Fabio Viviani's Rolled Flank Steak With Mint Pesto
This dish elevates the classic grilled steak to the next level, and the pesto inside makes the steak super moist and the presentation very dramatic.
- 1 ½ cups packed fresh mint leaves
- 2 ½ cups baby spinach
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup grated grana padano
- ½ - 1 ½ cups extra-virgin olive oil, depending on your desired thickness
- One 3-pound flank steak
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the pesto, combine the mint, spinach, garlic, pine nuts, salt, pepper and grana padano in a food processor and pulse to partially combine. Turn the processor on Auto and drizzle in the olive oil, a half cup at a time, until the ingredients start to come together into a chunky paste. Make sure to add the oil a little at a time to ensure a nun-runny pesto.
Place the flank steak flat on a work surface with the grain of the meat running perpendicular to you. Using a long, thin, very sharp knife, butterfly the meat by slicing through the long side of the steak, opening it up as you go, stopping 1/2 inch short of cutting the steak in two. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread the pesto all over the meat, leaving a 1 1/2-inch space all around the edge. Roll up the steak, with the grain running the length of the roll, and tie up with kitchen string every 2 inches. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rub the steak with olive oil then sear it in a very hot, cast-iron skillet over high heat or on a very hot grill. Place it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes for medium-rare steak.
Place the steak on a cutting board and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the strings and carve across the grain into 1-to 2-inch slices.
Serve alongside Baby Potatoes Roasted in Parchment Paper.