adobe flank steak with avocado, corn and tomato relish
I am a true fan of a juicy rib eye steak or a filet mignon that is dipped in a flavored sauce such a port based sauce or a cognac cream sauce. I haven't worked with a flank steak in years and wanted to try this recipe as created. Best known for its use in recipes for London Broil, flank steak is a lean, full flavored cut of beef. Many flank steak recipes suggest marinating for hours or overnight to tenderize the meat. The steak is tenderized by the acids found in marindate ingredients such as lemon juice, vinegar, tomatoes, and/or ginger. Grilling or broiling gives this thin cut the best results and cutting against the grain into thin slices will ensure tenderness.
Adobe Flank Steak with Corn and Tomato Relish
recipe from Cooking Light / can be found on MyRecipes.com
5 servings (serving size: 3 ounces steak and 1/2 cup relish)
Steak:
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 whole cloves
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 (1 1/4-pound) flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
Relish:
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
1 cup chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers (I passed on this ingredient)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Preparation
To prepare steak, cook the first 3 ingredients in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat for 45 seconds or until toasted. Place the peppercorn mixture in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground.
Remove 1 chile from can; reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use. Place peppercorn mixture, chile, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and the next 4 ingredients (vinegar through garlic) in a blender; process until smooth, scraping sides occasionally.
Combine vinegar mixture and steak in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator 24 hours. Remove from bag; discard marinade. The sherry vinegar gives the relish lots of flavor, so choose a good one.
Prepare grill or broiler.
Place steak on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.
To prepare the relish, heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add corn; saute 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; stir in tomato and remaining ingredients except thyme leaves. Place on top of steak. Garnish with thyme, if desired.
