Flank steak shines when prepared just so

Flank steak shines when cooked and topped just so

Easy enough for a weeknight supper, but delicious enough for company dinners. The juicy flank steak slices fan out, lightly overlapping on plate or platter. Alluringly browned on the exterior and rosy pink in the interior, the luscious meat is augmented with a delectable, complementary topping.

Flank steak is truly a tasty cut, with deep, rich beefy flavor. Yes, that’s when it is correctly cooked and sliced. It needs to be cooked rare or medium rare and thinly sliced across the grain. I can remember when it was an inexpensive cut, but those days are long gone. Yet, as steaks go, it’s less expensive and has little or no waste.

Meat (and sausage) expert Bruce Aidells describes flank steaks’ texture as “firm but not too chewy” in his “The Complete Meat Cookbook” (Houghton Mifflin), adding, “It doesn’t fall apart or become mushy after marinating.”

Yup, the texture can be as appealing as the flavor.

Marinate, or not?

I’ve included a recipe for a simple steak marinade here, and indeed it makes the flank steak taste delicious. But I confess that on many occasions when time is tight, I don’t marinate it. I put it on a rimmed baking sheet, rub it with extra-virgin olive oil liberally on both sides, add seasoned salt (such as Spike Original or Lawry’s) and sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves on top. I let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes and then grill or broil it without patting it dry. Your call.

To grill

Grilling flank steak rather than broiling it generally gives the meat a browner, more appealing, slightly crusted exterior. Preheat the grill. Brush grate to clean it (a wire brush on a long handle is good for this). Wipe the heated grate with a folded piece (about 2 1/2 inches square) of paper towel dipped in vegetable oil and secured with tongs. If steak is marinated, pat it dry. Grill the steak over medium-hot coals in a covered or uncovered barbecue or directly over medium-high heat in gas grill, about 5 minutes on each side. It is best cooked to an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees; check using an instant read thermometer inserted in thickest part of steak. As it sits for 5 minutes off the heat, the temperature will rise a few degrees.

To broil

Adjust oven rack to 4-5 inches below broiler element (you want the top surface of the meat to be about 3 inches from the broiler element). Line the bottom of a broiler pan with aluminum foil and add top grill portion of pan. Heat the pan under the broiler for about 4 minutes; heating the pan with the top grill will help to make grill marks and brown one side of the steak. Pat flank steak dry if it’s marinated. Place on the heated rack on top of the broiler pan; use caution handling hot metal. Broil about 5 minutes per side for medium rare. It is best cooked to an internal temperature of 125130 degrees; check using an instant read thermometer inserted in thickest part of steak. As it sits for 5 minutes, the temperature will rise a few degrees. Note that if the flank steak is smaller than 1 1/2 pounds, it may take less time.

Final flourish

For a grand finale, the sliced meat is topped with a scrumptious add-on: a tangy flavored butter, chile-spiked tomato vinaigrette or tasty tapenade.

Steak Marinade

Yield: Enough to use with 11⁄2- to 12⁄3-pound flank steak

INGREDIENTS

1⁄2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest and 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse salt, such as kosher, or seasoned salt, such as Spike Original 2cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley or fresh basil 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil

PROCEDURE

1: Place all ingredients in a large zipper-style plastic bag. Seal and shake to combine. Add steak and seal. Refrigerate 2-3hours. Shake and turn bag occasionally. If you prefer, you can marinate meat in a covered glass baking dish covered with plastic wrap. 2: Remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for one hour. Pat meat dry with paper towel.

Flank Steak With Mustard-Chive Butter Yield:

4-6 servings INGREDIENTS One (1 1⁄2- to 1 3⁄4-pound) flank steak, trimmed Steak marinade (see recipe above) Mustard-chive butter: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided use 2teaspoons Dijon mustard 1⁄2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest and 1teaspoon fresh lemon juice If grilling, vegetable oil for wiping grate

PROCEDURE

1: Marinate steak according to marinade recipe. Cook by grilling or broiling (instructions above). 2: Meanwhile, in a small bowl prepare the flavored butter by combining softened butter, half of the chives, Dijon mustard, zest and juice. 3: Place cooked steak on cutting board (preferably one that has a juice well around the perimeter) and top steak with half of the flavored butter; allow to sit for 5minutes. Cut into 1⁄4-inch thick slices across the grain. Transfer to platter and top with remaining mustardchive butter. Sprinkle with remaining chopped chives and serve.

Flank Steak With Chile-Tomato Vinaigrette

Yield: 4-6 servings INGREDIENTS One (11⁄2- to 13⁄4-pound) flank steak, trimmed Steak marinade (recipe above) Chile-tomato vinaigrette: 1⁄4 cup canned, diced green chiles 11⁄2 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions 1teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried 1tablespoon balsamic vinegar 3tablespoons olive oil 1cup halved cherry tomatoes Salt and freshly ground black pepper Garnish: sprigs of fresh oregano PROCEDURE 1: Marinate steak according to steak marinade recipe. Cook by grilling or broiling (instructions above). 2: Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette: Combine chiles, shallots or onions, oregano and vinegar in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Just before serving, stir in tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. 3: Allow meat to sit for 5minutes. Cut into 1⁄4-inch thick slices across the grain. Transfer to plates and top with vinaigrette.

Flank Steak With Green and Black Tapenade

Yield: 4-6 servings INGREDIENTS 3medium cloves garlic, peeled 2tablespoons drained capers 4anchovy fillets Leaves from sprig of fresh thyme 1cup pitted black olives, Kalamata preferred 11⁄4 cups pitted mild green olives, see cook’s notes 4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Cook’s notes: Use green olives such as Early California Fresh Cured or Santa Barabara Olive Co.’s. The supermarket where I shop, a large Albertsons, carries Mezzetta’s Castelvetrano pitted green olives in glass jars; they are delicious in this recipe.

PROCEDURE

1: Marinate steak according to steak marinade recipe. Cook by grilling or broiling (instructions above). 2: Meanwhile, prepare tapenade. With the food processor running, drop garlic into feed tube to mince it. Add capers, anchovies and fresh thyme leaves; process until minced, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stop machine. Add olives and olive oil; pulse until olives are finely chopped but not pureed. 3: Allow meat to sit for 5 minutes. Cut into 1⁄4-inch thick slices across the grain. Transfer to plates or platter. Top center portion of meat with tapenade.

PHOTO BY CATHY THOMAS Flank steak can provide the robust flavor of beef at less cost than other cuts. Here, it’s topped with tapenade made with green and black olives.