I don’t think of pesto and beef as a typical pairing. In fact, up until recently, I didn’t think they went together at all. Need to work on thinking outside the box! So a few weeks ago I saw a post where someone put pesto on steak and it looked amazing! Drool worthy actually. And I thought to myself, “Why haven’t I ever put pesto on steak? Seriously? I must try this immediately!” And then I procrastinated for like three weeks…. I can’t remember where I originally saw steak with pesto or I’d give them a shout out because Pan-seared Steak with Pesto Sauce is in the dinner rotation now!
I used a flat iron steak for this post but any kind of steak will work. Flat iron steaks are my current favorite. I’ve only noticed them in the stores more recently, maybe within the last year or so. I found this great article from Splendid Table on flat irons. A flat iron is a cut of steak from the shoulder and is similar to a flank steak, but for much cheaper. I actually now prefer flat iron steaks over flank steaks.
So to make this steak, I started out with a generous coat of salt and pepper on the steak and then coated it with a light layer of pesto. Truthfully, I had Kris help me cook this. I think he generally does a better job of cooking steak than I do. So, not that I can’t cook steak, I just like to include Kris in the cooking process sometimes.
We heated butter in a large stainless steel skillet (cast iron works too) and then seared each side of the steak for about 5- 8 minutes for a very medium-rare steak. Kris then finished the steak in the oven for an additional 3 minutes or so for more of a medium doneness. You can bake it longer if you prefer a more well-done steak, probably 6-8 minutes for well-done. But be careful, you can get from well-done to good-bye, eating a bootstrap pretty fast. I’d recommend no more than 5-6 minutes in the oven.
After the steak finishes in the oven, take it out and let it set a few minutes before slicing. I coated the steak in pesto sauce before we sliced it. And then I topped it with even more pesto after slicing before we ate it. This steak goes perfect with any vegetable side dish. We ate it with garlic green beans. Enjoy!
- 1-1 1/2 pound flat iron steak can use flank if you can't find a flat iron
- 1/2 cup of pesto might need more depending on the size of your steak
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
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Remove steak from package and pat dry with paper towels.
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Generously salt and pepper both sides of the steak, and then coat with about 1/4 cup of pesto.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.
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Once butter has melted, place steak in the skillet.
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Sear for about 7-8 minutes and then turn the steak oven and sear the other side for about 5 minutes. Then place the steak in the oven to finishing cooking for 3-6 minutes, depending on how done you like your steak. The longer you bake it, the more well-done it will be.
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After the steak finishes in the oven, remove it from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for 3-5 minutes. Coat the steak with the remainder of the pesto sauce before slicing. You can reserve some of the pesto to top the sliced steak right before serving.
Emily,
This is luscious! I made it and decided it is almost decadent, but then, the main side was fennel bulb boiled with water and butter, then topped with parmigiano-reggiano cheese. A nice Italian red, like a Valpolicella Ripasso, was great with this.
I agree the flatiron beats flank steak. Another favorite of mine is hanger steak. Do you have any favorite recipes for that cut?
Thank you.
Thank you so much! The fennel bulb sounds amazing! I don’t have any recipes for hanger steak, I know I’ve had it before but not something I usually purchase to cook at home. Do you have a favorite way to prepare it? I might have to experiment!