Umami-Marinated Flank Steak with Pearled Barley and Corn Salad

Ingredients

For the marinade:

  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 3 minced fillet of anchovy

  • 2 tablespoons sundried tomato paste

  • 3 tablespoons Mirin or sake

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or liquid amino

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • Coarse black pepper

  • 1 2-pound flank steak

  • 1 bunch green onions

For the salad:

  • 1 cup pearled barley*

  • Salt

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil or vegetable oil

  • 2 ears corn on the cob, scraped from cob

  • 1 fresh chili pepper, Fresno or jalapeño, finely chopped

  • 1 small or 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

  • 2 ribs celery with leafy tops, chopped

  • 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

  • 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

  • A handful of basil leaves, stacked, rolled and thinly sliced

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon

  • About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

  • Pepper

Directions

For the steak: Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a shallow dish. Add the steak, turn in the dressing and cover. Marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Bring the meat to room temperature and heat the griddle or grill pan over medium-high flame. Grill the steak for 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally. Let rest, then slice across the grain into pieces 1/4-1/2-inch thick. Grill the onions while the steak rests and serve on top of the steak.

Serve with Pearled Barley and Corn Salad alongside (recipe follows).

For the salad: Place the barley in a small pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a rapid boil. Salt the water and cook to al dente, 23-25 minutes. (Tip: For pearled barley, if you soak the grains the night before you cook them, you can cut the cooking time in half – about 15 minutes or less.)

Meanwhile, add a turn of the pan of canola or vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil ripples, add the corn and lightly brown. Add the chili pepper, onion, celery and garlic, and toss to combine, 2 minutes, so that the onions and celery remain a little crisp. Transfer to large bowl.

Drain the barley in a strainer and add to the corn mixture. Add the tomatoes, parsley, basil and pine nuts. Dress the salad with the lemon zest and juice, EVOO and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and store.

To serve, stir in a bit more oil and extra lemon juice to taste to freshen salad.

*Make sure you get pearled grains as they cook in a third the time of whole grain. This is one of many "Yum-o!" recipes – it's good and good for you. To find out more about Yum-o!, Rachael's nonprofit organization, visit www.yum-o.org.