There is nothing better than a steak from the grill for convenient cooking. Get a good cut of meat like a top round flank steak.

Marinate the steak and it’s on the grill to make a fast dinner that comes together in less than thirty minutes.

What are you marinating your steak in? The folks at America’s Test Kitchen can break down the science aspects of why two particular ingredients work to get the most flavor from your steak.

http://www.cookscountry.com/how_tos/8173-getting-to-know-umami-powerhouses

What are they? Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Great flavor every time!

Did you know that Worcestershire sauce has been around since the 1800s and that the last names synonymous with the sauce, Lee and Perrins, were English pharmacists? They were the ones to first put the ingredients like molasses, anchovies and tamarind in the same sauce.

Here’s another little fun fact. Did you know that the original glass bottles were breaking when they exported the product out of England? The wrapper of paper was meant to protect the bottles from rattling against each other.

The paper is no longer necessary but the company still packages the bottles sealed in the distinctive wrappers.

The Worcestershire lends some interesting flavor along with the saltiness of the soy sauce to marinate your steak. If you are adding salt and pepper go a little shy on the salt so you don’t push the sodium content.

What to serve with the steak? We love to have thin slices of steak with an onion jam.

To caramelize onions slice them thin and put them in a pan with some extra-virgin-olive-oil and cook on a low flame. You don’t have to babysit the pan but stir them occasionally.

What happens is that the natural sugars in the onion start to caramelize and take on a warm brown color. It’s a slow delicious process. Note that when you first put onion slices in a pan it will look like far too many. But watch as they cook down into a tangled pile of caramelized goodness.

You can use 1 large onion or 4 or 5 shallots to make the onion jam. The acidity of the balsamic vinegar pulls the flavor together along with a touch of tangy Dijon mustard. Some floral notes of thyme from the garden are added as the jam comes off the heat.

BALSAMIC ONION JAM

1 large onion or 5 shallots

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

5 0r 6 thyme sprigs

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

See you tomorrow!