Originally published on March 25, 2015
Argentinian steak salad is a dish that comes straight from the restaurant. If you don’t think it looks tasty (and how could you not?), consider that we had it as a feature several months back and it was so popular that it found a permanent home on our new menu. It’s a combination of spicy roasted potatoes, roasted peppers, flank steak, and chimichurri – which is the official condiment of Argentina, hence the name. But, being served entirely cooked and mostly hot (with the exception of the chimichurri) don’t be surprised if it sparks the debate around your dinner table of what actually constitutes a salad. I’ve seen it happen a few times.
For the flank steak:
1 flank steak
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1/2 cup of water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
For the spicy roasted potatoes:
3 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
2 tablespoons Montreal steak spice
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the roasted peppers:
1 green pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Pepper
For the chimichurri:
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
Directions:
1.) Start by making the potatoes; they will take the longest. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and toss the potatoes with the Montreal steak spice. Drizzle with olive oil, toss again to coat and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. When the oven is hot, put the potatoes in and roast for 35 – 45 minutes, until they are golden and fork-tender.
2.) When there are about 20 minutes left in cooking time for the potatoes, toss the diced bell pepper with the thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spread these out on a baking sheet and cook for 10-20 minutes, until they just begin to soften and darken around the edges. They should be done at the same time as the potatoes.
3.) Next cook the steak. Combine the onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Add the water and combine. You want this to be the consistency of a rub, so add more water if necessary. Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium-high heat and when hot, place the flank steak onto it. Cook for 7 minutes, then flip and cook for another 7 minutes. This will give you a medium-rare steak; cook longer if you prefer medium although I don’t suggest cooking flank steak to medium-well or well-done. When steak is cooked to your liking, remove from the grill and let it rest while you prepare the chimichurri.
4.) For the chimichurri, place the basil, parsley, garlic, red chili flakes, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse until everything is combined and broken down. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the chimichurri is a smooth consistency and everything is well blended.
5.) Thinly cut the flank steak against the grain and remove the potatoes and roasted peppers from the oven.
6.) To plate, place the roasted potatoes in the centre of the plate. Add roasted peppers on top and then, several slices of the flank steak on top of those. Place a generous dollop of chimichurri on top.
7.) Serve and enjoy!