Herb-Crusted Flank Steak With Tomato-Olive Relish
Andrea Potischman
Aug 27, 2017
Herb-crusted flank steak with tomato-olive relish should be in your recipe repertoire no matter what. Seriously, if you are a beef eater, it’s a keeper. A simple fresh herb coating brings a great earthy flavor to this dish. The sweetness of ripe seasonal tomatoes paired with briny olives complements the texture and flavors of the steak. I prefer to pan-sear this recipe, but grilling it is an option as well. This is also a great recipe for groups, so easy to prep ahead of time, leaving you plenty of time to spend with guests. This recipe also works well served at room temperature with a great crusty bread, making it a nice option for a Sunday lunch with friends. Serve this steak with a great IPA and you can’t get much better.
Flank steak is a beef steak cut from the abdominal muscles or lower chest of the cow, and it is often overlooked in the steak world. A less expensive cut, I like it because it’s versatile, you can grill, pan-fry, broil, or braise it for increased tenderness. Not all cuts are so versatile. Marinating a cut like flank steak adds tremendously to the flavor and tenderness. Flank steak can handle a long 4-hour marinade if you have time to plan for that. While it’s not necessary in this recipe, I suggest you try that trick at least once.
How to tell if the steak is done is a question I am asked often. The truth is, it’s tricky, by touch is the best method and the way I do it, but that just takes practice. Contrary to popular belief, cutting into your steak to take a quick look is also completely fine. There is only a negligible amount of juice lost in doing so and therefore fine in my book. There is also absolutely nothing wrong with using a thermometer. A simple digital thermometer is a very useful gadget to have in the house. Above is a handy chart that gives you a simple breakdown of doneness, a description of what that means, temperature ranges, and a great visual of how the meat looks.
Herb-Crusted Flank Steak With Tomato-Olive Relish
Ingredients:
For the Steak:
- 2 pounds flank steak
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 3 teaspoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the Relish:
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup pitted brine-cured green olives, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup free basil, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Extra-Virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions:
- For the Steak: Place the steak in a large shallow baking dish. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl add the thyme, rosemary, tarragon, garlic and mix well to incorporate.
- Using your hands, evenly coat both sides of the steak. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but the longer the better.
- For the Relish: In a small mixing bowl add the tomatoes, parsley, both types of olives, basil, onion, olive oil and lemon juice. Mix well to incorporate and set aside.
- Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the steak and sear until desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and allow to rest for a few minutes.
- To Serve: slice the steak across the grain in thin slices. Arrange on plates or a platter and top with a heaping spoonful of tomato-olive relish.
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