Balsamic Steak With Arugula Pesto

We are going to be making a balsamic marinated steak topped with a fresh arugula pesto served on top of lemon thyme rice pilaf and a side of roasted broccoli. This is a easy, healthy, delicious option for a weeknight meal.

1. Top round steak or your favorite cut. We used top round, sometimes called "London broil", but you can use whatever cut you prefer.
2. Balsamic Marinade:
   1. 1 c. balsamic vinegar
   2. 2 cloves garlic, minced
   3. 1 Tbsp. Soy sauce
   4. 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
   5. 1/4 c. burgundy
   6. 1/2 Tbsp. Thyme
   7. 1/2 Tbsp. Rosemary
3. Arugula pesto
   1. 2 c. Arugula, packed into the measuring cup
   2. 1 lemon
   3. A handful of almonds, toasted, approx. 2 Tbsp.
   4. Salt and pepper to taste
   5. 2 cloves garlic
   6. 1/3 c. olive oil
4. Lemon Thyme rice pilaf
   1. 1 c. white rice
   2. 1 c. orzo pasta
   3. 1 lemon
   4. 1/2 Tbsp. Thyme
   5. 3 c. Chicken broth
   6. Salt and pepper to taste
5. Roasted Broccoli
   1. Broccoli
   2. olive oil
   3. 1/3 c. parmesan cheese
   4. Salt and pepper to taste
      

We had a larger cut of meat so we wanted to make sure the marinade flavors the whole cut. Using a very sharp knife make small cuts on both sides. Cut in two different directions to make a grid like pattern. If there are large pieces of fat or gristle you may want to remove these now.

Place all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. In a large plastic zip bag put your meat and cover with the marinade. You can use a bowl or other container but I have found a bag works well and can just be thrown away. Put on the refrigerator to marinate for at least an hour or two.

You will want to make the pesto at least an hour or two in advance to allow flavors to develop. In a food processor add the arugula and almonds. Add the zest and juice of the lemon. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the oil. Process until the ingredients are all broken down. While still processing slowly add the oil. Take the pesto out and put in the fridge for later.

The easy way to do this is with a rice maker. Put all the ingredients in the rice maker, juicing and zesting your lemon. Cook until the rice and orzo are soft. Stir well about halfway through cooking.

Chop up your broccoli into smaller pieces. Place on a cooking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil all over the florets. Sprinkle with the cheese, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 375 F lightly browned and cheese is melted.

Put the meat out about 20 min before you plan to cook it. Take it out of the marinade and let it rest on a plate. When you are ready to grill sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. This will help get the nice crust that everyone loves. Get your grill or pan very hot. Place the meat on. It should immediately start to sizzle. This will sear the outside keeping the flavorful juices inside the meat. After a minute or two check the side that has been cooking. If it is a nice seared brown flip it over to sear the other side. Cook until your desired doneness. 3-5 minutes each side for rare/medium rare with a thicker cut like ours.

After taking your steak off the heat it is important to let it rest. If you immediately cut into it you will lose a lot of the juices that make it tender and flavorful. Let it rest about 10 minutes. Slice the steak into thin pieces. Look at your steak to find the direction of the grain or muscle fibers. You want to cut across the grain to keep the meat tender.

Plate all your elements and enjoy!