Things have started to return to normal around us. I don’t know how many people who are going about as normal are actually vaccinated, but I know that my whole household is and my husband’s three adult children are also. So, life is somewhat returning to normal, with exceptions, of course.
But, the one nice thing is that we’ve actually been able to have my husband’s kids over for dinner… inside. Well, two of the three anyway. The third hasn’t been back in New Jersey since being vaccinated. During the pandemic, we had my husband’s youngest son over a couple of times for dinner on the back patio. But, you know, not the same. Definitely when it’s time to say goodbye and you give an awkward air hug. So, it’s been great that they can all come over now.
My husband’s youngest came over a couple of weeks ago when I made my slow cooker Asian noodles. And shortly after that, his daughter came over when I made this goat cheese stuffed flank steak. His kids have known me to be a good cook and know to generally expect a delicious, home-cooked meal when they come over. BUT, this was the first time each came over since I started writing this blog, so it was fun getting to see their reactions on the whole set up for taking photos and kind of what goes on behind the scenes to writing a food blog!
Regardless, and perhaps needless to say, dinner was delicious and enjoyable with both of them. And this flank steak recipe was a hit! I learned something new though! My husband’s daughter told me that some people have a weird taste reaction to cilantro that makes them hate it… it tastes like soap? Is that true? Well, this came up when my husband talked about how delicious the chimichurri sauce is because he *loves* cilantro. And I said, “well, there’s no cilantro in it.” He was mind-blown 🤯. I mean, chimichurri is generally “always made” with cilantro, but since I was going with more of a Mediterranean style recipe, I opted for parsley instead! So, his daughter said that this is a great alternative for people who have that weird soap reaction to cilantro! 😆😝
Cilantro. Parsley. I don’t know. I do know that this spin on chimichurri sauce is frickin’ awesome, and I don’t know why I didn’t think of something like this sooner! And let me tell you, this goes soooo well with this goat cheese stuffed flank steak!
For the flank steak, I pounded out the meat evenly with a meat mallet. Flank steak is generally a very wide piece of meat (unlike skirt steak), so to promote more even cooking, a cut it down the middle lengthwise. That way I was working with two rolled pieces rather than one large piece. After searing the meat on all sides, I popped it in the oven and let it cook for 15 minutes. I opted for medium rare, but if you like your meat more done, keep it in the oven for a few more minutes. Check the inner most section of rolled meat with a thermometer and bring it up to the temperature you prefer! Easy peasy.
I served this with a spinach salad tossed in a lemon vinaigrette and a side of flatbread with tzatziki. But, feel free to mix this up however you want! Roast potatoes, pasta, you name it! My husband’s daughter tossed some meat on her flatbread, topped it with the chimichurri sauce, and dug in that way! Looked pretty frickin’ good too!
Enjoy!
Goat Cheese Stuffed Flank Steak with Sun-Dried Tomato Chimichurri
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Steak, Mediterranean
- Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients
Flank Steak
2 lbs flank steak
4 oz soft goat cheese (not the crumbles)
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained
4 garlic cloves
1 lemon, zested
1 cup fresh basil
2 TBs fresh thyme
1 TB fresh oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
Sun-Dried Tomato Chimichurri
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained
4 garlic cloves
⅓ cup fresh parsley
2 tsps fresh oregano
1 lemon, juiced and zested
3 TBs red wine vinegar
¼ cup chicken broth
1 TB olive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the flank steak on a cutting board. Using a meat mallet, pound the meat evenly to about a ¼ inch thickness. Cut the flank steak done the middle lengthwise to create two long strips.
In a mini food processor, add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, lemon zest, basil, thyme, oregano, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Blend until smooth. Lightly sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Smear the goat cheese evenly across one-side of each piece of flank steak. Then, spoon the sun-dried tomato mixture over the top and spread evenly across. Roll the flank steak up tightly lengthwise (so each piece will be fat and about four inches wide) and, using cooking string, tie the flank steaks at each end of the roll, with about 2 inches between the rope and the end.
Heat a seasoned cast iron pan over medium heat. When hot, add the steak and brown on all sides ~ about 2 minutes per side (about 8 minutes total). Transfer the pan to the oven and let cook an additional 15 to 18 minutes (I cooked mine 15 minutes for medium-rare ~ about 130°F. Cook longer for medium, aiming at 145°F when a thermometer is inserted into the inner roll of meat.)
While the steak is cooking, make the chimichurri sauce. Reusing the mini food processor, add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, parsley, and oregano. Process until smooth. Add the lemon juice and zest, red wine vinegar, chicken broth, and olive oil. Pulse until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Remove the flank steak from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes. Cut into about 2 inch pieces, or evenly divide. Serve with the chimichurri sauce. Goes great with a spinach salad, flatbread, and tzatziki sauce!
Keywords: goat cheese-stuffed flank steak, flank steak, flank steak rolls, flank steak rolls cooked in the oven, chimichurri sauce, sun-dried tomato chimichurri sauce
