Rosemary-Thyme Flank Steak with Puck Cream Smothered Onions & Baby Bella Mushrooms

If you have not visited Sassool Mediterranean Cafe for lunch or dinner, you will find that they have an assortment of Mediterranean delights that include platters of lamb, kafta, beef & chicken kabobs, various side salads and dishes like my favorites, fatoush, grape leaves, tzatziki, jalapeno cilantro hummus and more.  Their desserts are also dynamite!  I love their baklava, but the marscapone stuffed dates covered in pistachios are insanely-fabulous.

Sassool Mediterranean Cafe recently launched their Cary location’s new grocery and retail section.  The grocery and retail section features similar options that are available at Sassool’s Raleigh location including Mediterranean staples used in Sassool’s menu. I was excited to tour the grocery store and see the large assortment of spices, candy, cheese, rice, legumes and olive oil available for purchase.  Their dried fruits, assorted nuts and spices are received in bulk and are packaged in store and sold by the pound.  As a spice lover, I was glad to see the assortment available at prices much more competitive than chain grocers.

 

 

 

 

 

I was invited to participate in the Sassool Cary Grocery Challenge and I was excited to try new products that I had not cooked with before like Puck Cream, which is similar to a heavy cream but is canned.  I also purchased essential staples including Saifan Extra Virgin Olive Oil, dried Thyme and dried Rosemary.  Spices are life for me!  They can turn a simple chicken, fish or steak into a delicious meal.

 

I had so many dishes in mind when I shopped at Sassool for their grocery challenge, however, I had to narrow it down to one.  I decided to make a Rosemary-Thyme Flank Steak with Puck Smothered Onions & Baby Bella Mushrooms because it is a delicious and savory meal that can take less than 30 minutes to create.  With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I know many people are pressed for time between work, school and family so I wanted to offer this cook-friendly recipe that can be easily made by a novice to an expert home cook.

Ingredients:

1 – 1 1/2 lb flank steak

1 tsp of Thyme

1 tsp of Rosemary

1 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp of Saifan Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the rub

1 tsp of Saifan Extra Virgin Olive Oil to grease the cast iron pan

1 medium yellow onion cut julienne

2 1/2 cups of sliced baby bella mushrooms, rinsed and cleaned

1/4 cup of Puck Cream

Tools:

Cast Iron Pan

Wood Cutting Board

Knife

Spoon

Medium bowl for onions and mushrooms

Small bowl for rub

Dish for raw flank steak

Dish for plating

 

Instructions:

Turn on your stove to medium heat and place your cast iron on the stove.   I recommend allowing the cast iron pan to heat for 5-10 minutes before adding the flank steak.   As the cast iron is heating, remove the flank steak from the refrigerator and place the steak on a plate on the counter.  Allowing your flank steak to come close to room temperature will result in a more tender steak and absorb the flavors from your rub.

In a small bowl, add 1 tsp of Thyme, 1 tsp of Rosemary, 1 tsp of sea salt and 1 Tbsp of Saifan extra virgin olive oil and mix.   Lather your flank steak with the rub.

 

 

Once your cast iron has heated for about 10 minutes, add 1 tsp of Saifan Extra Virgin Olive Oil to grease the cast iron pan, then add the flank to cook on each side for about 6-8 minutes on each side.   I like my meat nice and pink, so I will not cook it longer than 8 minutes on each side.

 

 

 

Once your steak is cooked, set it aside on a cutting board and let the meat rest.  Do not turn off the stove nor remove the cast iron from the burner you used to cook the flank steak.   We are going to sauté the onions and baby bella mushrooms in the left over drippings that are in the cast iron.  Add the julienned onions and cleaned mushrooms to the pan and begin to sauté for 8-10 minutes.  The cast iron is hot, so the onions and mushroom will cook quickly.  I did not add salt to the medley because the drippings already have a delicious residual seasoning from the flank steak and rub which will permeate in the onion and mushroom medley.   Once the onions and mushrooms have sautéed, add 1/4 cup of Puck Cream, blend and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

Slice your flank steak against the grain and serve on a plate.   Add the Puck smothered onions and mushroom on top and enjoy.

It was so much fun creating this recipe and learning how to integrate Puck Cream in my cooking.  I highly recommend visiting Sassool Mediterranean Cafe for lunch, dinner and grocery shopping.  Sassool Cary is located at 1347 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary, NC 27511.