Flank Steak Skewers with Tomatoes and Parsley Pesto
Flank steak is a fairly lean cut of beef, so it has a reputation for being a little tough, bland, and dry. But fear not - you can achieve tender and flavorful flanks steak skewers by first tenderizing the steak with salt. Dip these skewers into vibrant parsley pesto for a quick and easy late summer dinner.
Prepare a grill for high heat. I love my charcoal grill, but a gas grill works well too.
Remove the steak from the fridge and pat with paper towels or cotton kitchen towel until dry. Lay the steak onto a flat surface, sprinkle with one teaspoon kosher salt, then rub the salt into the meat. Set aside to tenderize and come to room temperature, at least 20-25 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Toss the cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper.
When the steak is ready, slice into ½" to 1" strips against the grain. Depending on the width of your steak, slices those strips into halves or thirds for strips roughly 3" wide and ½" thick.
Thread the beef and tomatoes onto the skewers, alternating. To thread the beef, piece one end of the skewer, then pierce again through the center, and once more through the other end so that the steak folds in on itself.
Brush the grill grates with olive oil, then place the skewers onto the grill. Grill 2-3 minutes per side, until the tomatoes and steak are charred, about 8 minutes total for medium rare and 10 minutes total for medium. It's not recommended to cook flank steak beyond medium.
Remove the skewers from the grill, sprinkle with additional salt, pepper, and/or fresh parsley to taste and serve immediately with pesto dipping sauce. This recipe serves 4 as a main course, or up to 12 (one skewer per person) as an appetizer.