When it comes to traditional “comfort food,” the addition of green chile merely amps the cozy factor. Though chile may not pair well with every type of food, it enhances an astonishing number of sweet and savory dishes.
The flank steak recipe below utilizes both red and green chile without directly combining them. The red chile is used in the marinade, infusing and tenderizing the steak. The green chile is incorporated into the stuffing. A 2-pound flank steak makes approximately 6 servings.
Flank Steak Chile Roll
- 2-pound flank steak.
Trim any residual fat off the steak. Carefully cut the steak in half on 3 sides, leaving the 4th side so it is attached and you can open it up for a thinner, larger surface area. Pound it until it is flat, tender, and pliable, but don’t tear it or it becomes harder to roll.
Flank Steak Marinade
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon red chile powder (choose your heat level)
- ¼ cup onion, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon flaked red chile
Directions
- Combine the ingredients in a glass baking pan, Tupperware, or Ziploc bag. Immerse the steak in the marinade.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours. 8 hours is better. Turn the meat a couple of time to evenly distribute the marinade.
Stuffing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup roasted green chile, chopped
- 1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 medium onion, finely minced
- 1 1/2 cups cornbread stuffing mix
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet at medium heat. Add the red pepper, green chile, onion, and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes. The onions should begin to turn translucent.
- Add stuffing, water, and cayenne pepper. Mix well.
- Remove the steak from the marinade and pat the meat dry. Lay it out in the pan that you plan to cook it in. If you are going to use string to tie it up (instead of toothpicks), arrange the string before adding the stuffing. It is easier to get the string under the meat.
- Spread the stuffing evenly on the steak and roll it up like a jelly-roll. The flaps can be secured with toothpicks or it can be tied with kitchen twine or plain cotton string. I prefer one of the latter options. The toothpicks are easy to work with and harder to find when it comes out of the oven.
- Bake for 50 minutes. When you remove the steak, put it on a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil for 10 minutes prior to cutting. Serve slices, topped with the mushroom gravy.
Mushroom Gravy
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- ¼ cup cold water + 3 tablespoons corn starch
- salt and pepper
Directions
- Bring the beef broth to boil over medium heat in a medium sauce pan. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Whisk cold water and corn starch together until the corn starch is dissolves.
- Pour the mixture into the boiling beef broth. Reduce heat to low and stir consistently until the gravy thickens to avoid scalding. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Please leave your recipe modifications, or any questions that you may have, in the comments.
Need Chile?
If green and red chile are difficult to find in your area, dried green and red are available online from Fruit Basket Albuquerque. The dried forms of chile, whether ground, flakes, or dried pods, are much cheaper to ship than fresh or frozen chile.
