Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri

Linda Grasso - This is my absolute favorite grilled meat dish in the summer. The meat has a slightly sweet, peppery, smoked flavor thanks to the smoked paprika, brown sugar, and grilling. And the bright green chimichurri sauce gives the dish an incredible fresh blast of herb flavor. It's also a very pretty dish on the plate. I've never served this as a dinner party main course when someone hasn't asked for the recipe. Toss it on a plate with a crisp summer salad and you'll enjoy the incredible flavors of summer all at once!

INGREDIENTS

Spice Rub:

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika

1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle powder or ancho chile powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Chimichurri Sauce:

3/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar or red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 medium shallots, peeled and quartered

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 cups (packed) stemmed fresh parsley

3 cups (packed) stemmed fresh cilantro

3 cups (packed) stemmed fresh mint

3 1/2 lb flank steak or tri-tip

2 tablespoons olive oil

PREPARATION

Spice Rub: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Chimichurri Sauce: Combine first 8 ingredients in blender, blend until almost smooth. Add 1/4 parlsey, 1/4 of cilantro, 1/4 of mint; blend until incorporated. Add remaining herbs in 3 more additions, pureeing until almost smooth after each addition.

Flank Steak: Let beef stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Prepare barbeque (high heat). Pat beef dry with paper towels; brush with oil. Sprinkle all over with spice rub, using all of the mixture. Place beef on grill; sear for 2 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to medium-high, turning occasionally to prevent burning, about 20 minutes. Best when meat is medium rare. Transfer to platter; cover loosely with foil and let rest 15 minutes. Thinly slice beef crosswise. Serve with a drizzle of chimichurri sauce.

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Do-It-Yourself Bento Boxes

We love the idea of making bento boxes for your family. This Japanese tradition pours love and attention into artfully arranging food and making the meal combinations special. It's a nutrition science to balance the meal's servings of grains, protein, and other foodstuffs. Then you add an artful and oftentimes whimsical presentation to everything, and you know you're not dealing with traditonal plop-food-on-a-plate-and-serve meals.

What fun to add a small exotic "personal flower arrangement" in small vases at each placesetting to create both artful food and an artful tabletop. Here's a Howcast video on making a DIY bento box. Warning: you'll want to rush out and get started making them for everyone you know once you watch this vid!

Buy What You Need: To purchase your own bento box accessories and meal prep items straight from Japan, we recommend J-Box.com. They've got an amazing assortment of items, from bento boxes for children to chopsticks and fancy garnish tools.

Go Over the Top: Tablesettings are meant to be dramatic and theatrical, so plan a bento box feast for your family and use the HomArt Porcelain Specimen Boxes to make your bento box meal sheer perfection. Purchase a variety of these handsome boxes - they make great decorating accents all around the house and excellent small stash sites for items like paperclips, buttons, stamps, spare keys, and small candies. Place one at each table setting and fill with nuts or healthy sunflower or pumpkin seeds to accompany your main meal; or add M&Ms or other small sweets for dessert. Click on the Snail box photo for more information.

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