Flatiron Steak with Fried Okra & Jalapenos

I first had flatiron steak in Boulder at the restaurant I worked at, after my chef brother-in-law put it on the menu there, and I’ve appreciated it ever since.  The cut comes from the shoulder of the cow, and it has a nice amount of marbling and flavor.  If you cook it to a mid-rare or medium temperature, it has a nice texture too.  At home, we typically use it for stir-fry meals, burritos, quesadillas, or even steak and eggs, but sometimes we serve it up on its own for an affordable steak dinner night.  This meal was a strange fusion of South American and Cajun ingredients, but it all worked really well together.  Chimichurri sauce is a condiment most often used to top steak or chicken in Argentina, and its fresh flavor is perfect for grilled meats.  We served the meat on top of quinoa so it could soak up the juices and sauce, along with a heaping side of fried vegetables!

Flatiron Steak

1 piece flatiron steak (1-1.5 lbs.)

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flake

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

In a bowl, combine liquids and whisk together.  Grind spices in a mortar and pestle and add to liquids.  Pour over steak in a plastic bag or tupperware and marinate for 6-12 hours before cooking.   

To cook, sear in a cast iron skillet on medium high heat until dark brown on outside, then finish cooking in a 350 degree oven to preferred temperature (recommended: 10-15 minutes for mid rare or medium).

 Chimichurri Sauce

1 cup of fresh parsley, cilantro or both, chopped finely

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp dried oregano

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp white vinegar

¼ tsp red pepper flake

salt and pepper to taste

Combine herbs and garlic in a bowl.  Add salt, pepper and red pepper flake and mix.  Add white vinegar and mix well.  Slowly pour in olive oil while stirring.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Fried Okra and Jalapenos

We decided to buy some okra at the farmer’s market on Saturday, and as we were doing so the vendor told us we had get to some of their fresh jalapenos and fry them up together.  It was probably the best batch of fried okra I’ve ever made.  The sweet and hot combination was so good I don’t think I’ll ever fry okra another way.  But please note, if I were not frying up peppers with the okra I would put cayenne pepper in the breading mixture.

1 lb fresh okra (quarter-to-half pound per person)

2-3 fresh jalapenos

2 cups buttermilk

¾ cup corn meal

¾ cup flour

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups vegetable oil

Slice the vegetables, ½ inch thick for okra and ¼ inch thick for jalapenos.  Mix dry ingredients together in a shallow bowl, pour buttermilk into a separate bowl.  Heat oil in a skillet to about 350 degrees (you can test by sprinkling flour in the oil to make sure it’s hot enough to fry), there should be at least 2 inches of oil in bottom of the skillet for even frying.  Dip okra and jalapenos into buttermilk, shake off excess liquid, then dredge in corn meal mixture, coating evenly.  Carefully add to oil, and cook for 5-7 until golden brown (work in batches so the skillet doesn’t get too crowded). Dry on a paper towel or brown paper covered cooling rack.