Sunday, May 15, 2011

Cilantro Sauce for Steak


A couple of weeks ago, I had been broiling some flank steak for dinner. The first night you serve steak (especially grass-fed), all you need are a couple of slices of still-warm flank steak to satisfy. The second night, though, leftovers often need a little kick to add some extra brightness and pizzazz (especially when eating them cold, as I was). Luckily for me, I had a whole bunch of fresh cilantro from the market.

Ever since I had shared an Argentinian steak with chimichurri last year with a dear friend, I've had a craving for the same tender, juicy slices of steak topped with the slightly spicy, palate-cleansing, refreshing green sauce. While I have the recipe for that same exact dish, I didn't want to re-create that sauce when making something for my steak. I wanted to make something all my own.

Training for a half-marathon, I've been cognizant of my salt intake to ensure I replenish electrolytes. So, when cooking, I'll often opt to add some sodium to my cooking by using light white miso or Dr. Bragg's Liquid Aminos. Take a bag of cilantro, a little white miso, some roasted garlic cloves... and some olive oil and apple cider vinegar to balance it all out. Sounded like a delicious combination to me -- but would it work?

It did -- and it was so good.


Cilantro "Chimichurri"

1 bunch cilantro, leaves removed and stems discarded
2 tablespoons white miso
6-8 cloves fresh roasted garlic
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste
Olive oil to taste/consistency

In a mini-prep, combine cilantro, miso, and garlic. Roughly blend. Add apple cider and blend. Add olive oil to consistency. Taste and season if necessary. Serve atop broiled flank steak.

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