Marinade flank steak to ensure a juice meal

February 04, 2011|Scott Anderson | Culinary Passion

Flank steak is a delicious cut of beef and is often stuffed or rolled, yet I'm here to tell you that it's an often misused piece of beef.

Unless properly treated, this delicious piece of beef can come out as tough as shoe leather or as crispy as overcooked bacon.

The biggest tip is to marinate the flank steak overnight to tenderize and bring out its flavor. It cooks up quick over high heat on the grill but is equally delicious smoked long and slow. This recipe can be used in either case, but I'm going to showcase grilling to bring out the tenderness of this steak.

— Scott C. Anderson is associate food service director and chef with Shepherd University dining services in Shepherdstown, W.Va., and Chef Ambassador to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

Grilled sesame flank steak

1 cup merlot or hearty cabernet
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons chopped garlic
3 tablespoons fresh, coarsely chopped ginger
3 teaspoons fresh thyme (substitute 1 tsp dried)
1 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 pounds flank steak

Combine wine, vinegar, sesame oil, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, ginger, thyme, pepper, salt in a bowl. Whisk to emulsify. In a large 1-gallon zip-locked bag or in a covered container, place steaks and marinade. Make sure the marinade evenly coats the meat. Refrigerate overnight.
On a preheated grill over medium high heat (375 degrees), first sear the flank steak on each side, approximately 1 to 2 minutes per side. Continue cooking 6 minutes per side, turning once. When the internal temperature reaches desired doneness, remove from grill and rest for at least 8 to 10 minutes under a piece of aluminum foil tented over the top. Resting allows the juices to pull back into the meat before carving.
When ready to carve, place a sharpened carving knife almost flat on the top of the steak, cut thin slices diagonally across the grain, which gives you a tender cut of beef. Save any juices that run from the beef and pour back on the meat when finished carving.

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