Oven Roasted Flank Steak with a Spiced Fig-Gorgonzola Sauce for #TripleSBites

Figs and sin - as in Adam-and-Eve sin - have a long visual history . When they were disgraced and banished from the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were often depicted covering themselves with fig leaves.

Adam and Eve by Abrecht Dürer, 1504. Rijkmuseum. Amsterdam.

Why were fig leaves for shame? Or modesty? Maybe because fig leaves are larger than, say, grape leaves...and definitely larger than apple leaves. I digress. All of that was just to explain why, when Erika of Not Ketchup, asked me which fruit ketchup I wanted to try for #TripleSBites, I selected fig. Spiced Fig. There you have it. My mind works in mysterious ways sometimes.

Then I begin thinking about the recipe I would share. I decided to share an oven-roasted flank steak that is so simple you can have it on the table in less than an hour. It's been rubbed with Voodoo Chef's RED rub, seared with Acala Farms Chili Cumin Infused Cottonseed Oil, and drizzled with a sauce made from Not Ketchup's Spiced Fig. Oh, it was a trifecta of #TripleSBites sponsor goodness! Can you spot them all in the photo?

Ingredients

Meat

• 1-1/2 pound flank steak
• 3 T spice rub (I used Voodoo Chef's RED)
• 3 T organic light brown sugar
• splash of oil for searing (I used Acala Farms Chili Cumin Infused Cottonseed Oil)
• 1/4 C red wine
• 1/4 C beef stock

Onion-Fennel for Plating

• 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
• splash of oil (I used Acala Farms Chili Cumin Infused Cottonseed Oil)

Sauce for Garnish

• 1/3 C ketchup (I used  Not Ketchup's Spiced Fig)
• 2 T crumbled gorgonzola
• splash of oil (I used Acala Farms Chili Cumin Infused Cottonseed Oil)
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• fresh parsley, chopped
• more gorgonzola for serving

Procedure

Meat
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rub the flank steak with the mixture of sugar and spice rub, making sure that you coat the entire surface of the meat. Set aside. Heat a splash of oil in your pan and, then, sear the meat on both sides - approximately 2 minutes on each side. Pour in the red wine and beef stock. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Place the meat in a rimmed baking dish. Pour the red wine-beef stock mixture over the top.

Cover the dish, and place in the pre-heated oven. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from the oven and let stand  for 10 minutes before cutting steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

Onion-Fennel for Plating
In a large, flat-bottom pan, heat a splash of oil. Add in the slices of onion and fennel. Stir to coat completely with oil. Turn heat to low-medium and allow the onion and fennel to caramelize. When finished, set aside.

Sauce for Garnish
In a medium skillet, place the ketchup, gorgonzola, and a splash of oil. Gently heat, stirring until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the sauce. Set aside.

To Serve
Place a heap of caramelized onions and fennel on a plate. Top with thin slices of flank steak. Drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with more cheese, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Thanks, Voodoo Chef', NOT Ketchup, and Acala Farms* - just three of the #TripleSBites sponsors - for ingredients used in this recipe.

*Full Disclosure: I received a bottle of RED spice rub from Voodoo Chef, a bottle of Spiced Fig from Not Ketchup, and two bottles of flavor-infused cottonseed oil from Acala Farms for participating in #TripleSBites. Feel free to use whatever spice rub, ketchup, and oil you have on-hand. I received no additional compensation for this post; all comments are 100% accurate and 100% my own.

Here's what everyone else brought to the table today...

An InLinkz Link-up

We had some very generous event sponsors for this event.

THANK YOU!