Caramelized Red Pepper Pesto Steak is a delicious low carb Italian recipe, marinated in a delicious caramelized onion sauce, grilled to perfection and served with a dollop of red pepper pesto.
Have you ever had to wrangle your own steer?
I literally was wearing my cowgirl boots and was wrestling my steer right here in my kitchen last night. I mistakenly purchased a beef shank or the leg portion of the steer instead of a portion of a whole tenderloin. You know that is quite easy to do here in Hong Kong as they both were written in all traditional Chinese characters and they were both packaged right next to each other and I forgot my reader glasses.
However, this is how happy accidents are formed. I ended up making this amazing tender beef shank studded with garlic, of course, topped with a caramelized red pepper pesto that will make any cut of meat taste like a million bucks.
I went through some extreme measures including beating the beef with a hammer and marinating for almost 24 hours. I also fillet and opened this section of meat into a long section just like a flank steak. All of those nooks and crannies made great holes to tuck in all of my garlic and allowed the marinade to really get a chance to mingle.
I cooked the shank on the grill, just like you do with a flank steak. I only cooked the fillet of shank for a couple of minutes on each side. The result was a perfect juicy medium steak with some delicious herbs.
However just in case the steak did not meet my standards, I made two kids of pesto for dipping. I made a caramelized red pepper pesto recipe that I will be sharing with you today and also a 3 Minute Vegan Sun-dried Tomato Pesto or if you like a more traditional Tuscan basil pesto then try my recipe for Trofie al Pesto. Make sure you make extra pesto as both kinds are delicious in pasta, chicken, roasted vegetables or anything your little heart desires.
If you serve Caramelized Red Pepper Pesto Steak with a bountiful tossed salad and side vegetable you have the perfect low carb, diabetic friendly meal that also happens to be gluten-free and lactose friendly.
Why you are going to love Caramelized Red Pepper Pesto Steak
I know this time of the year it is pretty hot and steamy and none of us want to be slaving in the kitchen and that is why this recipe is perfect. You can grill any cut of beef you wish to use. Make your pestos up to 3 days in advance. Throw together a quick tossed salad and you have a meal perfect for entertaining.
More Steak Recipes
Grilled Flank Steak with Thai Style Chimichurri
Grilled Flank Steaks with Herbed Butter
Wasabi Bloody Married Flank Steak
Seared Steak with Strawberry Cucumber Dressing
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Caramelized Red Pepper Pesto Steak
Ingredients
Marinated Steak
- 1.5 pounds Steak Fillet or T-bone Steaks - 1.5 pounds (I had intended to purchase beef tenderloins but ended purchasing beef shanks) Flanks steak, tenderloins, T-bones or any cut of steak you prefer will work well with this dish. or T-bone Steaks - 1.5 pounds (I had intended to purchase beef tenderloins but ended purchasing beef shanks) Flanks steak, tenderloins, T-bones or any cut of steak you prefer will work well with this dish.
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
chopped - ½ cup onion
chopped - 1 teaspoon steak seasoning
Montreal Steak seasoning - 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
Caramelized Red Pepper Pesto
- 1 cup onion
Chopped and cooked in a little olive olive on top of the stove until caramelized. - 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup roasted red peppers (Capisum)
(if you only have fresh red peppers you can make your own roasted by putting your peppers directly on the stovetop and let them char on all sides and then put them in a paper bag to cool and then peel and remove seeds) - ½ cup basil
chopped - 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup olive oil
or just enough to pull all the ingredients together in the (if you want to conserve on fats you can use half olive oil and half water) - salt and pepper
to taste - 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning Mix (mixture of roasted garlic, bell peppers, rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley and dried lemon)
Instructions
- Choose your favourite cut of steak and marinate with olive oil, garlic, chopped onions and Worcestershire sauce. If you are using a less than ideal cut of beef, then feel free to tenderise first before marinating. Use your weapon of choice to take out all of your built up aggressions. If you use a using a less than optimal cut of beef, then marinate it up to 24 hours. If you are using a perfect steak than marinate for 30 minutes to an hour before grilling. Place in refrigerator during the marinating process.
- In a small pan place a little olive oil, chopped onions and whole unpeeled garlic. Caramelise the onions and garlic together in a pan. Once the onions are nice and caramelized and golden brown, turn off the stove top. Remove the peel from the garlic.
- Make Caramelized Red Pepper Pesto: In the food processor, add caramelised onion, garlic, roasted red peppers, basil, tomato paste, olive oil, salt and pepper and Tuscan seasoning. Blend until nice and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. This step can be done up to 3 days in advance.
- Pre-heat your BBQ grill. I have a gas grill but you can use a charcoal grill or you can even use a grill pan on top of the stove top.
- Take the steaks out of refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature about 30 minutes before grill time. Remove steaks from marinade and sprinkle both sides with steak seasoning.
- Grill Steaks for about 3-4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Your goal is to have a medium rare steak if you are using a flank steak of even a beef shank to keep it tender. Do not overcook as it will make your steak tough. Let your steaks rest while keeping warm while you toss your side salad.
- Cut your steak into thin slices across the grain and serve with a dollop of caramelized red pepper pesto on top. Enjoy!
Mich Piece of Cake says
What a mouth watering slab of steak! Love the pesto sauce which gives for more unique flavors.
Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen says
You're too funny, Bam, I could just picture you bashing that meat into submission. If anyone could transform a piece of meat, my bet would be on you! I'd probably just have grilled it, not noticed and wondered why it was so tough, lol! And you made not one but two pestos!! My gosh that would have been a treat of a dinner! xx
Hannah (BitterSweet) says
What a unique, brilliant twist on pesto! I love anything with caramelized onions, so it sounds like a completely fool-proof sauce for any dish.
Jo says
Happy accidents indeed!! This would make my taste buds happy happy happy!!! 😉 xo
Coffee and Crumpets says
Your adventure sounds very much like my adventure at my Asian store, only difference being I don't read any Chinese! But you managed a good save, the shank looks perfectly cooked and the pesto adds not only a great colour but I bet the flavour is amazing.
Nazneen
ChgoJohn says
I'm "lucky" that now I need my glasses for everything but, when i only needed them for reading, I never really knew what I was paying for a steak which i had identified by shape. 🙂 Buying for one, though, just how far off could I be? I don't know what I would have done had I brought home a whole beef shank.You, on the other hand, did a darn good job with it -- on the grill no less! Your red pepper pesto sounds terrific, BAM. In Summer, I often use pesto in pasta salads. I bet your red pepper pesto would be a great change. Thanks for the recipes. Have a great week!
Balvinder says
I have been having difficulty publishing comment on your blog even though I can see the post. When I hit post comment it says the web page is not available. The gluten free and lactose free meal look absolutely delicious!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hi there and thank for letting me know you are having this issue with submission of comments. I most recently switched from shared hosting to private hosting just recently and I wonder if you were trying to log on during the move. Your comment went through today so let me know if you continue to have issues. I am sorry that I have not been around as much lately but recovering from a medical procedure so just been taking it easy.I am over to your site now. Have a super week. BAM
thecompletecookbook says
Quite simply perfection on a plate!
🙂 Mandy xo
The Sketched Chef says
Perfection in a steak, really beautiful !
deliciouslynell says
Yum! That steak looks so soft and rich! ^_^
hotlyspiced says
I would be at a complete loss shopping in a HK supermarket. Who knows what I would come home with. I think you averted disaster here really well and this looks like an incredibly delicious dinner xx
Carine says
Red pepper pesto sounds delicious! What a great idea!
Carolyn Chan says
That is an AWESOME way to use flank steak ! I buy it here in Singapore because I have easy access to it and use it in Thai beef salads or for beef fajitas but it does come out a bit chewy and your tips (beating the hell out of it and using the holes to poke yummy things in and marinating it) are definitely going to be used - thanks !
yummychunklet says
Ooh, fantastic looking steak and sauce!
Daniela says
The steak looks irresistible and together with these colorful salsas it's a wonderful treat.
Sometimes happy "accidents" like this create great recipes:)