Digging Carrots
For years I was trapped in the mentality that carrots’ primary role in my kitchen was as part of the tripod upon which many Italian dishes stand: carrots, onions, and garlic. These aromatics are known...
This is a simple, fabulous dinner: I just have to buy steak, carrots with the greens, and some fresh thyme. The other stuff I usually have on hand. I like to marinate the steak in the morning or the night before, but if you only get in 1 hour of marinating, that’s fine, too. You can substitute skirt steak for the flank steak if you’d like. This is great accompanied by Braised Carrots*.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
- 1½ pounds flank steak
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Small bunch of fresh thyme
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- Juice from ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons safflower oil
- Carrot Top Pesto
Instructions
Pound the steak with a mallet to tenderize.
Place the steak, olive oil, thyme, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste in a sturdy plastic food storage bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
About 1 hour before you are ready to start cooking, take the bag out of the fridge and let the meat come to room temperature.
In a grill pan or heavy skillet, heat the safflower oil over high heat. Remove the steak from the bag. Don’t worry if there is garlic or thyme stuck to it. Place in the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, searing both sides, for medium-rare.
Remove the meat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice the meat against the grain and on an angle, and serve with the carrot pesto. You can serve this dish at room temperature or warm, both are good.
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Carrot Top Pesto
I’ve never bought carrots without the greens since I discovered how to make this (you have to blanch the greens first or the pesto is too grassy). Be sure you separate the greens as soon as you get th...
