Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Skirt Steak with Beets & Greens

Posted by Erin / 5 comments » / csa, steak

And now I bring to you… another dish I did not cook myself.  My mom is the one who did the cooking of this dish, but I’m the one who picked it out.  I received beets in my CSA and I was determined to not let them go to waste.  So I needed to be sure and have my mom cook them while she was here helping out the week Nathan returned to work.  I chose this dish because it was very simple to prepare, and I didn’t want to ask her to do anything too elaborate.  While Nathan can be picky about some things, I’ll be the first to admit he’s pretty open to any vegetable I throw his way, but I wasn’t sure he’d be into the beets.  Luckily, I knew I could distract him by pointing out we were having steak for dinner!  I very rarely choose steak, or read meat of any kind when choosing meals to cook.

We all really enjoyed this dish.  I did feel the greens needed some kick, so I added in additional red wine vinegar.  I would recommend starting with the listed amount, and adding more if you feel it needs it.  But other than that it was really flavorful & balanced.  Sometimes I feel beets can come off too earthy, and in this dish they did not.  The steak preparation was really simple, and if you have a good cut of quality meat, simple is best.

Overall, I’m really glad my mom was there to cook this for us, as I’m not sure I could have prepared it from start to finish!  Elliott has been going through a growth spurt and dinner time is the worst.  He wants to eat every hour and a half!  Feeding/burping/changing him takes about an hour, then he needs to be held & “shushed”, and before you know it it’s time to do all over again!  I chose to breastfeed, and I’m so thankful it’s working out for us, though it can be hard at times.  Because he’s getting ALL of his nutrients from me, I am trying my hardest to make sure I eat a healthy, balanced diet.  I love that through my CSA I am eating so many wonderful, local vegetables, and passing along the nutrients to my son.  It’s been working well, because he sure is chunking up!

{3 weeks old, and chunking up!}

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Skirt Steak with Beets & Greens

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

I added the beet greens in along with the swiss chard.

Ingredients:

3 to 4 medium red or yellow beets (1 1/2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 skirt steak (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 4 equal pieces
1 bunch Swiss chard (12 ounces), ribs cut away and discarded, leaves cut into large pieces
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beets on a large sheet of foil; drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold foil to make a packet and crimp edges to create a tight seal. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until beets are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Season steaks with salt and pepper and cook until medium-rare, 3 to 6 minutes per side (depending on thickness). Transfer to a plate to rest.

Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel; return to stove. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add Swiss chard; cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add beets and vinegar; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Thinly slice steak against the grain and serve with beets and greens.

from Martha Stewart Everyday Food, November 2009