Flank Steak Salad with Corn Cilantro Dressing (Mayo Clinic)

UPDATED 2021

We forgot all about this recipe but wanted something easy to serve a guest coming over for a Tuesday night meal on our patio recently.  

We've made this recipe quite a bit over the years, in the summer, when guests would come for a meal at the lake.  It is a wonderful way to take advantage of all of the fresh corn available, as well as to have a healthy meal.  

We discovered it in "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook" back in 2004 and have made it for family and friends again and again.  

---Barbara and Tom

Grilled Flank Steak with Corn Cilantro Dressing
(adapted from New Mayo Clinic Cookbook)

Serves 6

3 cups corn, cut from about 4 or 5 ears, of fresh corn (or thawed frozen corn)
1/2 cup vegetable stock (or 1/4 cup white wine and 1/4 cup olive oil)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about two limes)
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips 
1 shallot, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch chopped fresh cilantro, washed and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1- 1.5 pound flank steak
2 large heads romaine lettuce, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces 

1/2 medium-sized red onion, sliced very thin
1 pint (about 1/5 cups) cherry tomatoes halved
1 15-ounce can Eden or other high quality black beans, rinsed well, and drained well

Make everything in advance.  That's what's so great about the recipe.  You can prepare everything, including roasting the corn, making the dressing, prepping the veggies for the salad and rubbing the steak, in advance.  Then  just grill the steak and serve.  More time to spend with your guests!  

Remove the corn from the cob or defrost the frozen niblets.  Set aside.

Fresh corn from a local farm.

An easy technique to prevent corn from flying everywhere when cutting from the cob is to cut the ear of corn in a large bowl.  Using a sharp chef's knife, trim the corn from the ears of corn.

Wash, stem and seed the red bell pepper.  Cut into strips.  Chop a few strips to make 2 tablespoons for the dressing.  Set aside.

Wash the romaine lettuce, dry, remove any tough or discolored parts, and cut-wise into bite-size pieces.

In a small bowl mix together the cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.

Dry the meat with paper towels.  Rub both sides of the flank steak.  Do this one to several hours before starting the rest of the recipe.  Keep refrigerated until 1/2 hour before grilling, and bring to room temperature.  This rub gave the flank steak a really good flavor.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, add the corn and cook until the corn just starts to brown.  Stir frequently to prevent burning.  Take off the burner and set aside to cool.  Some of this will go into the dressing and most of it will go into the salad.

In a food processor, add one cup of the cooked corn, the stock (or wine/olive oil combo), lime juice, the shallot and the chopped red bell pepper.  Pulse to puree.  Now add the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and lots of the chopped cilantro.  Pulse to blend and then set aside.  Will be thick.  If necessary, add more stock to thin enough to dress the salad.  Pour into a decorative pitcher and set aside.  

In a large bowl combine the lettuce, tomatoes, onion, black beans.  Sprinkle salt directly on the tomatoes before adding.  And sprinkle salt onto the drained black beans, too.  

Next add the julienned red bell pepper and the roasted corn.  Sprinkle with salt.

Add the corn cilantro dressing to the salad mixture, but don't toss yet.  (Alternatively, you can let guests dress their own salad at the table.  Especially if you have guests who don't like cilantro.)

Now grill the flank steak over a very hot fire.  Flank steak grills very quickly, so only a couple of minutes a side is more than enough.  Flank steak is best when medium rare.

Let sit for at least 10 minutes, and then slice into 1/2" thick pieces.

Toss the salad.   We no longer put the steak on top.  We let guests select as much steak as they want, then pass the salad and extra dressing.  And place the salad bowl in the center of the table.  Rarely do we have any leftovers from this meal.  

This is an excellent warm weather meal.  Highly recommend it.

---Tom and Barbara