Well, this week just keeps getting better! Tonight I made Balsamic-Glazed Flank Steak with Broccoli Rabe and Chickpea Puree. Sounds fancy, I know! But don't let that sway you from giving it a try. Not only was it surprisingly easy (the hardest part was getting the puree out of the bottom of the blender), but it made our house smell like a gourmet restaurant, which made me feel like I actually knew what I was doing!
Actually, I need to make a correction. I couldn't find broccoli rabe, so I didn't make that. I did include the recipe for it however, just in case you have better luck and want to give it a try. (If you do make that part of the recipe, please let me know! I'd love to hear your opinion!)
Ya know, I just reread that paragraph and I'm thinking that I should make another correction. (Two corrections already and I've hardly begun?!) The hardest part was deciding whether or not we wanted to splurge on the flank steak or not. We found it at our local grocery store, but it was $7.99/pound and the smallest steak they had was just over two pounds. A little pricey and more than we needed. Today Nick went to a well-known butcher, but their flank steak was $10.99/pound and, again, the smallest steak they had was over two pounds. We finally decided that, for the benefit of our readers, we would take one for the team and splurge on the flank. (Yes, we are the greatest of all martyrs!) Fortunately it was on sale for $6.99/pound today, so at least we saved a couple bucks. I cut the steak in half and I guess we'll just HAVE to have the rest later on this weekend. Oh the sacrifices we make for this blog... {sigh}
I should probably note that I decided to double the amount of meat that the recipe calls for. When I was trying to wake up this morning, I thought about the recipe and how it calls for one 8 oz. steak. Anyone who knows me knows that I tend to have problems with portion control. I love to eat and tend to just keep going until I'm so full I get sick. (This, incidentally, is something that both Nick and I have been working on.) That being said, I have no idea how they expect 8 ounces to serve four people. I could down an 8 ounce steak all by myself! So, I used a one pound steak (16 oz) instead.
Again, as with the chicken last night, I chose to marinate the steak for 30 minutes at room temperature instead of in the refrigerator for a longer period.
When it came time to cook the meat, I added the 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet, but it wasn't enough to cover the bottom of the pan so I drizzled more until the pan was thinly coated.
I cooked the steak as directed and then let it stand for 5 minutes before I began to cut it into slices. After cutting into the second slice though, I realized that the meat was still way too red. The steak should be pink in the middle, but not quite so rare. By this point I had already prepared the sauce that would go on the meat, so I poured that into a small bowl and returned the meat to the skillet. After cooking it for approximately two more minutes on each side, I transferred the steak back to the plate I had had it on (we don't have a cutting board, so I used a large serving plate) and let it stand for a few more minutes. This time the meat was perfect.
I dished everything up as they recommended and took a bite. Wow! If there had been a waiter in a bow tie I would've thought I was at a fancy restaurant! It was that good!
Honestly, I would've preferred potato puree to the chickpea puree (I am a Midwestern girl, after all), but that wouldn't quite be as Diabetes-friendly, would it? =) The chickpea puree was ok, but nothing special. And we don't have flaxseed oil, so I used EVOO instead.
I will absolutely make this recipe again (or at least the steak part), but may substitute a less expensive cut of beef. The flank steak was a nice splurge, but for a family that's trying to save some money, it's just not something that we can afford very often - maybe on a special occasion such as Valentine's Day or an anniversary. I'd rather use the marinade on a less expensive steak and have it more often! =)
And just as a side note... Nick just got home from work and had his dinner. It reheated very well and he loved it all as much as I did!
Balsamic-Glazed Flank Steak
with Broccoli Rabe & Chickpea Puree
Total time: 50 min
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
8 oz. flank steak
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/8 tsp salt
1 can (15-19 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 cloves garlic, quartered
1 Tbsp flaxseed oil
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
Ground black pepper
4 cups coarsely chopped broccoli rabe
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1. Combine steak, vinegar, onion, rosemary, and salt in heavy ziplock bag. Marinate at least 30 minutes and room temperature or several hours in refrigerator.
2. Simmer chickpeas, garlic, flaxseed oil, and 3/4 cup of the broth in saucepan 10 minutes, or until garlic is very tender. Transfer mixture to blender or food processor. Blend or puree, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth. Season with plenty of pepper. Return to saucepan and simmer over low heat if mixture is too runny.
3. Place large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining brothti skillet and bring to a boil. Add broccoli rabe. Cook, tossing, 3 minutes, until broccoli rabe wilts. Remove and cover to keep warm.
4. Wipe skillet dry. Add olive oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Remove steak from marinade (reserve marinade). Sear steak in skillet 3 to 4 minutes, then remove skillet from heat. Lower heat to medium. Transfer steak to cutting board and let stand 5 minutes.
5. Add marinade to skillet and return it to heat. Scrape bottom of skillet to loosen browned bits. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes, or until mixture is sticky. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.
6. Cut steak across the grain into thin slices. Spoon chickpea puree and broccoli rabe onto 4 dinner plates. Top puree with beef, then drizzle beef with balsamic sauce. Sprinkle cheese on broccoli rabe.
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