Description
This 30 minute steak bowl is inspired by my recent trip to Cancun. It’s got vacation vibes and Mexican flavors with the braised black beans, mashed avocado, and marinated steak. We’re of course going to add in some sautéed leafy greens to fill our plate with half veggies, and top with pickled red onions and cilantro.
Ingredients
For the bowl:
- .75 lbs skirt steak
- kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 avocado
- 1 lime
- 1 bunch green chard
- Neutral oil
For the braised beans:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 14 ounce can of black beans
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup of water
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Garnishes:
- Cilantro leaves (optional)
- Pickled red onions (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Heat a small or medium sized pot on medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of butter and let this melt and slightly brown. To this, add the can of drained black beans and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth and water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat.
- Check the beans every 3-4 minutes and give it a stir. Add additional water or broth if the beans look a little dry.
- While the beans are cooking, season the steak. Remove any silver skin on the steak, then sprinkle with salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, and garlic powder. You can also add a bit of oil (1 teaspoon) to help evenly spread the seasoning.
- Heat a cast iron pan or heavy duty, oven proof pan on high heat. Add the steak to the pan, and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Move the steak and the pan into the oven and cook until your desired doneness. The amount of time will depend on the thickness of your steak. Check the internal temperature or firmness of the steak after 3 minutes, and continue to do so until you have reached your desired doneness.
- While the steak is cooking and the beans are braising, chop the chard and mince the garlic.
- Also mash the avocado with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Set this aside.
- After it’s been 15 minutes for the beans, add the minced garlic and begin to mash the beans with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook for a couple more minutes and add a touch more water or broth if needed (you want there to be some extra liquid in the pan, as it will thicken once it cools a bit). Taste the bean mixture, adjust with more salt and pepper as desired, then set this aside to cool and slightly thicken.
- When the steak is cooked, remove this from the pan and onto the cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat the same cast iron pan on medium high heat and add the chopped chard and the remaining minced garlic. Saute and stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes, until the leaves are wilted. Add a pinch of salt and turn off the heat.
- Slice the steak into ½” thick pieces, then build the bowl. Add a couple spoonfuls of the black beans to one side and a serving of the sauteed greens to the other side. Top with a few pieces of the steak, a spoonful of the mashed avocado, pickled red onions, and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Notes
Tip 1 – Use a combination of water and chicken broth when braising the beans. Since the canned beans and chicken stock are likely to already have seasoning, be careful when seasoning to taste. If the beans taste a bit salty, add more water and a splash of white wine vinegar.
Tip 2 – Use the same pan you seared the steak to cook the chard. The chard will help absorb all the delicious juices and fond created from browning the steak.
Tip 3 – Continue to add water to the braised beans and remove from heat when the beans are bit more liquidly than desired. As the beans cool, they will thicken.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Quick and easy
- Method: Stovetop, oven
- Cuisine: Mexican