Today we're diving into one of my favorite dishes: the Flank Steak Sandwich with chimichurri and onion cream. This is a dish bursting with flavor and I can't wait to share this fantastic sandwich with you!

With its juicy, perfectly grilled flank steak, refreshing chimichurri and silky onion cream, this sandwich is a real treat. You can grill this flank steak (bavette) on any BBQ, I do this on the Kamado Joe at approximately 280 degrees.


What is flank steak? (beef bavette)

Flank steak is also called “vinkenlap” or “bavette” in Dutch. It is a tasty and relatively inexpensive cut of beef that comes from the abdominal muscles or lower breast of the cow. It is a long, flat piece of meat with distinctive fibers. Because of these muscle fibers, it is best to cook flank steak quickly over high heat and slice thinly against the grain direction to maximize tenderness. Flank steak is popular in various cuisines and is often used in dishes such as fajitas, stir-fries and steak dishes. It is known for its rich beef flavor and versatility in the kitchen.

I use a grain-fed bavette. This has just a little more fat marbling and that ensures a super tender and juicy end result.

chimichurri

Chimichurri is a spicy herb sauce or marinade traditionally used in Argentine and Uruguayan cuisine, especially with grilled meats such as beef or lamb. It is a mixture of fresh herbs, garlic, oil, vinegar and sometimes spices that provides a lively and tasty addition to dishes.

I'm going to give this chimichurri a slightly different twist. The basis for this tasty sauce consists of curled parsley, basil, tarragon, garlic, red pepper and sunflower oil. This green herb sauce usually also contains oregano and vinegar, but we will leave that out for now. This time the (cherry) vinegar is added to the onion cream. This ensures that the strong taste of the fried onions is softened by the acidity of the vinegar.


Grab your apron and your favorite kitchen knife, because we're going to get started making this irresistible Flank Steak Sandwich with chimichurri and onion cream. Let's enter the kitchen together and be inspired by the flavors of this delicious dish!

Steak sandwich from bavette
Flank steak sandwich with chimichurri

Flank Steak Sandwich with chimichurri and fried onion cream

Cooking time 40 minutes
Course Main course, lunch
Kitchen American
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Charcoal BBQ / kamadoto grill the flank steak
  • Charcoal
  • Chef's knife
  • Bread knife
  • Cutting board
  • Food processor or cutterto stir the onion cream
  • Mixing bowlfor the chimichurri
  • Frying panto fry the onions

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg flank steak (bavette) preferably fed grain
  • 2 pieces large ciabatta loaves cut open and halved
  • half pomegranate just the seeds
  • pepper and salt

For the chimichurri

  • 1 red chili pepper without seeds, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped or pressed
  • 1 grove basil fresh finely chopped, only the leaves
  • 1 grove curly parsley fresh finely chopped, only the leaves
  • 1 grove tarragon verse finely chopped only the leaves
  • sunflower oil until the chimichurri is completely submerged
  • pepper and salt

Fried onion cream

  • 6 large white onions halved, cut into thin slices
  • 4 tablespoons creme fraiche
  • 3 tablespoons cherry vinegar
  • pepper and salt
  • possibly a little water

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Preheat and prepare the BBQ to 280 degrees for immediate grilling.
  • Season the flank steak with salt and pepper on both sides and let it sit at room temperature.
  • Clean the pomegranate by cutting it into quarters and hitting the outside of the peel with a spoon. (note this may splash)

chimichurri

  • Chop all herbs, garlic and red pepper as described in the ingredients list.
  • Mix the chopped herbs (basil, parsley and tarragon) with the garlic and red pepper.
  • Add sunflower oil until the herbs are just covered by the oil.
  • Season this with salt and pepper

Onion cream

  • Cut the onions as described in the ingredients list.
  • Fry the onions in a little sunflower oil until completely brown in a baking pan on medium to high heat. The browner the onions, the tastier and more beautiful the color of the cream in the end!
  • Blend the onions together with the crème fraiche and cherry vinegar until completely smooth in the food processor or cutter. Add some water if the cream is difficult to swirl and is a bit on the thick side.
  • Season this with salt and pepper.

Grill the flank steak and fry the ciabatta

  • Grill the flank steak at 280 degrees on the BBQ. About 3/4 minutes on each side (NOTE; this may vary per piece of meat as some steaks are thicker than others!) The steak should be slightly more than medium.
  • In the meantime, bake the ciabatta (cut open) until it is nice and crispy.
  • Let the meat rest in aluminum foil for 10 minutes. (if you think your meat is already a little too far, let it rest without aluminum foil)
  • Carve the flank steak into thin strips. Cut against the grain! This ensures that your meat is tender. You can see the thread very clearly through the lines that run through the meat.

Finish the Flank Steak Sandwich

  • Spread the onion cream on the bottom of the bun.
  • Divide the pieces of meat over it.
  • Pour the chimichurri over it and then the pomegranate seeds
  • Finish the sandwich by putting the lid on.

Enjoy your Flank Steak Sandwich!