Pineapple Steak

5 from 2 votes

Pineapple Steak is a flavor-packed feast! Juicy, seasoned steak meets sweet, smoky pineapple topping, all served over coconut-lime rice for a tropical taste in every bite!

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Resting Time5

Total Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Healthy

Keyword: pineapple steak, steak marinade with pineapple

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $18.93

Equipment

Ingredients

3 large limes
1 bunch green onions optional
1 cup uncooked basmati rice see note 1
1 (13.6-ounce) can coconut milk full-fat, see note 2
1 large ripe pineapple
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar or light brown sugar
1-1/2 up to 2 pounds flank steak
1/4 cup soy sauce not reduced-sodium
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil

US - Metric

Instructions

Very thinly slice green onions and remove 2 tablespoons, setting the rest aside for the rice. Use a fine grater to zest 2 limes to get 2 teaspoons zest and a citrus juicer to get 3 tablespoons juice. Cut the last lime into wedges for serving.
Combine 1 cup basmati rice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup water, and coconut milk in a medium pot. Mix together. Turn to high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture boils, reduce heat to low and cover with a fitted lid. Allow to simmer 13–18 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Troubleshooting: liquid has absorbed but rice isn’t quite tender? Add a few more tablespoons of water. Too much liquid still? Slightly increase heat.
Remove pot from heat, keeping it covered, and let stand 10–15 minutes; don’t rush or it will be sticky! Fluff the rice with a fork, then add 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 teaspoon zest. Gently stir to incorporate, then mix through set-aside green onions.
In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1 teaspoon lime zest. Remove the flank steak from packaging and blot dry with a paper towel. Add to a large resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade on top. Marinate in fridge just while grill preheats and you prep pineapple.
Preheat grill to 450°F. Once heated, clean grill grates with a wire brush. Liberally oil the grill (I do this by drenching a paper towel in canola or vegetable oil and, holding tongs, rubbing the paper towel over the grill).
Remove the rind and stem from the pineapple and cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick slices. Brush 1 tablespoon oil over all sides of the pineapple slices, then rub the brown sugar over all sides of the slices and let stand until grill is fully heated. Place pineapple slices on fully heated grill and cook, flipping once, until tender, golden and lightly charred, about 1–3 minutes per side (this may vary, depending on the thickness, ripeness of pineapple, and actual heat of grill). Use a wide metal spatula for easy removal and flipping of pineapple slices. If you find the pineapple sticking at all, use a bit more oil on the grill grates. Remove to a plate, lightly season with a pinch of salt, and set aside.
Using tongs, pull the steak from the marinade (don’t discard it) and place steak directly on the grill. Immediately spoon over 1/2 of reserved marinade. Close grill and cook, without touching steak, 4–5 minutes. Then, flip steak and spoon over the rest of the marinade, closing grill immediately after. Cook in closed grill another 4–5 minutes or until the internal temperature is 130–135°F for medium rare or 145° for medium. (I use a meat thermometer. My grill takes 4 minutes per side at 450°F.) Remove steak from grill to a cutting board. Tent with foil and allow to rest 5–10 minutes. Once steak has rested, slice it as thinly as possible against the grain (see note 3). While steak rests, cut pineapple into 1-inch chunks, discarding the center/cores.
Divide rice among serving bowls. Top with very thinly sliced steak and equal amounts of pineapple. Top bowls with reserved 2 tablespoons green onions and lime wedges. Drizzle lime wedge(s) over bowls and enjoy immediately.

Notes

Note 1: I highly recommend basmati here! Other varieties of rice don’t cook as well and become overly mushy.

Note 2: Look for shelf-stable, unrefrigerated cans of coconut milk. You’ll find canned coconut milk in the international aisle. I use Thai Kitchen® or Imperial Dragon®. I highly recommend using full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and texture in this rice.

Note 3: Cut the cooked steak against the grain and sliced on the bias. It’s especially important to cut against the grain (at a steep diagonal so slices are wide) because of all the tough muscle fibers. Cutting against the grain reduces the length of those muscle fibers to make chewing easier.

Storage: Store leftover pineapple steak and coconut-lime rice separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the steak gently in a skillet or microwave, and warm the rice separately to keep its texture.

Nutrition