I am always trying to come up with meals that are quick and easy, yet don’t taste like they are quick and easy. You know what I mean, right? After all, we all want those meals that are quick and easy but flavorful and delicous.
Well, this is one of those meals. It is a quick and easy weeknight meal that will make you forget it is Wednesday night and you are rushing around to get dinner on the table!
What makes a good weeknight meal?
I think a good weeknight meal is something that has minimal ingredients and takes minimal effort. It is easy to get stuck in the thought of quick needs to be not as nice as long. It doesn’t have to be that way. This recipe is proof of that.
Here is the proof. There is not preparation that needs to be done to the steak. You are literally seasoning it up and searing it. There are few ingredients. It is all things you probably already have in the house. Everything comes together in about 20 minutes and it tastes amazing!
You will think you just ordered dinner in from your favorite restaurant!
What you will need to make this flank steak
- Flank Steak– Use good quality flank steak. You will need about 1 1/2- 2 lbs for 4-5 ppl
- Kosher salt – always kosher salt, never iodized salt. You can use sea salt if you prefer
- Freshly cracked black pepper-Â It makes a difference to use freshly cracked
- Shallot- You will only need 1 shallot for this recipe
- Olive Oil-You are cooking with it, so it doesn’t have to be extra virgin, but it can be
- Unsalted Butter- You will need this to sear the steak and to finish the sauce
- Chicken or Beef Stock- You only need about 1 cup, if you do not have, you can use water
- Chianti wine-Â I recommend Chianti wine in this recipe, but if you prefer a different wine, use what you like to drink. Just make sure it is a red wine
- Dijon Mustard- This helps bring the sauce together and slightly thicken it
- Fresh thyme-This is to flavor your pan sauce
- Italian Parsley- This is for garnish and is totally optional
Chef’s Tips-
Always when cooking steak you want to make sure that the steak is at room temp before you sear it off. This will help it to evenly brown and evenly cook. You also want to make sure to season high and aggressive. If you season from higher up in the air, you can cover more area of the steak. Use a good amount of salt and pepper to get that nice crust on the outside and season the steak all the way through.
Lastly, make sure you have a large enough skillet to hold your steak without it being crowded. This is important to get a nice sear without steaming your steak. Make sure your heat is high enough to sear, but not too high to burn up your pan. You want to make the sauce in the same pan to get all of those yummy bits off the bottom. So, you don’t want to burn up your pan.
I recommend a cast iron skillet for this. Here is the one I use.
Best everyday Cast Iron Skillet
I love to serve this with a light arugula salad with some lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and garnished with shaved Parmesan. It is the perfect compliment.
Flank steak with Chianti Pan Sauce
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 1 1/2-2 lbs Good quality flank steak
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 cup chicken or beef stock
- 1 cup Chianti wine
- 1 shallot sliced thin
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1-2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Heat a large cast iron skillet to high heat. Season the flank steak high and aggressive with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Add a drizzle of olive oil to coat the pan and 1 tbsp butter.
- Place the steak into the cast iron skillet and sear it until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Turn the heat to medium-high if the skillet is getting too high. You will want to sear it on both sides until the steak is about medium-rare to medium. Then remove the steak to a cutting board to rest while you make the sauce. Tent the steak with foil, do not cover all of it or it will steam and you will lose the sear you created on the steak.
- Turn the pan down to low, add in the sliced shallots and saute until they begin to lightly brown and soften. Add in the fresh thyme and the stock. Bring to a boil and slightly reduce by about a 1/4. Then add in the wine and reduce by 1/2.
- Whisk in the dijon mustard and cook until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter. Garnish with the chopped parsley, if using.
- Slice the flank steak, against the grain and spoon the pan sauce over the top. Serve immediately with a light salad of arugula and lemon with some shaved Parmesan. ENJOY!
