Ok bbi cooks and grill meister,
I bought a pretty long (think about 3 lbs) piece of flank steak and looking to grill it for the first time. Hit me with your favorite recipe!
has great flavor but is very lean so it's naturally tough.
I marinate it. So many options - do you want to keep it as steaks, make fajitas, tacos, etc. if you know what you want to do with it I can suggest a marinade.
but if it's me with flank steaks I definitely marinate them to tenderize them a little.
there's not a lot of muscle and connective tissue to break down. It's perfect for sous vide and then sear. Otherwise I'd sear it in a pan or on the grill and bring it up to temp in the oven or with indirect heat on the grill. I don't do anything but salt and pepper on it. But for me it's about the sauces. The next flank steak recipe I'm making is with a tomato-eggplant ragu, but I'm subbing out the flank steak for NY strip which I can get for half the price. I've got 44 recipes for flank steak with sauces. I'd be happy to share any of them if you give me a direction. And of course, leftover flank makes great sandwiches, all I need dis mayo, salt and pepper.
Love flank in the summer. Here are 2 easy suggestions.
Salt. Pepper. Olive oil. Grill. Sliced thin across the grain and served with chimichurri. Serve with boiled baby potatoes cut to preferred size and tossed with oil (can steep some chopped garlic in said heated oil before the toss), parsley, salt, and lemon juice. Great with a tomato, basil, mozz situation.
We also love this easy Carne Asada recipe.
Serve with a lazy cilantro/lime slaw (1 bag slaw mix, little mayo, little sour creme, lime juice, RW vinegar, 1 bunch chopped cilantro, dash of agave nectar) and serve it with avocado, queso fresco, lime crema, salsa, beans, rice, and tortillas. Super fast easy and delicious.
has great flavor but is very lean so it's naturally tough.
I marinate it. So many options - do you want to keep it as steaks, make fajitas, tacos, etc. if you know what you want to do with it I can suggest a marinade.
but if it's me with flank steaks I definitely marinate them to tenderize them a little.
I want it as streaks and would love a good marinade. It's just normal beef (not organic or grass fed).
So for grill, are we talking high heat sear until it releases then flip and same on other side OR are we starting with high heat and then finishing over medium flame for medium center?
Guys can i buy chimichurri or do i have to make it?
Real chewy and not the most flavorful. I prefer skirt steaks which might be more tender, and have a nicer beefier flavor and take on marinades better IMO. That said you should do Flanks in the same way. I prefer charcoal as it adds a missing element of flavor. I also highly suggest chimichurri to go along with this, it’s easy to make and really makes these cuts of meat shine. I make a marinade with Onions, half a squeezed orange, Olive Oil, Soy Sauce, Salt Pepper, Garlic Powder that you don’t need to marinade for more than an hour. Come out great every time.
has great flavor but is very lean so it's naturally tough.
I marinate it. So many options - do you want to keep it as steaks, make fajitas, tacos, etc. if you know what you want to do with it I can suggest a marinade.
but if it's me with flank steaks I definitely marinate them to tenderize them a little.
I want it as streaks and would love a good marinade. It's just normal beef (not organic or grass fed).
You should use a citrus or vinegar (any acid) to break down the tough muscle fibers and make it more tender.
agree with the hot and fast cooking, but only once it has been tenderized.
I have used this recipe before for flank steak but it was around 2 pounds, I'd add a little more for 3 and i marinated it for 6 hours. after grilling you can drizzle some of the leftover marinade on the steak or not - up to you.
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon each onion powder, garlic powder
1 tsp EACH paprika, pepper, red pepper flakes
whisk the marinade ingredients together and put in a zip loc bag with the steak leaving some of the marinade out of the bag and in the bowl. Remove air from bag. Massage the marinade into the steak and place in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
then take out of the refrigerator, let come to room temp and then place on grill to desired doneness. once done and steak can rest, you can use the leftover marinade to drizzle over the steak, or not.
RE: Guys can i buy chimichurri or do i have to make it?
Here's a couple of chimi recipes. Simple, made in blender, no cooking. Both recipes from Jeff Mauro, available free online
Chimichurri Sauce:
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
For the Calabrian chile chimichurri: In a food processor, add the roasted red peppers and garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Add the parsley, cilantro and smoked paprika and pulse again until the herbs are chopped. Add the vinegar and Calabrian chiles and begin to pulse. Slowly stream in the oil while pulsing until a sauce forms that is still a bit coarse, about 10 pulses. Season to taste and set aside to meld. This sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance.
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
For the chimichurri sauce: In a food processor, add the parsley, cilantro, red wine vinegar and garlic. Pulse until combined but still a bit coarse, about 10 pulses. Add in the crushed red pepper, and then slowly drizzle in the oil and pulse about 5 more times. Season with salt and pepper and set aside for the flavors to meld. (The chimichurri can be made up to 3 days in advance.)
Calabrian Chile Chimichurri:
So for grill, are we talking high heat sear until it releases then flip and same on other side OR are we starting with high heat and then finishing over medium flame for medium center?
first off, for 95% of grillers, if you don't want to FU your steak you need a meat thermometer. Putting oil on your grates or meat will help the steak release before getting overcooked. Once you've seared, you don't want to finish over a flame, you want to use indirect heat. That means moving the meat to a section of the grill where the burners are shut off and close the lid so that the grill acts like an oven. If you don't have a lid, use a real oven, 350 degrees, in some sort of pan.
has great flavor but is very lean so it's naturally tough.
I marinate it. So many options - do you want to keep it as steaks, make fajitas, tacos, etc. if you know what you want to do with it I can suggest a marinade.
but if it's me with flank steaks I definitely marinate them to tenderize them a little.
try pounding and scoring them before marinating. it makes a difference, breaks up some of the sinew, marinade does it further. not as much pounding as for a bracciole though.
my wife make a good red wine. olive oil and herbs (rosemary, thyme) marinade with a touch of balsamic. come out nice on the grill.
has great flavor but is very lean so it's naturally tough.
I marinate it. So many options - do you want to keep it as steaks, make fajitas, tacos, etc. if you know what you want to do with it I can suggest a marinade.
but if it's me with flank steaks I definitely marinate them to tenderize them a little.
try pounding and scoring them before marinating. it makes a difference, breaks up some of the sinew, marinade does it further. not as much pounding as for a bracciole though.
my wife make a good red wine. olive oil and herbs (rosemary, thyme) marinade with a touch of balsamic. come out nice on the grill.
marinade sounds perfect - definitely needs the balsamic. and I do tenderize flank steaks with a meat hammer first - never scored though, would try it.
But even for Chinese stir fry dishes, it's better marinated.
Do you have one of those grill grates with a circular hole in the middle, like the Weber GBS system? If so, you can put a wok in that hole. Similar to the old Chinese stoves that woks were invented for. Works great but you gotta be prepared 'cause your wok will get blazing hot — which is how it's supposed to work.
I like to marinate it in olive oil, fresh ginger (grated), teriyaki, and a bit of whiskey.
After letting the steak marinate for about 3 hours or so, I place it on the smoke (225-250) for usually 30 minutes. Comes out super tender. Only way my kids will eat it now.
I hate to mess up a good steak with a marinade.
I marinate it. So many options - do you want to keep it as steaks, make fajitas, tacos, etc. if you know what you want to do with it I can suggest a marinade.
but if it's me with flank steaks I definitely marinate them to tenderize them a little.
We also love this easy Carne Asada recipe.
Serve with a lazy cilantro/lime slaw (1 bag slaw mix, little mayo, little sour creme, lime juice, RW vinegar, 1 bunch chopped cilantro, dash of agave nectar) and serve it with avocado, queso fresco, lime crema, salsa, beans, rice, and tortillas. Super fast easy and delicious.
Carne Asada - ( New Window )
I marinate it. So many options - do you want to keep it as steaks, make fajitas, tacos, etc. if you know what you want to do with it I can suggest a marinade.
but if it's me with flank steaks I definitely marinate them to tenderize them a little.
I want it as streaks and would love a good marinade. It's just normal beef (not organic or grass fed).
So for grill, are we talking high heat sear until it releases then flip and same on other side OR are we starting with high heat and then finishing over medium flame for medium center?
Quote:
has great flavor but is very lean so it's naturally tough.
I marinate it. So many options - do you want to keep it as steaks, make fajitas, tacos, etc. if you know what you want to do with it I can suggest a marinade.
but if it's me with flank steaks I definitely marinate them to tenderize them a little.
I want it as streaks and would love a good marinade. It's just normal beef (not organic or grass fed).
You should use a citrus or vinegar (any acid) to break down the tough muscle fibers and make it more tender.
agree with the hot and fast cooking, but only once it has been tenderized.
I have used this recipe before for flank steak but it was around 2 pounds, I'd add a little more for 3 and i marinated it for 6 hours. after grilling you can drizzle some of the leftover marinade on the steak or not - up to you.
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon each onion powder, garlic powder
1 tsp EACH paprika, pepper, red pepper flakes
whisk the marinade ingredients together and put in a zip loc bag with the steak leaving some of the marinade out of the bag and in the bowl. Remove air from bag. Massage the marinade into the steak and place in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
then take out of the refrigerator, let come to room temp and then place on grill to desired doneness. once done and steak can rest, you can use the leftover marinade to drizzle over the steak, or not.
Here's a couple of chimi recipes. Simple, made in blender, no cooking. Both recipes from Jeff Mauro, available free online
Chimichurri Sauce:
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
For the Calabrian chile chimichurri: In a food processor, add the roasted red peppers and garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Add the parsley, cilantro and smoked paprika and pulse again until the herbs are chopped. Add the vinegar and Calabrian chiles and begin to pulse. Slowly stream in the oil while pulsing until a sauce forms that is still a bit coarse, about 10 pulses. Season to taste and set aside to meld. This sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance.
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
For the chimichurri sauce: In a food processor, add the parsley, cilantro, red wine vinegar and garlic. Pulse until combined but still a bit coarse, about 10 pulses. Add in the crushed red pepper, and then slowly drizzle in the oil and pulse about 5 more times. Season with salt and pepper and set aside for the flavors to meld. (The chimichurri can be made up to 3 days in advance.)
Calabrian Chile Chimichurri:
1 cup roasted red peppers, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced Calabrian chiles
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Quote:
Salt, grill fast and it and +1 chimichurri
So for grill, are we talking high heat sear until it releases then flip and same on other side OR are we starting with high heat and then finishing over medium flame for medium center?
first off, for 95% of grillers, if you don't want to FU your steak you need a meat thermometer. Putting oil on your grates or meat will help the steak release before getting overcooked. Once you've seared, you don't want to finish over a flame, you want to use indirect heat. That means moving the meat to a section of the grill where the burners are shut off and close the lid so that the grill acts like an oven. If you don't have a lid, use a real oven, 350 degrees, in some sort of pan.
I marinate it. So many options - do you want to keep it as steaks, make fajitas, tacos, etc. if you know what you want to do with it I can suggest a marinade.
but if it's me with flank steaks I definitely marinate them to tenderize them a little.
try pounding and scoring them before marinating. it makes a difference, breaks up some of the sinew, marinade does it further. not as much pounding as for a bracciole though.
my wife make a good red wine. olive oil and herbs (rosemary, thyme) marinade with a touch of balsamic. come out nice on the grill.
Quote:
has great flavor but is very lean so it's naturally tough.
I marinate it. So many options - do you want to keep it as steaks, make fajitas, tacos, etc. if you know what you want to do with it I can suggest a marinade.
but if it's me with flank steaks I definitely marinate them to tenderize them a little.
try pounding and scoring them before marinating. it makes a difference, breaks up some of the sinew, marinade does it further. not as much pounding as for a bracciole though.
my wife make a good red wine. olive oil and herbs (rosemary, thyme) marinade with a touch of balsamic. come out nice on the grill.
marinade sounds perfect - definitely needs the balsamic. and I do tenderize flank steaks with a meat hammer first - never scored though, would try it.
Do you have one of those grill grates with a circular hole in the middle, like the Weber GBS system? If so, you can put a wok in that hole. Similar to the old Chinese stoves that woks were invented for. Works great but you gotta be prepared 'cause your wok will get blazing hot — which is how it's supposed to work.
The recipes are not hard to find.
I like a lot of cilantro
chimichurri recipe - ( New Window )
Marinating it in Teriyaki comes out nice
After letting the steak marinate for about 3 hours or so, I place it on the smoke (225-250) for usually 30 minutes. Comes out super tender. Only way my kids will eat it now.