Recipe: Flank Steak with Cherry Tomatos and Olives

This is one of my favorite recipes for Flank Steak. Every now and then I get a hankering for it. I made it the other night and it was just as good as I remembered it. And I got beef with broccoli out of it for the next night! So don;t be afraid to cook more than you can eat.

Get a flank steak from your butcher. Have him score it for you or when you get it home make a criss cross pattern on both sides of shallow cuts to keep it from curling and to let the marinade really soak in. Rub both sides with olive oil. Make a paste in a bowl of 4-5 tablespoons of fresh herbs, 2 finely minced or pressed cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt a teaspoon of pepper. I usually have thyme and rosemary on hand so I use those. Spread the paste on both sides of the flank steak and place in a gallon zip and throw it in the fridge for awhile. An hour is good, overnight works, if you only have 15 minutes then leave it at room temp till you are ready to go.

Meanwhile, cut in half a carton of grape tomatoes and a cup of chopped flat leaf parsley and place in a bowl. Add some pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarsely, 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar. Toss it all loosely. I think the sherry vinegar is an important part of the blend of these flavors so I recomend buying a bottle for this recipe. If you don't have it use another vinegar that is fairly mild in flavor. White distilled vinegar should be used for washing windows and dying easter eggs!

Toss the flank steak on the grill or grill pan until cooked to the way you like it. Let it rest 5 minutes on the cutting board. Then slice into thin slices starting at either short end.

If you have any leftover, and I do now that I am cooking for 2, save it for the next night for a stir fry. In a bowl, mix together some oyster sauce or hoisin suace, some soy sauce, sugar and a little sesame oil. Through in some Mirin if you have it. This is not rocket science. Just use what you have. Taste it and adjust accordingly. Add a teaspoon or two of cornstarch and stir to mix.

Slice your leftover flank steak slices into 2 inch pieces and put it next to the pan.

Cut broccoli into small flowerets. I also had some pea pods so I put that with the broccoli. Heat oil in a pan or wok and add 2 teaspons of fresh ginger and then the veggies. Stir over high heat until crisp/tender. If still not tender and starting to brown, add a couple of tablespoons of water and steam it a little to get it tender enough to your liking. When the broccoli is ready, through in the meat and sauce. Let it cook for a few minutes, stirring. The sauce will go from cloudy to clear and start coating the meat and veggies. Serve with with rice.