Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram It’s going much better than yesterday. Yesterday was one of THOSE DAYS. You know the ones. Then I brought my beautiful steak outside to a completely cold grill, because the propane had run out. NOOOOOO So I frantically call Eric to find out what to do, because of course refilling the propane tank is usually his job. He gives me the run down and I lug the thing to the gas station, still in my apron. Finally I get to grilling, and I set a timer on my phone to turn the heat down from high from the initial sear. Then I went to help Valentine (age 2) in the bathroom and got completely sidetracked, and also my timer literally just didn’t go off. So my first flank steak was completely overcooked. NOOOOOO But today has been much better. Not only because of the Andes mints. I bought another flank steak, marinated, grilled it to perfection WITH 3 TIMERS SET no joke, and got it all photographed. Except the battery on my camera died literally on the last picture that I was planning on taking. It’s always something, right?? Do you have plans for Labor Day weekend? Eric and I are taking it pretty easy. We did the calendar math a couple weeks ago and realized this is our last event-free Saturday for literally months. Eric plans to get ahead on yard work. I plan to lounge in my yoga pants and eat more Andes mints. Well if your plans involve grilling, THIS IS THE RECIPE YOU NEED. If you’ve never cooked your own Flank steak before, the time is now. This stuff is so good, and with the chimichurri sauce? Forgetaboutit. You are seriously going to be everyone’s favorite person if you make this for your cookout. Both the flank steak and the inside skirt steak come from the abdominal area which mean both have tough muscular fibers from a lot of use during the cow’s life. No stress—this recipe has all you need to tenderize this leaner cut of beef. You’re gonna love it! Really any marinade that you have used and love is going to work great with flank steak. The basic elements of a good marinade are fat, acid, and flavor. Fat means oil (olive oil is great), acid means lemons, limes, vinegar, wine, or even dairy (like buttermilk), and flavor means spices and herbs. And garlic. Garlic should get its own category because it’s so transcendent. Also, it’s not required, but it is delicious to add something sweet like honey or brown sugar. My personal favorite way to marinate a flank steak is with Chimichurri Sauce, which I posted earlier this week. I love the intense garlic-y flavor, and how it doubles as a marinade and as a serving sauce. It is SO GOOD. I include a simple marinade in the recipe below, but highly recommend using Chimichurri Sauce. Sometimes you will see Flank steak labeled as a London Broil, because it’s the perfect cut of meat for broiling! It’s a great method to use especially in the winter when you don’t have access to a grill. Turn your broiler on to high heat, and set your oven rack so that the steak will be about 3-4 inches below the heat source. Use your broiler pan, if you haven’t tossed it out in a fit of kitchen space or lack there of (that would be me). If you don’t have one, line a baking sheet with foil and layer a cooling rack on top, like this. Easy peasy. Broil on high heat for about 11-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of your flank steak, flipping halfway through. Use a meat thermometer! Full instructions are in the recipe below.
Rare: 125 degrees F Medium Rare: 135 degrees F Medium: 145 degrees F Medium Well: 155 degrees F Well Done: 165 degrees F
“On the bias” means you should be cutting at a 45 degree angle, not straight up and down like you would slice bread. (This increases the surface area of each bite, and shortens the muscle fibers, enhancing tenderness.) Also it looks better as far as presentation goes.
How to Make Easy Chimichurri Sauce « As mentioned several times, flank steak LIVES for being paired with Chimichurri. Do it! Do it! Aunt Shirley’s Famous Creamy Mashed Potatoes « Creamy. Creeeeeamy. It’s in the recipe name, people! How to Make Instant Pot Brown Rice « Put the nutty flavor of brown rice against the beefiness of flank steak and you won’t be sorry. My Favorite Coleslaw (With Lemon and Fresh Herbs) « Not too sweet, this coleslaw’s fresh lemon and herbs really make it pop. Homemade Green Bean Casserole Recipe « We’re kickin’ that can of soup to the curb. To the curb, I tell you. Cream of Turkey Soup« A hint of lemon and the shredded carrots make this soup really unique and flavorful! Recipe for Roasted Brussel Sprouts« Brussel Sprouts are less bitter now than in previous generations and making a case for being one of the best “new” vegetables out there. Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits« Fluffy. Buttermilk. Biscuits. Don’t tell me you need more descriptors to click that link.
To reheat, consider the microwave! Simple, yes. But if you add gravy, beef stock, or even a bit of water to the bottom of a microwave-safe container covered with plastic wrap, the microwave doesn’t do too bad. For stovetop reheating, be sure to add the same liquids to the grilling surface. (I’m not going to argue if you want to use butter.) If you’ve got the time for oven-roasting, set the temperature to 250 degrees. Add a bit of gravy, beef stock, or water in the pan and cook the flank steak just until heated through, no more. And there you have it! It really is that easy! Cooking flank steak is not intimidating once you know the rules (and once you get a timer that actually goes off :) If you are looking for more great recipes for this weekend, check out the links below! Tri Tip, Ribeye Steak, or Cuban Mojo Pork are other grill recipes that are always huge crowd pleasers (and that I’m particularly fond of.) Have a great Labor Day weekend everybody!
