Name: Skillet Flank Steak with Spicy Red Pepper Sauce
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1 slice hearty white sandwich bread; 2 tablespoons slivered almonds , toasted; 1 cup drained jarred roasted red peppers; 1 plum tomato , seeded and chopped; 1 clove garlic , minced; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; Table salt; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 flank steak (about 1 1/2 pounds); Ground black pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Full-flavored flank steak cooks in minutes, making it the perfect option for weeknight meals that need to be prepared as quickly as possible. We wanted to find a sauce that was equally fast, and settled on a spicy red pepper sauce based on Spain’s famous romesco sauce. We prepared the simple sauce from toasted bread, toasted slivered almonds, jarred roasted peppers, and a plum tomato. A quick spin in a food processor with oil, vinegar, and cayenne pepper, and the creamy, complex-tasting sauce was ready to serve on top of our skillet flank steaks.

Before You Begin

Toast the almonds in a small skillet over medium heat until lightly colored and fragrant, about 4 minutes.

Instructions

Toast bread in toaster on lowest setting until surface is dry but not browned. Remove crust and cut bread into rough 1/2-inch pieces. Process bread and almonds in food processor until finely ground. Add red peppers, tomato, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pulse, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, until mixture has texture similar to mayonnaise. Adjust seasoning with salt and transfer to small serving bowl.

Heat vegetable oil in large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Season steak with salt and pepper and cook, without moving, 5 to 6 minutes, until well browned on first side. Turn steak over and repeat on second side. Transfer to large plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut steak in thin slices on bias against grain. Serve with sauce.