A Hungry Bear

I clipped this recipe out of Gourmet a year ago, and stuck it in my “food ideas” binder with all the other recipes I intend to try at some point. I honestly can’t believe it has taken me a year to get to this - it’s steak, it’s fast, and the few ingredients are pantry/fridge staples. A nicer cut of meat wouldn’t need the adornment, but it’s just enough salt and kick to dress up a sirloin or even a flank steak.

Grocery list: 2 pound sirloin steak, handful fresh parsley leaves, about a dozen black brine-cured olives, 4 cloves garlic, olive oil.

Slice the garlic, coarsely chop the parsley, and chop the olives.

Season steak with salt and pepper.

Cook steak over medium-high heat in a grill pan, about 3 minutes per side, or until desired internal temperature. You could also fire up the grill if the weather is nice. (As a side note, if your kitchen ventilation is a pitiful recirculating microwave-integrated thing like mine, and the grill pan smokes up the house, just sear the steak in the pan then put it in a 450 degree oven to finish cooking. It keeps the house from stinking too bad, and the steak cooks so fast in the oven that it stays juicy.) Let the steak rest on a cutting board while you prep the topping.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add slivers of garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute for a couple of minutes, until the garlic just barely starts to turn brown.

Add the olives and cook for about 1 minute, then turn off the heat and quickly stir in the parsley. It will begin to wilt - that’s what you want. Slice the steak against the grain, divide between plates, then top with the olive-parsley mix.