Marinated Flank Steak w/ Salsa Verde... and Chocolate Cake for Dessert!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

What could be better than a nice juicy piece of steak on this patriotic 3-day weekend!?

Having never made Flank Steak before, I decided to try a recipe we found in our Wine Spectator magazine.  I didn't follow the recipe for the steak because I really wanted to use my own marinade in order to impart the most flavor into the meat.  Flank Steak can be absolutely delicious, or it can easily resemble a piece of shoe leather if not seasoned well and cooked perfectly!  I wanted to avoid the latter, so here is the marinade recipe I used:

Flank Steak Marinade

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. minced onion
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine all of the above ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk together.  Place the steak in a shallow baking dish and pour the marinade over the meat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours, flipping the meat over halfway through the process. (Note: I left my steak in the marinade overnight).
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The Wine Spectator recipe did provide a fabulous recipe for Salsa Verde, which provided a wonderfully fresh flavor that complimented the steak and cut through its richness perfectly!

Here is the recipe:

Salsa Verde


Ingredients:

Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 Shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small bunch of fresh parsley
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Combine the above ingredients into a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

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Cooking the steak was simple and quick!  The key is not to overcook this piece of meat.  Flank Steak is a very lean cut of beef, and therefore will quickly become dry and tough if overcooked... and no steak should EVER be cooked well-done!

So here is what you must do:

Step 1: Drizzle 2-3 tbsp. of olive oil into the bottom of a skillet.  Heat over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Carefully place the steak in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, depending on its thickness.  The meat should be cooked to medium-rare and retain a pink center.

Step 3: Remove the steak to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for another 2-3 minutes.

Step 4: Slice the meat into thin strips, being sure to slice against the grain of the meat.  This method ensures that the meat will stay tender.

Step 5: Serve 3-4 strips of meat per person and top with the Salsa Verde!

We paired this dish with a fruity/oaky Malbec from Argentina.  It was delicious!

And for dessert.........

Black Bean Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

19 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained

4 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a square or round cake pan with butter.

Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave at 50% power for 1-2 minutes, or until chips are completely melted and smooth.

Combine the beans, eggs, sugar, and baking powder into a food processor, and blend until smooth.  Add the melted chocolate and blend until smooth.

Pour the batter into the baking pan, and bake for 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  

Let cool 30 minutes before serving.  Top with homemade strawberry sauce (recipe to follow).

Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned and sliced into small chunks

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine the strawberries, sugar, and vanilla in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for about 5 minutes until mixture has thickened.

Remove from heat, puree in a blender or food processor, and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  

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I must give credit to my Sister-in-Law for sharing this awesome recipe with me!  It may sound incredibly weird (who makes cake with black beans anyway?!), but believe me, it is the best "healthy" chocolate cake I have ever had!  It turned out dense and creamy, like a cross between a flourless chocolate cake and a brownie.  The homemade strawberry sauce really took it to the next level and was the perfect compliment to the rich dark chocolate :-)

Eat, Drink and be Merry!!!!

Librarian turned Foodie