Prairie Town Whiskey Marinated Steak

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) apple juice or cider
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) Canadian whiskey
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) maple syrup
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 top sirloin steak, about 500 g
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) each salt and pepper

Whisk the apple juice with the whiskey, maple syrup, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the onion, garlic and rosemary. Place the steak in a zip-top bag and pour in the whiskey mixture. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Remove the steak from the marinade and shake off the excess; transfer the remaining marinade to a saucepan and set aside. Season the steak with the salt and pepper on both sides.

Select the "Red Meat" program and press "OK". Lightly grease the cooking plates with cooking spray. Once the purple indicator light has stopped flashing, place the steak on the grill and close the lid.

Cook until the indicator light has changed to the colour of desired doneness; yellow for rare, orange for medium or red for well done. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and tent with foil. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, bring the leftover marinade to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup (50 ml) and a rich caramel colour. Strain the sauce and discard the solids. Serve the steak drizzled with the whiskey sauce.

Tips: For the best flavour, ‘bruise’ the rosemary sprigs by firmly tapping the sprigs with the back of a chef’s knife until fragrant. Serve with crispy, oven-baked French fries and baked beans to complete this steakhouse meal.