When I want a perfectly-cooked, rare- to medium-rare steak, one that gets cooked indoors, next to the elegant filet mignon, the rustic flank steak is my choice. That said, in terms of taste, texture, versatility and price, without compromise, hands-down the flank steak wins on all points -- which is why I purchase one or two almost every week. In my food world, there's plenty of room for premium Delmonicos, NY strips, porterhouse and T-bones too, but, in terms of cooking steak indoors vs. grilling steak outdoors, those cuts typically "just don't do it" for me like filet or flank.
About this flat, oval-ish, 1"-1 1/2"-thick, stringy-grained steak:
A well done flank steak is not well done at all. Flank steak, while it lends its succulent flavorful self to indoor cooking beautifully, if the lean and sexy flank steak is not quickly-cooked and served rare- medium-rare it is not worth eating. While I occasionally pan-sear it, my favorite method is to cook it under the broiler*. My foolproof method takes all the guesswork out of it too. Read on:
My rule of thumb is to purchase the biggest flank steak I can find -- two pounds is perfect, but, if I come across one that's larger, into my cart it goes. I'd be crazy not to spend the extra pennies, and, it's not because bigger is better. It's because leftovers go into sandwiches and onto salads -- zero waste. Depending on the recipe du jour, sometimes I marinate flank steak, sometimes I don't. When it comes to flank steak, absorb this: marination (which does not affect the cooking time), is a flavorizer not a tenderizer. Perfectly-cooked flank steak is super-tender with zero marination. Example: my marinated Greek-Style Flank Steak Salad or Pocket Sammies.
* Note: I have electric ovens and none of mine have a hi or low setting for the broiler. With the door cracked (which is how broiling, a from-the-top-down dry-heat-method of cooking, is done in an electric oven), an oven-thermometer reads 325-ishº throughout the cooking process.
Place a 2-2 1/2-pound flank steak on a corrugated broiler pan -- allow to come to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes:
Season top with freshly-ground sea salt & peppercorn blend -- alternatively, season with a favorite steak seasoning:
Place 5 1/2"-6" underneath preheated broiler for exactly 9 minutes -- 5 1/2"-6" is a key measurement when broiling a flank steak:
Remove flank steak from oven:
Flip steak over (season second side if you like more spice):
Return to oven & broil exactly 9 more minutes:
Remove from oven & allow steak to rest for 9-10 minutes.
Holding knife at a 30° angle, slice flank steak across the grain -- into thin, 1/8"-1/4"-thick strips of succulent, beefy lusciousness:
Use hot or cold as directed in recipes for appetizers or main-dishes, &/or, in sandwiches, on salads & even pizza:
Melanie's Perfectly-Cooked 18-Minute Flank Steak: Recipe yields instructions to broil the perfectly-cooked rare- medium-rare flank steak/4-6-8+ servings (depending on how it's served -- as appetizers, in sandwiches, on salads or as a main-dish -- and what it is served with).
Special Equipment List: 11 3/4" x 8 1/2" x 1 1/4" disposable aluminum broiler pan w/corrugated bottom; cutting board; chef's knife
Cook's Note: My recipe for ~ Open-Sesame Flank Steak w/Garlic-Ginger Sauce ~, when served over steamed white rice with a simple vegetable stir-fry, is packed full of Asian flavors and classic flank-steak texture. Two flanks steaks, with a marinade that gets simmered and served as a sauce for dipping and drizzling at serving time, easily feeds 6-8 people for a lot less money than Chinese takeout.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)
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