Patio is the ‘extension of our home.’ Flank steak with mushroom salsa a surefire hit

Cooking and entertaining are passions for Ashley Duncan and her husband, Chad Gerlt, of Overland Park.

Duncan is a product and application specialist, and cooking is one of her hobbies. Duncan and Gerlt enjoy the outdoors, and this time of year they eat out on their patio more frequently than at their dining room table.

Q: What inspires you to cook?

A: I think everyone enjoys food and it becomes the centerpiece for hosting family and friends. Earlier in my career I often traveled for work, so I had the opportunity to eat out often. I enjoyed a variety of foods and saw how unexpected foods were paired or how the chef presented it. After days of travel, being at home and experimenting with a new dish was a treat and something I enjoyed as a pastime.

I don’t travel as much now, but I still enjoy the opportunity to prepare good food, and I enjoy serving meals at home to our friends and family.

Q: How did you learn to cook?

A: I was in my 30s when I discovered I liked to cook. To learn, I watched many of the cooking shows on television, especially those on The Food Network. I discovered I liked to experiment with different foods.

Instead of watching cooking shows, now I browse the Internet or turn to magazines, especially for seasonal or holiday ideas. When searching for new dishes to cook, I often find several recipes, then combine them into something I would like to serve.

Q: What foods do you enjoy cooking?

A: I especially enjoy preparing pasta dishes and other Italian foods. Right now, I am also cooking a variety of restaurant-style, gourmet hamburgers.

Q: What is your entertaining style?

A: We enjoy having casual meals with our family and friends. The meals are generally on the patio, as it is an extension of our home.

Q: What tips can you share to help make entertaining easy?

A: When entertaining, I like to be organized, doing as much of the preparation as possible ahead of time. That way I can relax and enjoy the company of our guests, rather than handle last minute details.

Q: What recipe are you sharing?

A: This is one of my favorite recipes for summertime entertaining. I clipped it from a magazine several years ago, then modified it a little to suit our tastes. The meat is marinated in advance and I make the salsa ahead of time. Then, we grill the meat and can all enjoy the dinner together. It is easy to scale this recipe up or down to accommodate the number of guests we have.

Q: What do you serve with it?

A: The flank steak with shiitake mushroom salsa is delicious and it makes an impressive entrée for guests. For starters, I like to prepare a variety of salsas, including pico de gallo, Texas caviar and even a watermelon salsa. Sometimes, I include a layered dip. When guests ask what they can bring, I always suggest guacamole. To pair with the steak, I sometimes add black beans, grilled spicy corn or chipotle shrimp.

Grilled Flank Steak with Shiitake Mushroom Salsa

Makes 6 to 8 servings

For the steak and marinade:

2 pounds flank steak or skirt steak

4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lime juice

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Corn tortillas, warmed, for serving

Shiitake mushroom salsa (recipe below)

Place the steak in a glass baking dish or zip-top plastic bag.

In a small bowl, mix garlic, ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Pour the marinade over the meat. Cover or seal and refrigerate overnight.

Place the steak on a hot grill and cook to your liking, about 4-5 minutes per side for medium to medium rare. Remove and allow the meat to rest 5 to 10 minutes. Cut meat into thin slices and serve with warm corn tortillas and mushroom salsa.

Shiitake Mushroom Salsa

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 1/2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

2 large shallots, sliced into thin rings

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Pour the olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the shallot rings and chili flakes. Sauté until the shallots just begin to turn golden, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a bowl to cool.

Add the cilantro, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, green onions, salt and pepper and toss lightly to coat.

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Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore are cookbook authors and food consultants that make up The Electrified Cooks. They have published over fourteen cookbooks and thousands of recipes. They are members of Les Dames d’Escoffier and blog at pluggedintocooking.com.

This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 7:00 AM.