Cilantro-Lime Marinated Flank Steak

I have this unbelievably BEAUTIFUL and incredibly well-traveled friend, Rachael, who discovers TO-DIE-FOR foods filled to the brim with deliciousness as she jaunts all over the world for business and pleasure.  What a great life, right?  She is always on the go, always somewhere amazing, and always eating something exquisite, so when I received a text from her about this seemingly simple flank steak recipe from the blog, For The Love Of Cooking, a blog which is right up my own cooking alley, I KNEW she had found a BEYOND FABULOUS way to create sheer magic out of a simple flank steak, herbs and seasonings... as in the first bite, you will see that she is SPOT-ON!

The flavor is INCREDIBLE! She has also used the marinade to dress salads.  Of course my brain is REELING at the numerous ways it can be enjoyed! I know it would be fantastic atop fish and shredded cabbage tacos, over shredded chicken taco salad with fresh salsa, as a dip for beef and veggie kabobs, even dolloped atop summertime hamburgers, mixed with a bit of sour cream for a creamy, zesty topping to trump ketchup ANY day!  Make it and enjoy!  I look forward to hearing what you love about it as well!

 photo courtesy of fortheloveofcooking.net

 Ingredients:

1 C of fresh cilantro
1/4 C of freshly squeezed lime juice
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
2 green onions, chopped
1 Serrano chile, chopped, seeded if desired
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 pound flank steak

Directions:
To make the marinade, place the cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, green onions, Serrano chile  and sea salt together in a food processor/blender or bowl, using an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Place a flank steak into a large Ziploc bag and pour half of the marinade into the bag. Squish the bag so the marinade is completely covering the flank steak. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 3-4 hours. Reserve the other half of the marinade as a dipping sauce. Remove steak from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling. Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Brush grill grate with oil and grill the flank steak, covered, for 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare. If using a grill pan, heat the pan over medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Place the flank steak into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side, flip and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board, allowing steak to rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing and serving with reserved sauce for dipping. Enjoy!