Asian Marinated Flank Steak and Portobello Mushrooms with Scallion Chimichurri and Coconut Rice

Hi everyone!

Happy Inaguration day! This day to me has felt incredibly peaceful and hopeful for better days ahead. I also must admit while watching the inaguration I was quite impressed with all the monochromatic outfit looks including the matching face mask. Fashion in the times of covid! Also how crazy is it that we have a FEMALE vice president!! I mean, it’s about damn time.

OK moving on! Last night I hosted my first virtual cooking class to the public and it went really well! I had about 24 people sign on to join me. I had such a great time and think it’s a fun activity for people to do to fight the boredom and mundane routines we all are currently in. So be on the lookout because I will definitely be hosting more very soon. You all will be the first to know, don’t worry 🙂

We made Asian Marinated Flank Steak and Portobello Mushrooms with Scallion Chimichurri and Coconut Rice.

I don’t have any step by step pictures to share, but I will share below my main cooking tips that I taught last night in the class, as well as the recipe below. Plus some bonus pictures at the end from people that took the class!

Cooking tips:

• Mirin is a rice wine, similar to sake, but with a higher sugar content and lower alcohol content. It is frequently used in marinades (like this one) as well as sauces, such a teriyaki sauce. 
• When making a marinade with a salty ingredient such as soy sauce, you don’t want to salt the meat beforehand. If you feel as though it needs some salt after it’s done cooking, finish it with a sprinkle then! 
• When cooking any type of steak, it is very important that you let the meat rest before cutting into it. This way, the juices of the meat redistribute, keeping it nice and moist and flavorful. 
• For the chimichurri, feel free to get creative! You can do a mix of whatever herbs you have on hand (parsley, dill, chives, cilantro, mint, chervil, etc). I sometimes like to add chopped up nuts to the chimichurri, such as almonds or pine nuts, to give it some nice texture! Also feel free to add more or less olive oil depending on the texture that you prefer. 
• In order to prevent your rice from over or under cooking, don’t follow package instructions exactly. You don’t want the liquid to come to a full boil before you cover it because then the liquid will evaporate before the rice cooks. Don’t be afraid to check on the rice half way through the cooking process, give it a taste! If it seems as though there is not a lot of liquid left and the rice is still tough, add a touch more water and let it keep cooking.

Marinated Flank Steak and Portobello Mushrooms with Scallion Chimichurri and Coconut Rice

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 pound flank steak
• 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
• 1 cup soy sauce 
• ⅓ cup mirin
• 3 limes 
• 1 tsp onion powder 
• 2 tbsp sriracha 
• 3 portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 5 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separate 
• ½  cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tbsp honey 
• 1 cup white rice (basmati, short grian, sushi, etc)
• 1 13.5 oz can light coconut milk 
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. In a shallow baking dish whisk together marinade: 1 cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup mirin, grated ginger, 2 cloves of the grated garlic, sriracha, onion powder, and the juice and zest of 1 lime. Add the steak to the marinade, coating both sides, and allow to sit at room temperature in the marinade while you prepare the remaining components. (or you can do this ahead of time, cover, and marinade in the fridge for 2-3 hours)
2. Make the chimichurri: in a mixing bowl add in the greens of the scallions, parsley, juice of a lime, the remaining grated garlic, honey, olive oil, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk together, season to taste, and set aside.
3. For the rice, heat up 1 tbsp olive oil in a soup pot with a fitted lid over medium heat. Add the scallion whites and saute for about 2 minutes. Add in the rice, and saute for 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted. Add in the coconut milk, plus ¼ cup water, bring to a slight boil, then simmer on the lowest heat and cover for about 15 minutes until rice is cooked. Season with a large pinch of salt and the juice of 1 lime.
4. While the rice is simmering, remove the steak from the marinade. Add the mushrooms to the marinade, toss on both sides, and set aside while you cook the steak. Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet to high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the steak, and set a timer for 3-4.5 minutes (if you’re steak is on the thicker side, so closer to 4.5) minutes. DO NOT TOUCH THE STEAK. (note, it will smoke up a bit because of the sugar in the marinade, feel free to turn the heat down slightly to medium high and crank up that fan! ) Once the 3-4.5 minutes are up, flip the steak and set another timer for the same amount of time. Remove the steak from the skillet and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. In the meantime, add the mushrooms to the same skillet and cook for about 2 minutes per side.
5. Slice the steak against the grain into thin slices, slice the mushrooms, and top with the scallion chimichurri. Serve alongside the rice and enjoy!

So many delicious photos!!

This recipe is very versatile. I had some people in the class use the same marinade but cook chicken, salmon, and shrimp instead of the steak. Any protein will work really nicely with this meal. I hope you give it a try!

XX Chelcie