking point. Using tongs, place the stuffed steaks in the pan (still on high heat) and cook for 2 minutes. It’s important that you do not pierce the meat so it stays moist and tender. You want to create nice grill marks. Flip the meat on the other side. Grill for another 2 minutes. Immediately transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the beef for about 6-7 minutes for medium-rare, or a bit less or more, depending on how pink you like the meat (see tips).
- Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the meat with a little salt. Cover with a piece of aluminum foil. Let the meat sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Delicately remove and discard the twine.
- Note: Make sure the steaks are sliced against the grain, so the meat remains tender.
- Garnish with parsley.
- Serve immediately with mashed potatoes.
- Bon appétit!
