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Weeknight Grilled Beef with Fennel

A fast, high-heat grilled steak rubbed with toasted fennel seeds and paired with caramelized fennel wedges — a real weeknight dinner built on two genuine cooking techniques, not a long ingredient list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 385
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • For the Beef
  • 2 flank steaks or sirloin steaks about 1 inch thick (about 1.5 lb total)
  • 2 tablespoons fennel seeds coarsely crushed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • For the Fennel
  • 2 medium fennel bulbs trimmed and cut into wedges
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh fennel fronds chopped

Method
 

  1. Pat the steaks dry and let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the crushed fennel seeds, minced garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, salt, and pepper into a paste.
  3. Rub the fennel paste evenly over both sides of the steaks and let them rest for 10 minutes.
  4. Toss the fennel wedges with olive oil and salt.
  5. Heat a grill or heavy skillet over high heat until it is visibly smoking.
  6. Sear the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, without moving them during each side.
  7. In the same pan or on the grill alongside, cook the fennel wedges for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deeply caramelized and tender at the core.
  8. Remove the steaks and let them rest for 5 to 8 minutes before slicing against the grain.
  9. Toss the caramelized fennel with red wine vinegar and fresh fennel fronds.
  10. Slice the beef and serve immediately over or alongside the fennel.