Melia Marden grew up in New York and Greece, where she enjoyed great seasonal food and a family that loved to entertain. In Modern Mediterranean(Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2013), the executive chef at New York City’s hotspot, The Smile, presents 125 easy Mediterranean-inspired recipes for the home cook. From Minted Snap Peas to Watermelon Salad to Summer Steak Sliced Over Corn to Almond Cream with Cherries and Pistachios, these recipes call for bold flavors. The following Steak Recipe with Sautéed Corn & Salsa is excerpted from chapter 8, “Meat & Poultry.”
You can purchase this book from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store: Modern Mediterranean.
Steak Recipe With Sautéed Corn & Salsa
In the summer months at The Smile, I serve our steak entrée arranged over a bed of sautéed plump, sweet corn and spoon a rustic tomato salsa on top.
Ingredients:
For the salsa:
1/2 pint (150 grams) grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/4 large red onion, very finely diced
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and very finely diced
1/2 cup (30 grams) roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (120 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
Lime juice (from 2 limes)
For the steak:
1 (1 1/2-pound / 680-gram) piece flank steak, 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) thick
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)
For the corn:
3 tablespoons (45 milliliters)
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small bunch scallions (about 6), roots trimmed, darkest green tops discarded, very thinly sliced
5 ears sweet yellow corn, shucked, kernels cut off as close to the cobs as possible (4 to 5 cups / 660 to 825 grams)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated zest of 2 limes
1. Make the salsa: In a medium-size bowl, combine all the ingredients and let sit at room temperature while you prepare the steak and corn.
2. Make the steak: Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Let the steak sit out until it comes to roughly room temperature; this will help it cook more evenly. Season each side of the steak with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and a very generous amount of pepper.
3. In a large ovenproof frying pan, preferably cast iron, heat the grapeseed oil over high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Place the steak in the pan and cook until nicely browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is browned as well, about 2 minutes.
4. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 5 minutes for medium-rare. Remove the steak to a carving board and let rest while you cook the corn.
5. Make the corn: In a wide heavy-bottomed sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. Add the scallions and cook until they are soft and some pieces are just beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add the corn kernels, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the corn is cooked through but not browned, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime zest.
7. Spread the corn on a platter. Cut the steak against the grain into pieces 1/2 inch (12 millimeters) thick. Arrange the steak over the corn. Spoon the salsa on top of the steak and serve. Serves 4.
Read More: Try more Mediterranean-inspired dishes in Chicken Paillard Recipe With Kalamata Olives and Penne Rigate Recipe With Sugar Snap Peas and Ricotta.
Reprinted with permission from Modern Mediterranean: Easy, Flavorful Home Cooking by Melia Marden and published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2013. Buy this book from our store:Modern Mediterranean.