Intensify the deliciousness of grilled steak with this piquillo pepper pesto. Piquillo peppers blended with, parsley, almonds, garlic and Manchego cheese!
I sure hope you’re having nice weather this weekend. Unlike me here where it’s supposedly going to be in the mid 80’s yet raining and storming the entire time. Isn’t that just great??
Today it’s sunny and I’m currently living the life of a blogger. As I sit here on my back deck, watching our dog chase after birds he’ll never catch, listening to music while typing this post up on my laptop that’s propped at this awkward angle so my legs can tan. And I’m enjoying every second of sun until the clouds roll in. Such a rough life, right?
Speaking of roughing it, this steak was my lunch the other day. Ribeye, seasoned and grilled until medium well and then I spooned copious amounts of this incredible pequillo pepper pesto.
It’s a shame I had to eat this whole steak by myself too. 😉
First gather all of the ingredients to make the pesto: you’ll need blanched almonds, parsley, garlic, jarred pequillo peppers, manchego cheese, olive oil and the typical salt and pepper.
I use Cara Mia hand grilled piquillo peppers, they’re a little smoky, a little sweet and a smidgen spicy. They’re available at select Safeway, Vons, Schnucks and Dierbergs stores or can be purchase online here.
Look at these peppers! The color… the grill marks! I just love them.
First you’ll need 6 ounces of piquillo peppers, for me it was about half of the jar.
Heat a pan with 3 tablespoons of blanched almonds over medium-low heat and toast the almonds until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove and allow the nuts to cool.
Meanwhile, grate up about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Manchego cheese.
Then grab a handful (about 1/4 cup) of fresh parsley leaves and then two medium size cloves of garlic.
Next add the cooled almonds, parsley leaves and garlic into the bowl of a mini food processor.
Then pulse until ground. Smells pretty amazing right now, not going to lie.
Then add the peppers, cheese, salt and pepper and 1/2 cup olive oil.
Then pulse until combined.
Next give it a check, scrape down the sides of the bowl and proceed with pulsing until desired consistency. Refrigerate pesto until ready to serve.
Then sprinkle both sides of the steaks with desired seasoning and grill over medium-high for about 5 to 6 minutes a side or until desired doneness.
Lastly spoon the piquillo pepper pesto onto your steak and devour.
The pesto adds this amazing smoky-spicy (not incredibly hot or anything), garlicky yet flavorful and healthy something-something to grilled steak. If red meat isn’t your thing, try it on chicken or spread it on slices of grilled crusty bread. Of course spooning it into your mouth is always an option.
If the weather is right for grilling, you MUST make this piquillo pepper pesto and slather it over all things grilled.
Note: Cara Mia provided me with these peppers for recipe development. As always, my opinions are my own and these peppers rule. The end.
Enjoy! And if you give this Piquillo Pepper Pesto recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
My cookbook Simply Scratch : 120 Wholesome Homemade Recipes Made Easy is now available! CLICK HERE for details and THANK YOU in advance!
Grilled Steak with Piquillo Pepper Pesto
Ingredients
FOR THE PESTO:
- 3 tablespoons blanched almonds, toasted in a dry skillet
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves
- 6 ounces jarred Piquillo Peppers, I like Cara Mia Hand Grilled
- 1/2 cup grated Manchego cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil, or more as needed
FOR THE STEAKS:
- 4 ribeye steaks
- 1/3 cup steak seasoning
Instructions
- Add almonds to a dry, 8-inch skillet. Toast the nuts over medium-low heat until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove and cool.
- Add toasted almonds, garlic and parsley to a small mini food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add peppers, cheese, salt, pepper and oil, pulse until combined.
- Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with seasoning. Grill steaks on a preheated outdoor grill for about 5 to 6 minutes a side or until desired doneness.
- Spread pesto on grilled bread or spoon onto grilled chicken or steak.
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What a perfect steak and I LOVE that pesto!
Thanks Matt!
Eating a big steak and getting a tan while working sounds like a pretty good afternoon to me. Sometimes our jobs are really great! Love this pesto. It sounds awesome!
I agree! I wouldn’t go back to my old job for anything! Thanks Liz! <3
Medium well? Why bother eating a steak?
Hi Erik! I’m more of a medium well person and my husband likes it more rare, so it just a different strokes for different folks kind of thing. Of course you can cook it to whichever doneness you prefer.