Hanger Steak & Giant Beans with Preserved Lemon Salsa Verde

& a longing for a youthful summer

Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, musings, and faves in your inbox every Wednesday! Paid subscribers get even more! Learn more about my paid membership here. You can also try a week for free!

CATCH UP!

Yesterday, I drove to my hometown for an eye appointment, and on the way there, I turned on 2000s radio. It was a hot summer day, and the music took me back to those youthful days of summer, when I had nothing on my agenda — no school, no homework, no extracurriculars — for months on end. The only expectation was to see friends, go to the beach, and work a fun summer job. I was instantly nostalgic for that freedom, for that era where responsibilities were little to none and summer was the most magical time.

I think part of the reason I so look forward to summer, even though I don’t even think it’s objectively the best season, is because this feeling of yore has lingered on into adulthood. I associate summer with a lightness, long days with so many possibilities and increased opportunities to socialize. However, in reality, summer is no longer the same. It’s actually far more disjointed, with everyone traveling on different schedules or working during the day. There’s too much going on for that same sense of community I used to feel during the season.

That doesn’t prevent me, though, from enjoying the sentimental feel of driving down Malibu Canyon to get to the beach, holding my breath as I go through the tunnel to make a wish. I still feel something special when I smell the scents of the native brush heated by the sun, reminding me of summer camp. I still want to eat ice cream and get tacos after a dip in the ocean and hang out in my friends’ backyards. I still love summer even if its promise is dimmed by work to complete, places to be, and dogs to feed. Summer will still always have that promise of something special.

THINGS I’M LOVING!

I don’t own any cute pajamas or lounge clothes — you can find me at home in a mish-mash of old t-shirts and mismatched shorts or sweatpants. However, my sister had her bachelorette party over the weekend, and we were all instructed to wear pajamas for one of the outdoor movie nights. I figured it was time to buy something cute, so I found this Waffle Pajama Set from Amazon, and I loved it so much, I’m going to buy it in other colors. My suggestion is to size up for a looser, more relaxed fit. I got the coffee color, but there are so many cute options!

I am a HUGE Kettle Chip stan, and Kettle Brand just came out with Air Fried Kettle Chips! I’ve only tried the Salt & Vinegar so far, but they were just as good as the original, and I believe they are a tad bit healthier! I just bought the Jalapeño at Whole Foods, and I’m sure those will be amazing as well, especially dipped in cottage cheese ;).

If you have little baby hairs that stick out when you put your hair back in a slick pony or bun, you NEED this Hair Wax Stick from Bed Head. I was influenced to buy this when I saw Amy Wilchowski use it on her TikTok, and it really works! It keeps your hair sleek and put together but doesn’t leave weird residue or build-up!

RECIPE!

This steak recipe is actually a spin on a similar recipe I made a few months back using hanger steak and chimichurri. I never really thought of myself as a steak girl, but then I realized I prefer thin steak over a big honker, so I started buying hanger steak, and now I’m more into it. ESPECIALLY when it’s paired with an herbaceous sauce.

This preserved lemon salsa verde is actually more of a cross between an Italian salsa verde and chimichurri, as I added in some red wine vinegar to the salsa verde to give it a little more tang.

If you don’t have preserved lemons, you can skip it, and just add a little bit of lemon juice and salt instead!

I used a little less steak in this recipe to save some $$$, which is why I added the beans, but I loved loved loved the combo. I used Rancho Gordo Royal Corona Beans, but any white bean works!

Hanger Steak & Big Beans with Preserved Lemon Salsa Verde

Ingredients (serves 2)

Steak & Beans

• 1 tbsp oil

• 3/4 lb hanger steak

• 1 1/2 cups cooked big beans of choice

Salsa Verde

• 1 medium shallot, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped

• ⅓ cup roughly chopped parsley

• 2 tbsp chopped preserved lemon

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• ¼ cup olive oil

• Pinch of crushed red pepper

1. Prepare the salsa verde by mixing everything together in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add the steak, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side depending on how thick your steak is and how you want it cooked. Remove steak from the pan, and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

3. Add the beans to 2 plates, and top with the steak down the middle. Drizzle on the salsa verde, and serve immediately.