While Mother’s Day may be the most popular day of the year in the restaurant business, Father’s Day is the exact opposite, explained Casey Johnson, chef de cuisine at 5th Street Pub in Sylvania. “On Mother’s Day we are cooking non-stop all day long, but Father’s Day is slow with many families opting to grill or cook outside with dad. It’s just tradition,” he said.
Johnson joined Executive Chef Bruce Rahe and the team at 5th Street in August of 2018. His responsibilities as chef de cuisine, a position that is second in command to the executive chef, also include managing the staffs at two other area restaurants, 5th Street Pub in Perrysburg and Luckies Barn and Grill in Oregon, Ohio.
“Growing up, I always remember grilling with my dad. That was a big inspiration to me for wanting to become a chef. Dad’s most famous recipe is his flank steak which he seasons with just Worcestershire sauce, a little oil, garlic and salt and pepper,” reminisced Johnson.
“For this menu, I played off the meat and potatoes theme for dads, but I wanted to bring something different to these standard recipes. For example, I gave the beef a bit of an Asian twist by adding ginger and soy sauce,” said Johnson. “I also wanted to use a lot of springtime ingredients such as mushrooms, new potatoes and delicate, leafy herbs like tarragon, parsley, cilantro and chervil,” he added.

Whether you are grilling out with your dad or cooking for yourself and your kids, I hope Johnson’s recipes whet your appetite and help get your creative juices flowing.
Happy Father’s Day!

Grilled Flank Steak with Ginger Salsa Verde
“The Ginger Salsa Verde is a perfect accompaniment to the beef as the acidity cuts through the fattiness and brightens the flavor of the meat,” remarked Johnson. “The chopped herb garnish is like a heavy vinaigrette or a loose pesto. You can hand chop the herbs or put them in a food processor and blend.” Serves 4.

1-2 pounds flank steak

For the Marinade
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons ginger paste
2 teaspoons garlic, minced

For the Salsa Verde
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
2 lemons, zest and juice
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ginger paste
2 teaspoons garlic, minced

In a bowl, combine all marinade ingredients and mix well. Place the steak into a resealable bag or a shallow dish. Pour marinade over steak and allow steak to marinate for 6 hours or overnight.
In another bowl, combine all ingredients for the salsa and whisk well. This sauce can be made the day before and stored in the refrigerator. Be sure to take the sauce out 1 hour before using.
Heat grill with burners on medium-high or use a medium sized pile of charcoal. Just allow it time to fully ember.
Remove steak from marinade and allow enough time for it to reach room temperature before grilling, roughly 1 hour.
Place steak directly on to oiled grill grates and cook to desired internal temperature, with medium-rare (130 F) being the recommended internal temperature. Grill roughly 8-10 minutes per side rotating at least once per side to get the desired “diamond” markings.
Allow at least 20-30 minutes resting time after you remove steak from grill and be sure to slice no thicker than ¼ inch slices and always across the “grain” of the meat.

Gochujang Roasted New Potatoes
“Gochujang is a red pepper paste used frequently as a condiment or sauce with Korean cuisine. It’s available at local grocery stores,” explained Johnson. “Feel free to use any new potatoes like fingerlings, red skins or purple potatoes, but choose the smallest potatoes possible because they have the most flavor,” he added.
*This recipe is currently at a medium heat level. If you want less heat, reduce the gochujang to 1 tablespoon. Serves 4.

2 pounds new potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons gochujang*
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Heat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, gochujang, garlic and salt.
Toss potatoes in gochujang oil and spread evenly on a cookie sheet.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until tender.

Miso Sriracha Green Beans
Look for miso, a fermented soybean paste, in the international aisles at local grocery stores. “The miso adds the umami or richness to the green beans, giving you the feeling you get when you’re eating meat,” said Johnson.
*The recipe is currently at a medium heat level. If you want less heat, reduce the Sriracha to 1 tablespoon. Serves 4.

1 pound green beans, cleaned and trimmed
1 pound cremini mushrooms, washed and quartered
1/4 cup olive oil

For Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce*
2 tablespoons white miso
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. Can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator. Feel free to use this on more than just the green beans.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once water has begun to boil, heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
Add the green beans to the boiling water and the quartered mushrooms to the heated skillet.
Allow water to return to a boil and cook green beans until just tender, roughly 5 minutes. Then strain.
Sauté mushrooms over medium-high until slightly browned, roughly 5 minutes. Add a teaspoon of salt to mushrooms while you are sautéing them.
Add the green beans to the mushrooms and toss, continue to sauté for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and add vinaigrette to pan. Toss to coat green beans thoroughly and serve.
(Recipes by Casey Johnson. Photos by Casey Johnson and Jill Johnson).