To cook this steak, we used a technique called blackening. This is a method of cooking meat where the steak is seared in a cast iron skillet at a very high temperature, so it can form a charred crust on the outside. When blackening something, you want to make sure the area for cooking is well-ventilated. This is a process that creates a lot of smoke, but also produces some incredibly delicious results so the possibility of bringing the fire alarm to life is for sure worth it. If you are unsure of blackening or don’t have a well-ventilated kitchen, you could grill the steak instead. We blackened our flat iron steak with the help of our Espresso Rub. The deep richness of coffee combined with the brown sugar provides an ideal caramelized crust on your steak. This crust helps hold in the natural flavors and juices so that the steak doesn't dry out prematurely.

Pick up a bag of organic rainbow carrots if you want to add some extra color to the dish. Orange carrots work just fine, but the rainbow ones make it a little prettier and a little more fun to eat. Plus, the different pigments mean that the carrots have more nutritional values, as each color has some added benefits to it versus the standard orange carrot. Serve this with a nice tall glass of pomegranate juice, which compliments the flavors of the steak exceptionally well.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Flat Iron steak
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Espresso Rub
• 1 lb rainbow carrots
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
• 1 cup fresh flat leaf, or Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup fresh mint
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tsp ghee

Instructions:

1. Season steak with salt, pepper, and Espresso Rub.
2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Let steak stand at room temperature while oven is heating.
3. Toss carrots with 1 tsp vegetable oil, cumin, coriander. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes in oven at 400 F.
4. Place parsley, mint, red pepper flakes and olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.
5. Heat 8 inch cast iron skillet to high. Add 1 tsp ghee, and 2 tsp olive oil to pan. Add steak to pan, and cook 3-5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.
6. Let steak rest for a minimum of 5 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain and serve with carrots, drizzled with 2 Tbsp of the pesto over top.