Chipotle Flank Steak with Black Bean Avocado Salsa

Welcome to the first ever Simply Fresh Cooking blog post, friends!  It’s that time of year where I start getting giddy about fresh salsas and this one does not disappoint.  So when my husband said he was in the mood for steak, I immediately wanted to make this dish.  While I’m on the subject of steak by the way, I was super shocked that the hubs said he wanted steak, as that used to be more my thing than his.  I guess I’ve been feeding him too many vegetarian meals lately, and you gotta give the man his red meat, right?!

I’ve recently grown more accustomed to eating very lean cuts of meat, and I find that flank steak is a good choice if you want a leaner cut of beef.  If you’re just not into red meat or you want to bump up the health factor even more, this salsa would also go great with a boneless, skinless chicken breast.

This is one of my favorite salsa recipes to pair with meat that is seasoned so perfectly with a little heat.  The creamy avocado cuts down on the mild spice you’re getting from the hot pepper powder in the rub.  If you like it even spicier (which we do), add some minced jalapeno.

I never serve this dish with a side because I think it’s plenty of food if you’re eating light.  However, if you want a little something extra, try serving it with 1/2 a piece of corn on the cob or 2 small corn tortillas per person, which will add just the right amount of whole grain and make it more of a meal.  Enjoy!

Chipotle Flank Steak with Avocado Black Bean Salsa

Adapted from Cooking Club Magazine

FOR THE SALSA

1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 avocado, finely chopped

1 cup tomato, finely chopped

1 cup white or yellow onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 tbsp lime juice (about 1/2 of a lime)

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder 

1/8 tsp cracked black pepper

FOR THE RUB & STEAK

1 tsp chipotle chili powder or 1/4 tsp Volcano Dust

1 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

1 3/4 pound flank steak

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 Combine all salsa ingredients in a medium bowl.  Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

2 Combine all dry ingredients for the rub in a small bowl.  Brush both sides of steak with oil;  sprinkle with rub.

3  Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat and cook steak for approximately 4-5 minutes on each side for medium rare.  Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.  Slice across the grain into 1/2 inch slices.  Serve with salsa.

Thanks so much for reading… Looking forward to your feedback!

Rachael xoxo