Flank Steak with Corn, Feta, and Spinach Sauce

flank steak with corn, spinach sauce, and feta cheese - in a white bowl.

Flank Steak with Corn, Feta, and Spinach Sauce

One of my favorite summer dinners is pan-seared flank steak with fresh yellow corn, feta, and spinach sauce. It's the ultimate summer feast, featuring the freshest summer produce. You'll be amazed by how simple yet flavorful the recipe is!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword steak and corn

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings people

Calories 491kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

Corn

3 ears corn on the cob (or 2 cups of cooked corn kernels)

Spinach Sauce

5 oz fresh baby spinach
1 large clove garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Steak

1 lb flank steak
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
black pepper freshly ground, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (for garnish)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare corn

Boil 3 ears of corn in a large pot of boiling water for about 5 - 10 minutes. Drain.
Optionally, you can grill the corn.
Once the corn is cool enough to handle, place it lengthwise on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife slice corn kernels off the cob. Repeat with the remaining 2 ears of corn. Set aside.

Make spinach sauce

While you boil the corn, prepare the spinach sauce.
In a food processor, combine spinach, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Close with the lid.
Process/blend for about 3 or 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth. (⬆️ To see the consistency of the spinach sauce - refer to the photos above this recipe card - scroll up ⬆️).
Turn off the food processor and remove the sharp centerpiece. Using a flexible spatula, pour the sauce from the food processor into a medium-deep bowl. Set aside.

Steak

Season the flank steak on both sides with chili powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, using 1 tablespoon of olive oil to rub the spices in. Add more seasoning to taste.
Heat an empty large (at least 12-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. This allows the cast-iron skillet to heat through. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the whole flank steak and cook on one side on medium heat for a total of 5 minutes. Move the steak slightly around the pan in the first minute so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.
Flip the flank steak over to the other side, reduce heat to low-medium, and cook for about 5 minutes or more until the steak is cooked to your liking. As a guidance, the meat thermometer should register 130°F for medium-rare, and 145°F for medium in the thickest part of the steak (FDA-recommended safe internal cooking temperature for steak is 145°F).
Remove the steak from the skillet and put it on a plate. Slice the steak against the grain into thin strips about 1-inch wide.
To the same, now empty, cast-iron skillet, add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Add cooked and sliced flank steak, and reheat it coating thoroughly with the olive oil sauce (and all the juices and spices in the pan) on medium heat for a minute or two. If your steak looks too undercooked to your tastes, you can cook it more thoroughly in this step. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Remove from heat.
Scoop the steak to one side of the skillet, and add the corn to the other side. Gently reheat.

Assembly

Divide pan-seared flank steak and corn among 4 serving plates. Drizzle the steak with the spinach sauce in some spots. Top both the steak and the corn with crumbled feta cheese.
Top with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

Nutrition