Red Chile Steak with Plantains
Flat iron is our steak of choice for this recipe though any thin cut steak can be used. We cooked our steak to medium rare temperature, since it develops a beautiful crust but the meat is still soft and tender inside, with no risk of being over-done. Be cautious with this steak because a thin cut of meat is easier to cook too long. Remember to allow the meat to rest on a countertop for 5-10 minutes before you serve it. This delivers a juicier steak because it gives the meat a little time to reabsorb its juices. Let the onions and plantains sit on a cooler part of the grill during cooking for a similar effect.
The plantains in this recipe should be as ripe as your can find, but not all the way black. When they are black they are too mushy, so try to get a nicely ripened yellow one. Green plantains will be too starchy and hard for this recipe, so avoid them if you can.
- 4 cloves garlic, minced finely or crushed
- 1/3 cup Ancho Powder
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 4 teaspoons Black Pepper Medium Grind
- 5 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt plus more to taste
- 1-1/4 pound flat iron or flank steak
- 2 yellow to black ripe plantains
- 1 medium red onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
- Vegetable oil cooking spray
- 1 cup of your choice of salsa - See Roasted Salsa Verde or Roasted Tomato Salsa
- Mix together garlic, Ancho Powder, sugar, Mexican Oregano, Ground Cumin, Black Pepper Medium Grind, and 5 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt until thoroughly blended. Spread 2 Tablespoons of seasoning over steak. Cover and refrigerate left over rub. Cover steak and let sit on the counter for at least half an hour. If you're planning to leave the steak for more than an hour, put it in the refrigerator, and remove it so you have at least half an hour to let the steak come back up to room temperature.
- Heat one side of gas grill to medium-high, or light a charcoal grill and prepare coals to one side.
- Cut the ends off of both plantains, then split them lengthwise in half leaving the skins on. Spray the plantains and red onions all over with cooking oil. Place the plantains and red onion on the hot part of grill until browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Move the plantains and onions to the cooler side of the grill while you cook the steak.
- Spray steak with cooking spray. Place steak on grill over hot coals. Cook steak until desired doneness. 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare, slightly longer for medium. Move steak and plantains and onion onto a cutting board and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove skins from plantains, chop into 1/4 inch pieces and place in bowl. Chop onion to the same size and place in bowl. Stir 3 Tablespoons of salsa into mixture. Season with salt to taste. Slice steak into thin slices. Serve with remaining salsa.
