Flank Steak and Blue Cheese Cauliflower Puree

You know what my favorite thing is? When Jules says to me, "I would love to have _____ for dinner this week." That's usually when the cogs in my brain start grinding away, figuring out how to make the best possible version of whatever she asked for. This week, she wanted a cauliflower puree (she's not eating potatoes). After flipping a few pages in the Flavor Bible, I came up with a plan for grilled flank steak topped with chive butter, served on a blue cheese cauliflower puree. Here it is.

Cauliflower Puree

1 Head of Cauliflower
3 Medium Cloves of Garlic, peeled and stems trimmed
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt
1/4 Cup Crumbled Blue Cheese
1 Tsp Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Most cauliflower puree recipes I've seen call for boiling the cauliflower in a liquid like water, stock or even milk. Every time I do this, the consistency of the puree is difficult to control (it gets runny). For this reason, I prefer steaming the cauliflower. If you decide to boil, then use less yogurt.

Steam the cauliflower and garlic for 10 minutes. Put everything in a blender and mix until smooth, adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Chive butter, super easy. Here's what you need:

About 1 Tablespoon of chopped chives
2 Tablespoons of butter
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper

Whenever making an herb butter, I prefer mashing the herbs. You get more flavor into the butter that way. For this I use a mortar and pestle. Mash the chives with all of the seasonings, then add the butter and mix together well with a spoon. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, try using the back of a spoon on your cutting board to mash the herbs.

Flank Steak

Flank Steak
Light Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Rinse the steak, pat dry, coat with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cook on the grill or in a grill pan (or broil, if you don't want to grill). Important tip, after you remove your steak from the heat, let it sit for about 10 minutes. You should do this with every meat you cook. If you take a piece of meat off the heat and immediately cut it, the juices run out (like steam out of a kettle). Resting the meat allows the juices to cool a bit, which keeps the meat juicy. Once the meat has rested, cut at a bias and plate like so:

That's all there is to it. Blue cheese and steak make a wonderful pair, and this cauliflower puree is a healthy way to bring those flavors together. The puree is a velvety hybrid between a sauce and a side, and the chive butter takes it one step further. And even though cauliflower is more of a fall time ingredient, this preparation is definitely light enough to make it summertime appropriate.