This marinade does double duty. Prepare it in advance, when you have time, and use part for the steak. Reserve some to use on the colorful vegetable relish that is served on the side!
Prep Time:: 1 hr 10 mins
Cook Time::10 mins
Marinate Time:: 1 hr
Rest Time::10 mins
Total Time:: 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings::4
Ingredients
Marinade:
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
½ teaspoon white sugar
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ pounds flank steak (about 1-inch thick)
Vegetable relish:
1 (8 ounce) can sweet corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
To prepare the steak:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon low-sodium steak seasoning (such as Montreal Steak Seasoning®)
For the bowls:
4 cups hot cooked white rice
1 avocado – peeled, pitted, and diced
4 tablespoons sour cream (Optional)
2 green onions, chopped (Optional)
Directions
To make the marinade, place lime juice, jalapeño, garlic, balsamic vinegar, ginger, sugar, cumin, chili powder, salt, cayenne pepper, white pepper, cilantro, and extra-virgin olive oil in a food processor or blender. Pulse several times to blend, then purée about 1 minute.; measure out 1/2 cup and set aside.
Place the remaining marinade in a 1-gallon plastic resealable bag. Add steak and squeeze out as much air as possible. Reseal the bag and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.
To make the vegetable relish, combine corn, black beans, and red bell pepper in a large bowl. Toss with reserved 1/2 cup marinade until well mixed; refrigerate until ready to serve.
Remove marinated steak from the refrigerator about 5 minutes before cooking.
Place butter and olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Blot both sides of steak with a paper towel; sprinkle both sides with Montreal seasoning. Add seasoned steak to the skillet when butter is foamy. Cook, undisturbed, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Discard marinade.
Turn steak; cook until browned and desired internal temperature is achieved, 3 to 4 minutes. If the steak is browning too quickly, remove the skillet from heat and allow residual heat to continue cooking. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the center should read 130 degrees F (54 degrees C) for medium-rare, 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for medium, and about 150 degrees F (65 degrees C) for medium-well done.
Remove steak to rest on a cutting board, tented with foil, about 10 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain of the steak.
While steak is resting, prepare the bowls. Fill each bowl with 1 cup of rice. Stir chopped avocado into vegetable relish, and top rice with about 1 cup relish and 1/4 of the steak slices. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon sour cream and chopped green onions.
Cook's Note:
If you are making the vegetable relish ahead of time, wait until you are ready to serve before lightly tossing in the avocado. You could also simply serve the avocado in slices, on the side.
Editor's Note:
If you prefer to use excess steak marinade as a sauce, rather than discard it, you must sterilize it first. Pour marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes; set aside.