Steak with Salsa Verde

It's been rather quiet around here. I can't tell if you're not reading, not cooking, or just not talking. I have been trying a variety of recipes here, so hopefully one if these days I'll hit on something that interests you.

Today's recipe is another Jamie Oliver recipe, and my family loved it -- six out of six thumbs up. They love beef, and they love spicy, bold flavors, and I love that all the ingredients were whole, fresh foods. Unfortunately, Jamie jinxed me when he wrote "watch your fingers here" in regard to chopping the salsa ingredients, because I cut the begeebers out of my left index finger. Fortunately, the salsa was pretty well finished when I did it. And fortunately, my little sous chef was perfectly able to prepare the salad.

This is a good, healthy, budget-conscious recipe, with the flank steak, and will be even more so during the summer when veggies are growing in the garden.

Steak with Salsa Verde

1-pound flank steak (I used an almost 2-pound steak for six of us)

1/8 t. sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 T. olive oil

1 clove garlic, halved

For the salsa verde:

a small bunch of fresh cilantro

a small bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 to 2 fresh jalapeno or serrano chiles, seeded (I used one large jalapeno)

4 large scallions, trimmed 

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped 

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

juice of 1 to 2 limes (I used one)

1 T. olive oil

1/8 t. salt

Jamie's Note: Make sure your meat is at room temperature before you start cooking – that way it will cook at the same temperature all the way through.

It’s really important to rest the meat once it’s cooked. It allows the juices to settle, so you don’t lose them all when you slice or carve the steak.

Method 

Take your steak out of the refrigerator and let it get up to room temperature while you make your salsa.

Get yourself a good knife and a big cutting board. Set aside a few of the cilantro leaves, then chop the top of the bunch, stalks and all, with the mint leaves, garlic, chiles, scallions, and tomatoes until it’s all very fine – watch your fingers here! Sprinkle over a pinch of the salt and pepper, then add most of the lime juice and a good lug of extra virgin olive oil. Mix together on the board, taste it, season with the remaining salt, pepper, lime juice, or chile, and put it into a bowl ready to go.

Get a frying pan, grill pan, or outdoor grill screaming hot and season both sides of your steaks with the salt, pepper, and a good lug of olive oil (we grilled it on the gas grill).

Add the steaks to the pan or grill. Your steaks should take about 6 to 7 minutes per side to cook depending on how you like them. As it cooks, rub the steak with the cut side of the garlic clove for some extra flavor.

When the steaks are perfectly cooked to your liking, move them to a plate to rest for a few minutes.

Cut the flank against the grain and with the knife at an angle to the board into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and arrange them on a large serving platter or divide between your plates.

Finish with a few dollops of salsa, and scatter over your remaining cilantro leaves. Drizzle over any resting juices and let everyone tuck in.

Source: Jamie Oliver

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