Grilled Flat Iron Steak with White Beans, Summer Squash and Sauce Pistou

Ingredients

For the Steak

4 pounds of flat iron or tri-tip steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 8 portions

Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Beans

1 cup dry white beans, soaked over night in water (canned will do the trick as well)

1 large yellow onion, chopped and sautéed in butter until translucent

2 medium size carrots, peeled and diced

Chicken stock

For the Summer Squash

4-6 yellow summer squash, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons white vinegar

Pinch white sugar

Butter or olive oil to coat

Salt and cracked black pepper

For the Pistou

4 cups fresh basil, finely shredded or cut

½ cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon coarse salt

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

½ cup freshly grated Gruyère (or Parmesan)

¾ cup olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Special Tools

Big hot grill

Tongs

Piping bag with small star tip

Instructions

For the Steak

Get the grill really, really hot, then clean it with a brush and wipe it down with an oiled cloth. * Chef will demonstrate this.

Season the steaks with salt and pepper and place them on the hot grill. To make some nice criss-cross grill marks, set the steaks on the grill at an angle at 2:00 - as if the steak were the arm of a clock. After about 2.5 minutes, turn the steaks to an opposite angle on the grill at 10:00, keeping the same side down on the grill. Repeat steps for the other side - grill on each side for about 5 minutes. To test for doneness, ask your chef to show you how to do the “clenched fist” test. Pretty cool huh?

For the Beans

Add the beans to a medium size saucepot and cover with stock to about two inches above the beans. Add the onions and carrots, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes; or until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

* if using canned beans, cook carrots and onions in stock, add canned beans and heat for about 1 minute. Drain excess liquid.

For the Summer Squash

Place a very large skillet or thick stainless pot on high heat. Add some vegetable oil and heat up until it starts to dance. Throw in the summer squash and quickly stir with a wooden spoon or tongs. After 5 to 10 minutes, add the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and throw in a cube of butter and toss.

For the Pistou

Place half of the ingredients in a food processor and blend. When the purée is smooth, pour it into a bowl. Purée the rest of the ingredients and add them to the first batch. Stir in the cheese. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days.

To Serve

In a large shallow bowl add the bean and summer squash side by side. Lay the steaks on top of the vegetables and spoon the Pistou sauce on top.