Originally I'd planned on doing a twist on one of my all-time favorite dishes, chicken with 40 garlic cloves, using beef brisket. Switch out the herbs, use red wine instead of white wine...but alas, I couldn't get my hands on a brisket. I should have known I'd need to order it from the butcher in advance; Texas this is not. I didn't plan ahead, so my plans changed. Staring at the butcher case, I decided to go with flank steak since I can't even remember the last time I ate (let alone made) it. But I didn't want to do the same dish since it's a dish that's better when cooked slowly...and I didn't want overcooked, chewy flank steak.
So, I had some flank steak staring me down. I also had a big, beautiful bunch of rainbow chard in my crisper. Greens and garlic are a match made in heaven, so I decided that combining all three would give me a bang-on garlicky good meal. For one flank steak (I got a good 2 pounder), I used 10 fat cloves. It was odorific! My teenager was out that evening at a sporting event, and when he got home 5 hours after it was made, he said "ooooh, I smell garlic" the minute he walked in the door. Mission accomplished.
If you don't love garlic quite as much as I do, you can definitely decrease the amount you use. This dish makes a beautiful and somewhat impressive meal to serve guests, but it's simple and quick enough to make on any given night, really.
To see more amazing options for adding garlic to your table, check out some more delicious dishes being shared by some of my blogging friends after this recipe!
Garlicky Chard Stuffed Flank Steak
This flank steak stuffed with garlicky rainbow chard not only looks beautiful on the plate, it is also fairly simple to make.
by
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Keywords: dairy-free nut-free beef greens garlic rainbow chard National Garlic Day
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
- 7 large rainbow chard leaves with stems (1 large bunch)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch crushed red chile flakes
- sea salt
- black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- 1 flank steak (2 pounds, give or take)
Instructions
Separate the chard leaves from the stems. Slice the stems into 1/4-inch thick slices; roughly chop the leaves.
Set a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the chard stems and saute until they start to get tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the chopped chard leaves, the crushed red chiles, and a couple pinches each of salt and pepper. Saute until the leaves are wilted and tender, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Balsamic vinegar. Set aside while you prepare the meat.
Lay the flank steak out on a large work surface. Use a meat mallet, heavy skillet, or rolling pin to pound it out until thin enough and large enough to roll up; it will be about 1/2-inch in thickness.
Spread the garlicky chard mixture over the flank steak, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Starting at one of the longer edges (going with the grain, so the long lines run lengthwise on the roll), roll the meat up jellyroll-style. Tie the roll in 2-inch intervals using kitchen string. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper,. then drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over it and rub it in.
Set a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once piping hot, set the rolled flank steak into the pan. Cook until deeply browned on all sides, turning as needed. Meat should be cooked to medium-rare in about 18-20 minutes. If you'd like it cooked to a higher temperature, reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pan with foil for another 10 minutes or so.
Remove the meat from the skillet and set on a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut the rolled flank steak into 1/2-inch thick slices and serve.
If you don't have (or enjoy) rainbow chard, you can substitute your favorite green.
This recipe is for garlic lovers. If you like it, but don't love it, feel free to reduce the amount you use.
If you find that the meat is too rare for you, you can carefully set the slices into a pan to cook a bit longer.
To help you get in the mood, check out these garlicky good recipes from this year's National Garlic Day bloggers:
- Black Garlic Chocolate Cake from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic from My Catholic Kitchen
- Epic Garlic Bread from Shockingly Delicious
- Garlic and White Bean Hummus from Kelli's Kitchen
- Garlic Lovers Focaccia with Shallots and Sweet Corn from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
- Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Stuffed Shells for Two from The Spiffy Cookie
- Garlicky Chard Stuffed Flank Steak from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
- Garlicky Lobster Crab Scampi from Food Lust People Love
- Garlicky Rib Eye Steak with Garlic Bruschetta from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- IPA Pickles from NY Foodgasm
- Lebanese Garlic Sauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Louisiana Garlic Bread from Wishes and Dishes
- Ricotta, Garlic and Mushroom Thin Crust Pizza from Simply Healthy Family
- Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Hummus from From Gate to Plate
- Roasted Garlic Cauliflower from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Roasted Garlic Gruyère Pull-Apart Bread from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
- Spicy Garlic Noodles with Pork from Healthy Delicious
More garlic infused recipes that you might enjoy:
Black Garlic Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
Pasilla Garlic Shrimp
Pasta w/ Black Garlic, Kale and a Poached Egg
Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup) from the Slow Cooker
The Best Garlic Bread in the History of Ever. Really.
*cloves of garlic photo (in circular logo) via shutterstock
