Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichuri Butter and Fried Green Tomatoes

There’s a lot involved. yup. But it’s worth it. If you’ve eaten flank steak before it can be delicious, if done right. You want to marinade it and cut it properly. It is kind of one of those "proof is in the pudding" kind of meats. Luckily, with a good marinade, you can make a "cheaper" cut of meat incredibly delicious! And I’m going to say, this one is a crowd pleaser. This recipe is a marinade and cook it kind of meal. Even more flavor is added (but could be left out) with the chimchuri butter.

The fried green tomatoes are a bit more of a labor of love. But they, as well, are worth it. I have substituted thin cut fries (tossed them with crushed garlic, salt, cojita and finely minced cilantro) as a side dish.

The good news is that both aspects of this dinner are good for larger groups of people or for leftovers.

Ingredients:

Steak and Marinade:

3 lbs Flank Steak (yeah, you'll probably have leftovers)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2cup soy sauce

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 (5 oz) bottle Tiger Sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbs lemon juice

6 garlic cloves (pressed)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp paprika

Chimichuri Butter:

1 lg (2 small) bushels of cilantro

1 bushel of flat leafed parsley

6 garlic cloves

1 cup salted butter

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt (to taste)

Fried Green Tomatoes:

4 green tomatoes

1/2 cup corn meal

3/4 cup flour

2 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce:

16 oz sour cream

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 1/2 tsp chipotle powder

1/2 tsp salt

Cooking it on up:

The Steak:

Personally... I am a huge long time marinade fan. I marinade my steak of about 8 hours, or overnight if possible.

1) Combine the above listed marinade ingredients into a bowl and whisk together. Transfer this into your desired marinating pan, add the flank steak and let sit.

2) When it comes time to grill the steak, put it on for about 8 min each side for a medium finish. (This of course needs to be adjusted for varying preferences or quantities of steak.)

The Chimichuri Butter:

1) Put the olive oil, garlic, cilantro and parsley into a food processor. Puree until smooth.

2) Pour the mixture into a bowl and fold into softened butter along with the salt and pepper.

(This can be prepared ahead of time and placed into the refrigerator.)

The Fried Green Tomatoes:

1) Cut the tomatoes into slices roughly 1/4 inch thick.

2) In a medium size bowl mix the corn meal, 1/2 cup of flour (reserve the other 1/4 in a separate bowl), granulated garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne into a bowl. Stir together with a fork until blended.

3) Take out two separate bowls. In the first whisk together two eggs. In the second pour the remaining 1/4 cup of flour.

4) Once the tomatoes are cut, cover them in the flour, followed by a dip in the eggs and then the cornmeal mixture.

5) Set tomatoes into a frying pan with vegetable/canola oil and fry on both sides till golden brown. (I like to do this while the steak is cooking so everything can be served hot, all together.)

The Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce:

1) Combine the sour cream, granulated garlic, chipotle powder and salt into a sauce pan. Wisk together on a low heat and set aside till ready to serve.

Bringing it all together:

1) Once your flank steak is cooked to your liking, let it rest for about 3-5 minutes so that the meat can absorb all the delicious juices and marinade. Cut it against the grain (this means the fat strips will be flowing the opposite way of your cuts) into strips. Place it on a plate and top with a few dollops of the chimichuri butter.

2) Lay a foundation of the chipotle sour cream and top with tomatoes, followed by a drizzle of more chipotle sour cream (because who doesn’t want more of that?!?!).

3) Crumble the cojita (or queso freca) on top of it all and garnish with additional cilantro, if desired.

Serve and Enjoy!