Grilled NY Strip Steaks with a Smokey Herbaceous Chermoula Sauce and Apricot Goat Cheese Stuffed Olives
Grilled NY strip steaks are one of my go to meals. Full of beefy flavor but more lean than other steaks you really can’t go wrong! They make the perfect grilled steak because there are less fat pockets like you might find in a ribeye which in turn leads to less grill flare ups. I love me some fire as much as the the next person but not so much when I’m grilling and trying to avoid completely charred meals. I actually grilled these steaks on one of those park grills with the squeaky grates so pardon my not so beautiful grill marks :). But with that I hope you can appreciate how easy it is to make this grilled NY strip steak recipe no matter where you are! I prepped my olives the day before and made the chermoula prior to leaving the house. Packed them up in resealable glass storage containers, put my steak in a ziplock and away we went.
A great way to liven up an grilled meat and balance the fattiness of beef is with a bright herby sauce. For this recipe I chose chermoula. Chermoula originates in North Africa and is traditionally served with grilled seafood or as a marinade. I have marinated veggies in chermoula multiple times to serve along grilled flat breads and yogurt with huge success! ( i.e. my kids loved it and no one cried about mushrooms). If you are able to set aside a small container of the chermoula to pack in your lunch for the next day you will certainly liven up your lunch hour and have something great to dip those tasteless mini carrots in. 🙂
Now green olives are my jam! I love traditional versions with the pimentos but also really enjoy the fancified olives with all the interesting stuffings. The inspiration for these gems actually comes from one of my longtime friends, Emily. Having mentioned being on a goat cheese and olive kick lately my first thoughts were, ” ahhh that sounds so good right now!” Then after thinking through my dish I determined that dried apricots would provide the perfect balance and sweetness to the light funk of the goat cheese and saltiness of the olives. This can get a little messy stuffing olives so a pipping bag or a ziplock bag with the very tip snipped is your best friend. When sliced with your steak so you get a bite of stuffed olive with each fork full you will experience sweet, salty with a little spice.
A few tips for when you are grilling steaks. Always bring the steaks to room temperature. If you don’t you are sure to have uneven cooking because the outside of the meat will be brought to temperature quicker than the inside. Let steaks sit out for a minimum of 15 minutes at room temperature. Always either lightly brush the steaks with a neutral high smoke point oil like canola or oil the grates. This will prevent sticking and any loss of that beautiful crust we have worked so hard to achieve. And finally don’t forget to rest your meat! This will allow the meat to reabsorb/redistribute the juices instead of them all pouring out all over your plate and sogging up your frites! Rested meat equals juicy meat.
If you love this grilled NY strip steak recipe be sure to check out Grilled Flank Steak with Mojo Salsa
Grilled NY strip steak served with a smokey herbaceous chermoula sauce and apricot goat cheese stuffed olives.
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 1 tablespoon half and half
- 1/3 cup dried apricots finely chopped
- 24 jumbo green olives whole and pitted
- 2 cups fresh parsley leaves chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 12 oz (1 1/4 inches thick) NY Strip Steaks brought to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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In medium sized bowl combine goat cheese and half and half. Stir to combine and add in finely chopped apricots. Spoon mixture into a pipping bag with fine time or into a ziplock baggie with the corner snipped. Pipe mixture into the olives and place stuffed olives in the refrigerator. You will have some of the apricot goat cheese mixture left over.
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Place all of the chermoula ingredients into a food processor except the olive oil. Pulse the mixture until well combined but not smooth. With the food processor running on low slowly add in the olive oil through the feed tube. When all of the olive oil in incorporated pour sauce into a medium sized serving bowl and set aside.
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Preheat grill to high heat. Lightly brush steaks with canola oil and season both sides with kosher salt. Grill steaks for 4 minutes on first side. Flip steaks and grill for an additional 3 minutes for medium rare. Remove from grill and allow to rest at least 4 minutes.
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On individual plates slice rested steaks and top with chermoula sauce. Place four stuffed olives on each plate. Slice the olives so you are able to enjoy some with each bite.
You can prepare stuffed olives a head of time to decrease on prep work. I have prepped these 24 hours in advance with great results.
You will have left over apricot goat cheese after stuffing the olives. It is great on cracker and toasted bread, so never fear it will not go to waste :).
Remove steaks from the refrigerator at least 15-20 minutes prior to grilling so they can be brought to room temperature. This insures even cooking.
My husband hates how steak can get cold after resting so I always warm my dinner plates in the bread warmer drawer of my oven.
Don't forget to cut up your stuffed olives with your steak so you are able to get some in each bite because it will be worth it!