Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Sauteed Kale and White Beans

This was a fast, budget friendly weeknight meal that I must say I really REALLY enjoyed. We don't eat much red meat during the week. I usually default to pasta, chicken, fish, pork every once in a while. The Spring-like weather had me in a grilling mood and I thought of flat iron steak because my mom was hooked on this particular cut last summer. They are thin so they marinate and grill up fast but if cooked correctly are still quite tender. I found a simple flank steak marinade recipe with lots of great reviews on Epicurious.com so I decided to give it a try. Marinade: 1/3 cup red wine 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce 3 cloves of garlic- pressed a handful of fresh parley- chopped pinch of kosher salt and some freshly cracked black pepper I mixed the ingredients directly into a large ziplock bag and then dropped in one flat iron steak, approximately one pound total, sealed it well and then squished it all around to coat the steak evenly. I set it into a baking dish and refrigerated for 45 mins to 1 hour. In the meantime I started to prepare the quick saute of Greens and White Beans, another Epicurious.com recipe that jumped out at me. I chose Kale because its one of my favorites and it cooks relatively quickly. Sauteed Kale and White Beans: 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 bunch of kale, cleaned, center ribs removed, torn into pieces 2 cups of fresh arugula 3/4 cup chicken stock 1-15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed. 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar I heated the olive oil for one minute over medium heat in a large skillet (you'll want one with a lid) and then toasted the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes for just about one minute. I added the greens to the pan and immediately tossed them together with the garlic and oil. You want to be sure that the garlic doesn't sit at the very bottom of the pan or it will burn. As soon as the greens were wilted, I added the chicken stock, a little bit at a time, covering the pan to steam the greens. This took about 8-10 minutes total, adding a few splashes of stock every couple of minutes. You don't want it to be soupy but you need enough liquid to create steam. As soon as the greens were tender, I added the white beans and the arugula - gently mixing everything into the kale mixture to avoid smashing the beans. The arugula wilts in a matter of seconds, adding a little extra flavor to the dish. As soon as the beans were heated through and the liquid was mostly absorbed, I added the vinegar and some salt and pepper- cooking everything two minutes longer while gently mixing together. Note: the reduced stock gives it lots of flavor so you don't need too much additional salt. I set the greens and beans aside, barely covered with a lid to keep warm while John grilled the steak. I removed the steak from the marinade and patted somewhat dry with a few paper towels. This helps to create a caramelized sear on the meat as it grills. John grilled the steak for about 3-4 minutes per side and then we let it rest for 10 minutes, tented with tin foil, before slicing it on a diagonal. The soy sauce in the marinade helps to tenderize the meat while flavors of the red wine and garlic are absorbed. For a super simple marinade and only 45 minutes or so of soak time, the steak was incredibly flavorful. The kale and white beans were the perfect compliment- I could make a meal of them alone actually. John and I happily ate left overs again the next night. Thank you once again, Epicurious, for a fantastic meal. All for just about $10 in groceries!

With dinner we enjoyed a new wine that we sampled at the Food and Wine festival last weekend. I picked it up at Whole Foods that very day. It is a Yali Cabernet/Carmenere blend from Chile - priced at $8.99. I'm not an expert but I would say it is full bodied with some spice to it- it worked really well with this meal.