Flat Iron Steak Salad with Chimichurri Vinaigrette

A fresh, satisfying salad with savory flat-iron steak, sweet corn and tangy chimichurri vinaigrette.

Salad. I know.

“Salad,” you’re thinking, “is what I eat when I’m trying to feel healthy.” The days are getting shorter, your workday is *feeling* longer, and maybe you’re just not about trying to sink your teeth into a spa menu right now.

I hear you. My slowcooker has been pulling overtime lately and I’m sipping on cinnamon tea as I type. But listen.

Crispy, crunchy, chewy, juicy, savory, tangy, bright and so many other adjectives could be in your mouth if you just give this flat-iron steak salad with chimichurri vinaigrette a shot. You will love it because it loves you back.

But first, steak.

Flat-iron steak: your new bff

I love flat-iron steak. Like really. True story, one of the butchers at my favorite local grocery store recognizes me on sight as the flat-iron steak girl, and apologizes if he sees me and it’s not in stock. I’m pretty sure they keep more around just because I’ve asked for it so many times.

Flat-iron steak looks very similar to flank steak, but it’s a little bigger and tends to come out more tender without as much coaxing. It comes from the shoulder, unlike flank steak, which comes from the belly. Because it looks so similar to flank steak and is such a similar size, you’ll typically find it (pre-packaged) near the flank steak at the store.

What’s so great about flat-iron steak? List!

1. Just one flat-iron steak can easily feed 2-4 people depending on the size and what you’re using it for. Only on piece of meat to worry about and less juggling around the pan for a crowd is a win for me!
2. It’s super-flavorful and typically has good marbling.
3. The thickness is usually pretty even for such a large cut, so you don’t have to worry too much about one side being way overdone.
4. It’s affordable, especially for such a tender, flavorful piece of meat.

Basically, try it 👊

I’ve recently had my steak-world shaken a bit, leaving me questioning everything. Namely, letting it come to room temperature before cooking, and resting it after.

The first one is easy enough to bust. According to J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, it simply takes way too long for a the meat’s temperature to rise significantly enough to make a difference. Like, long enough that you’re looking at inviting bacteria to the table. The link goes further, but isn’t that reason enough?

Besides, that isn’t nearly as ingrained into the collective steak conscious as resting. Resting isn’t a tip, it’s the way you do steak. Point. Blank.

But why? To keep precious juice from leaking out, of course. But… does it?

Turns out our perception of juiciness is not just about how much juice is actually in the steak, it’s also about the saltiness, the crispness of the crust, the reaction of your salivary glands responding to the steak and more—plus, too much juice could even make it taste watery and bland.

A small sampling of other drawbacks to resting your steak:

• The fat could harden
• The crust could soften
• Any spices could turn muddy like the the dredges of bad coffee
• It won’t be hot and steamy in your mouth!

Beyond that, how much juice you actually lose if you cut immediately is actually pretty insignificant compared to a rested steak, AND AND AAAND if you save the juices and pour them over, the meat will reabsorb them! Or go into a pan sauce with a little horseradish and cream… Amazing.

If you’re into food science or you need more convincing, read this admittedly long, but incredible piece of work on why you shouldn’t rest your steak from AmazingRibs.com. This is my ish. For someone like me, it should be on HBO with an adult content warning.*

*It absolutely should not. It is perfectly wholesome.

Now, if you’re a seasoned steak vet, this could be a big adjustment! Particularly if you usually undercook your steak just a bit so the heat carryover from resting doesn’t take it from a perfect medium rare to medium. In that case, just work on cooking it perfectly 😉

I’m still experimenting with this no-resting thing, and I’m working through how I feel about it with different types and cuts of meat. Will I completely ditch it? Probably not.

But I’m not accepting it as required across the board anymore, and I’m not making it a part of this recipe!

ANYWAY, this Flat Iron Steak Salad with Chimichurri Vinaigrette is fast & easy and delicious. The dressing is a play on classic Argentinian chimichurri sauce (sort of like zesty pesto, sort of like smooth salsa). It ticks all kinds of boxes—tangy, silky, a little kick, nutritious—but it’s real trick is the fact that you just throw everything straight in the food processor.

You could do this salad with or without the tomatoes (cherry tomatoes or bell peppers are a nice, happy medium for fall), but don’t skip the corn and avocado! The corn’s sweetness in a bite with the creamy avocado, savory steak, zesty dressing and crisp veg. Just. Ugh.

This isn’t just any salad. Make it. Savor it. Report back.

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