Flank Steak and Potato Ragu

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add salt, pepper and potatoes to the pan. Sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chopped rough-cut onions to the mixture.

Add chickpeas and stir. Add tomatoes with their juice, simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by about two thirds, 5 to 8 minutes. Add butter and sauté for an additional 10 minutes.

While ragù is cooking, prepare steak: Pat steak dry. Mix salt and pepper in a small bowl, then rub three fourths of salt mixture on both sides of steak.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil, some garlic and some rosemary in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add steak to pan and sear meat, turning over once. Cook 6 to 8 minutes total for rare (depending on thickness of steak).

Chop parsley and throw atop steak.

Optional finish: Add about a tablespoon of butter to steak and potatoes and swirl. Set steak aside to rest and keep warm.

Transfer steak to a cutting board and pour any meat juices from baking pan into the potato ragù. Holding knife at a 45-degree angle, cut steak across the grain into thin slices.

Serve sliced steak over the potato ragù. Finish with a squirt of lime juice over the entire dish.