I make pesto all summer long, and this year I’ve been experimenting a bit. My latest obsession is this sun-dried tomato version, which is much more rich and deeply flavored than classic basil pesto. While I love both, this version is an especially perfect partner for heartier meals and late-summer days. I love a sauce + steak dinner, and thus this recipe was born!
As for the grilled steak element of this meal, well, any steak at all is almost always at least good, at least in my opinion. But most of us want to go beyond good, right? If I spring for a rib eye, I want to grill that thing to PERFECTION. It takes time to learn how to cook a great steak, and there are some things that frankly can’t be taught. For example? I can’t teach you how you like your steak, or what ‘perfect’ will actually look like and taste like to you. Are you a ‘burn me a steak’ person? Or someone who wants as rare as rare can be? These are the things you’ll just have to decide over time.
However, there are a few basic things you can do to at least know you’re on the path towards grilling a truly great steak. First, bring the steaks to room temperature before you grill them. Just pull them out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes before you want to grill them. Then, dry the steaks by taking a paper towel and just patting them down to get any excess moisture off the meat. This helps get a really nice char on the outside.
When it’s time to actually grill the steaks, brush the grates of the grill with a bit of oil instead of the steaks themselves. While you’re learning to grill to perfect medium or rare (or whatever you like best) by feel, use an instant-read thermometer! It’s your best bet for hitting the mark and will really help you learn.
After you grill, let the meat rest. No seriously! Move away from the meat. Just for about ten minutes. This seals in some juices and lets the meat get really juicy and tender. When you’re ready to cut, always cut against the grain (the direction of the muscle fibers) so that each bite is super tender.
Pesto is a sauce that is not supposed to be smooth! I really want to see and taste the individual elements. So when you blend it, pulse it gently and stop before it’s too uniform! Feel free to make it a day ahead of time, but don’t work too far ahead or it will lose its vibrant color.
If you don’t have a grill, use a very hot cast iron skillet or a grill pan.
You can just buy hot honey, or make it yourself! Add a pinch of pepper flakes to honey and pop it in the microwave for 10 - 30 seconds.
If you have a ton of basil to use up, you can make lots of pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays for up to 3 months
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You don’t have to use rib eye! I love it, but a flank steak (like in this chimichurri steak) would be nice, or even a skirt steak or New York strip steak.
I think grilled corn on the side would be just heavenly. Plus, an all grilled dinner is about as easy as it gets.
Instead of feta, fresh burrata or a crumbly goat cheese would work well.
