Unless it’s summer and can fire up the grill, we don’t prepare steak at home that often.  On the rare occasions I decide to make steak indoors, I’ve discovered that the best way to do so is using a cast iron skillet.  The cast iron works perfectly to get that golden brown sear and can seamlessly transition into the oven to finish thicker cuts of meat up.

Recently I’ve been loving the ease of flank steak cooked on the cast iron.  Since it’s a thinner cut of meat, it cooks up quickly to that perfectly medium center with a beautifully browned sear on the outside.  No need to stick this cut in the oven to finish!  Additionally, it’s a leaner cut of steak, being lower in fat and higher in protein than some other cuts such as ribeye.

Additionally, sliced against the grain after cooking leaves it tender enough to skip marinating it.  Pair it with a flavor bomb sauce such as chimichurri, and you’ve got dinner ready in under 20 minutes!

For those that haven’t tried chimichurri, you’re in for a treat!  It’s basically a sauce made from fresh herbs, garlic, and vinegar.  There are many variations out there, with additional ingredients such as cheese (making it more like a pesto) or roasted onions.  I keep mine pretty simple and use a blender to bring it together quickly!  Adding this sauce is a quick way to add a ton of flavor to just about any meat dish!  Just look at that beautiful bright green sauce!  Yum!

Pair it up with your favorite vegetable side dish or throw it on a salad for a quick and very flavorful meal!

Here, I’ve made a salad with some leftovers, which made it even more quick and easy!

Ingredients:

Servings:  4          Time:  15-20 minutes

For the steak-

1. 1 lb flank steak
2.  1 t coconut oil or neutral cooking oil
3. Salt and pepper

Chimichurri sauce-

1.  1 bunch cilantro
2.   2 cloves garlic
3.  1 small shallot
4.   Juice of 1/2 lime
5.  1 T olive oil
6.  1 T red wine vinegar
7.  Couple good shakes of crushed red pepper flakes or 1/2 T Chile Crunch Condiment
8.  Salt and Pepper
9.  Warm water to thin if necessary

Instructions:

1. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Add a small amount of neutral oil or butter.  Salt and pepper both sides of the flank steak.  Add the steak to the heated skillet and allow to sear for approximately 5 minutes.  Once seared and cooked about 1/3 of the way through, flip and allow to cook another 5-7 minutes to desired doneness.  I like to leave it a nice medium rare in the middle.  Remove the skillet from heat and allow the steak to sit for awhile for juices to redistribute.
2. Meanwhile, add all the ingredients of the chimichurri sauce to a small blender or food processor.  Blend until thoroughly combined.  Taste for seasoning and test for consistency and add salt, pepper, chile pepper, and water as necessary.
3. Once steak has cooled a bit, cut against the grain into thin strips.  Top with chimichurri and serve with desired sides!
4. On the pictured salad, I used spinach, lightly sauteed bell peppers and onions, some leftover quinoa, and some thawed, frozen roasted corn.  I also love serving it with arugula instead of spinach, as the peppery bite of arugula pairs very well with the bright and spicy chimichurri!

Nutrition info  (for steak and sauce):

230 total cal, 14 g fat, 3 g carb, 24 g protein