Basil Bison Flank Steak with Grilled Ramps

It's grilling time! When I smell that sweet smoke flavor lofting through the air, I'm like a cartoon character that gets picked up by the nose and floats over to the grill.

It's easy to lean on the same old standbys when grilling so I like to encourage some creativity. It doesn't have to be fancy or hard, it can be as simple as changing the type of meat you typically choose. For instance, have you tried Bison? It offers great flavor with fewer calories and more protein and iron than traditional beef, pork or salmon.

Taking advantage of left over Basil Dressing from the other night, I had a quick marinade on my hands (saving a little for a final post drizzle.) The ever classic, but short lived ramps rounded out the grilled meal. Ramps are a cross between an onion and a garlic and they are only in season for a very short time in the Spring. Hesitation is not a viable option. A few things you should know about ramps thought- they can be quite smelly as left overs and even worse if you put them down the garbage disposal so just plan to eat them all the night you cook them and be sure your significant other eats them too.

Try something new when grilling this month, you might add a new dish to your Fat and Happy repertoire.

Fat and Happy Tips and Techniques:  Always know where your meat comes from and do buy grass fed, organic raised.

Basil Bison Flank Steak with Grilled Ramps

Basil dressing

Bison flank steak
Finishing salt

Ramps

Olive oil

Lime pepper (or salt and pepper with squeeze of lime)

Marinate the steak at least 2 hours in the basil dressing. Let the steak come to room temperature before grilling.

Grill the steak over a medium hot grill, let it sit undisturbed for about 6 minutes. Then flip the meat and sear on the second side for about another 6 minutes; depending on the thickness of the steak and your preferred doneness. Remove from heat and let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes to help the juices redistribute withing the meat.

Drizzle the ramps with olive oil and sprinkle with lime pepper. Grill over medium heat; the ramps will cook in minutes so watch the green leaf portion closely, remove from heat when the grill marks begin to show through.

Slice the meat against the grain in thin strips, sprinkle with finishing salt and serve with a drizzle of the remaining basil dressing along with the grilled ramps.

Basil Vinaigrette

2 cups fresh basil

2 cloves garlic
1 cup olive oil (more as needed to fully cover the meat)

Juice of 1 lemon with the zest

Salt and pepper

Blend all ingredients until well combined, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Continue with directions about

*I modified this vinaigrette slightly from my original dressing recipe for this marinade