Brazilian Grilled Flank Steak

From EatingWell: February/March 2006, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook — Subscribe Now!

Barbecued meats (churrasco) are served in churrascarias, Brazilian barbecued-meat restaurants, with a salsa-like sauce as an accompaniment. Since hearts of palm show up at every salad bar in these restaurants, we've added them to the sauce to give it a tasty twist.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This was delicious. On its own, the steak doesn't have enough flavor, but when you add the salsa, it transforms the dish! Jessica, Atlanta, GA "

8 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

Steak

6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small hot pepper, such as jalapeño or serrano, minced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds flank steak

Salsa

1 14-ounce can hearts of palm, drained, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 small hot chile, such as jalapeño or serrano, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Preheat grill to high (see Broiling Variation).
To prepare steak: Combine garlic, hot pepper, oil and salt in a small bowl. Rub the mixture on both sides of steak.
To prepare salsa: Combine hearts of palm, tomatoes, onion, hot pepper, cilantro, vinegar and salt in a medium bowl.
Reduce grill heat to medium and grill the steak 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the steak across the grain into thin pieces. Serve with the salsa.

Tips & Notes

Broiling variation:
Instead of grilling, in Step 1 position oven rack 6 inches from the heat source and preheat broiler. In Step 4, cook steak on a broiler pan under the broiler until medium-rare, turning once, about 10 minutes total.

Nutrition

Per serving: 215 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 37 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 2 g fiber; 341 mg sodium; 627 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (36% daily value), Vitamin C (25% dv), Iron (20% dv), Potassium (18% dv), Vitamin A (15% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat