Minute Steak-Yum

This meal came together from a list of coincidences. First, I was reminded of a good idea for dividing bulk packs of ground beef for the freezer. The idea is to spread the beef flat in a ziploc bag--quick to thaw or easier to brown from frozen. I have done that with full pounds of beef, but I never thought of doing it with quarter pounds for individual servings. Check idea one.

Second in my string of coincidences was a really good sale on steak for the Independence Day weekend. Being frugal, I got some. A ten pound pack. Oh, my. What to do with ten pounds of steak? I like steak, but I never want a large one---especially for weekday meals. I needed to divide it in order to stay thrifty. Check idea 2.

Thirdly, I went to purchase some lean ground beef. It was pricier than the steaks. Hmm. Why not use my Ninja to process some into ground sirloin for myself? I did it, and it worked great. I saved a dollar a pound. Check idea 3.

Now combine all those ideas to see how it comes together. Grind the steak with some liquid smoke flavoring, or any seasoning blend you like. Pack ziplock sandwich bags with ground sirloin. Spread them out very thin and very flat. Freeze them flat. Then combine all the little steak cubes into a larger freezer bag. What you end up with is a small steak which can be cooked on a hot grill in almost no time at all. Don't thaw them or they will lose their shape. Just put them frozen on the hot surface. Tonight I used my cast iron griddle to make ours, but a George grill would be great too. I added some McCormick Smokehouse ground black pepper. Excellent for a spicy, smokey bite. I made some mustard vinaigrette coleslaw as a side. Nothing like a hamburger, and nothing like those minute steaks from the grocery store. Best part? No need to wait for the coals...and fork tender.

Want to try the pepper? Look for this.