Sear the steaks briefly and serve with the homemade parsley-basil pesto – and your culinary trip to vacation-land is ready.
Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables with Steak and Pesto
Ingredients
For the steak
- 500 g beef for quick searing, either one flat whole piece such as flank steak or sirloin, or 2 beef steaks such as rib-eye or sirloin
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 1 tbsp pepper, freshly ground
- olive oil
For the grilled vegetables
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 small eggplant
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 vine cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1.5 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp small capers
- salt, pepper
- olive oil
For the parsley-basil pesto
- 6 stems parsley
- 6 stems basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 50 g Parmesan
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 125 ml olive oil
- salt
Nutrition per serving, approx.: 1154 kcal68 g protein33 g carbs86 g fat10 g fiber
Estimates, calculated from the ingredients.
Instructions
- Take 500 g beef for quick searing out of the fridge approx. 30 min before cooking.
- Cut 1 small zucchini, 1 small eggplant, 1 yellow bell pepper and 1 vine cherry tomatoes into rough, even pieces and put them in a bowl.
- Season with 2 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper and toss gently.
- For the vegetables, chop 1 clove garlic very finely and 1 sprig thyme and 1 sprig rosemary finely and set aside.
- Heat the grill pan with some olive oil.
- Sear the vegetables in two or three batches for approx. 5 min each.
- In the meantime, for the marinade, mix the garlic, the herbs, 1.5 tbsp white balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp olive oil in a bowl.
- Add the seared vegetables and 1 tbsp small capers and mix gently.
- Rub the steaks with 1 tbsp pepper (freshly ground).
- Pluck the leaves from 3 sprigs thyme and chop the needles of 3 sprigs rosemary.
- Heat some olive oil with 1 clove garlic, the thyme and the rosemary in a pan.
- Sear the steaks over high heat for approx. 2-3 min on each side. Then let rest in the pan covered with aluminum foil.
- For the pesto, pluck the leaves from 6 stems parsley and 6 stems basil.
- In a food processor, finely blend the herbs together with 1 clove garlic, 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar and 50 g Parmesan. Gradually add approx. 125 ml olive oil while blending. Season with salt.
- Arrange the marinated vegetables on the plates. Cut the meat into thin slices, garnish with the pesto and season with more salt if needed.
Tips
- I always prefer to buy the meat in one piece. Flat cuts work especially well here, since they sear quickly and are very easy to cut into thin slices. But beef tenderloin steaks are also excellent.
- If you’re unsure about doneness, the press test can help. If the meat is still very soft after searing, simply turn the heat under the pan down low and let the meat rest covered for a bit longer.
- If need be – if the meat is still too rare when you slice it, place it cut side down in the pan over the very lowest heat for a short while.
- Of course, it turns out perfectly with a meat thermometer (Anzeige). Right after searing, the meat should have a core temperature of approx. 54-56 °C (129-133 °F). After resting, the temperature will then be 58-60 °C (136-140 °F) and the meat is medium.
- If kids who aren’t big fans of vegetables are eating with you, you can simply cook some penne pasta on the side and serve it with the pesto.
- A fresh baguette for dipping in the sauce also goes well with it.
- If there’s anything left over: the leftovers can be used for the lunchbox the next day. The marinated grilled vegetables also taste excellent cold.
- Storage: The steak and vegetables keep separately in the fridge for 2 to 3 days; the pesto is best frozen in portions.
Find more kitchen tips from A to Z in our Kitchen A–Z.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables with Steak and Pesto
Which cut of beef works for the steak?
Flat cuts like flank steak or rump cook quickly and slice thinly. Rib-eye or beef tenderloin steaks work great too. Take the meat out of the fridge about 30 minutes ahead.
How can I tell if the steak is medium?
The finger press test gives you a good feel for it. A meat thermometer is the most accurate. After resting, medium steak reaches 58–60 °C (136–140 °F); read more about internal temperature in the kitchen glossary.
What if the kids don’t like vegetables?
Simply cook some penne on the side and serve it with the pesto. Fresh baguette for mopping up the juices works too. The marinated vegetables taste great cold in a lunchbox the next day.
How do I store the Mediterranean grilled vegetables with steak and pesto?
Store the steak, grilled vegetables and pesto separately in airtight containers in the fridge. The steak and vegetables keep for 2 to 3 days. Cover the pesto with a little olive oil to keep it fresh for a few days. Everything tastes great cold as a salad or on bread.
Can I freeze the grilled vegetables and steak?
You can freeze the steak, well wrapped, for about 3 months. Grilled vegetables get quite soft after thawing but still work well in sauces. The pesto is best frozen in portions. Thaw everything in the fridge.
