Grilled Flank Steak With Salsa Cruda

Serves 4
Recipe By: Michael Chiarello

1 Salsa Cruda:
5 tomatoes vine-ripened
1 large red bell pepper
2 jalapeno chiles
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil -- plus extra for brushing bread
Gray salt and freshly ground pepper
Wooden skewers -- soaked in water for 30 minutes
1 onion -- sliced into thick rings
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
Gray salt and cracked black pepper
1 flank steak -- about 1 pound
4 ounces Gorgonzola -- crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
4 large slices bread -- cut from a good, crusty loaf

Prepare the grill and let it burn down to medium coals. Core the
tomatoes and cut an X through the skin on the bottom of each. In a
bowl, toss the tomatoes, bell pepper, and chiles with 1 to 2
tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Secure the
chilies with metal or soaked wooden skewers so they won't fall
through the grill grate. Place the tomatoes on the grill, X-side down
and away from direct heat, with the other vegetables. Cover the grill
and cook, turning the bell pepper and chiles to char evenly all over,
until the tomatoes have softened but are still firm enough to stand
on their own and the bell pepper and chilies are blistered, about 15
minutes. Put the pepper and chiles in a bowl and cover to steam and
loosen the skins. Let the tomatoes cool to room temperature.

In a large, shallow bowl, combine 4 tablespoons olive oil, garlic,
vinegar, oregano. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Peel the grilled vegetables. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally
and squeeze out the seeds into a sieve suspended over a bowl to catch
the juices. Finely chop the tomatoes. Return the tomato pulp and any
juices from the chopping board to the bowl holding the tomato juices.
Seed and chop the chiles. Cut the bell pepper into small dice. Mash
the chiles and taste to determine their heat.
Add all vegetables with garlic olive oil mixture. Mix well before
topping pasta or flank steak.
Season the flank steak with salt, pepper, and brush with 1 tablespoon
of the olive oil. Grill, turning once, until done to your taste,
about 10 minutes for rare meat (to cook indoors try a cast iron,
skillet or bistecca pan). A minute before removing steak from the
heat, top with oregano and Gorgonzola. Transfer to a cutting board,
drizzle with another 1 tablespoon olive oil, and crumble the
remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano over the top. Let rest for about 5
minutes.

Meanwhile, brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and season
with salt and pepper. Grill the bread on both sides until brown and
crunchy on the outside but still soft within.

Carve the meat on the diagonal into thin slices and arrange on a
platter or plates, on top of crusty bread. Top with about 1/4 cup of
the Salsa Cruda, per slice of bread drizzled over each portion. Serve i

ediately.

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Exported from A Cook's Books -- Recipe management for Macintosh

http://www.terrypogue.com


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