Flank Steak
Few cuts of beef are as versatile as a good flank steak. You can cook flank steak a number of different ways. Flank steak is also used in a number of different ethnic dishes, and can easily take a strong marinade and not be overpowered. As flank steak has risen up the beef food chain and become more popular it isn’t as cheap as it used to be. I wouldn’t really consider it a “budget cut” but it can be a fairly economical steak to cook up for a family dinner.
Where does flank steak come from?
Along with skirt and hanger steak, flank steak is one of the “flat” muscles that comes from the belly of the steer. Think of the flank steak like the abs of the steer. Unlike a rib eye or NY strip that is cut from a larger muscle the flank steak is just one big muscle in itself.
If you look at a flank steak you will see a very pronounced grain in the meat. Because the grain is so apparent and the muscle fibers are so long you will need to make extra sure you cut the flank steak across the grain when serving. You will usually slice the flank before serving unlike most other steaks. Just slice it thin and you will have a nice, tender piece of meat. If you cut with the grain it will be like trying to chew some straps of rubber.
Most flank steaks weigh in at about a pound and a half to 2 pounds. A family of 4 can easily have a full meal out of one flank steak. If you like leaner steak a flank steak is a great choice. Flank has a very nice, strong beefy flavor. It is one of the few steaks I would actually recommend marinating. The flavor of the steak is strong enough that the marinade won’t overpower it.
How to cook a flank steak
When it comes to cooking you want to cook on high heat for the most part. This means pan frying, broiling, or grilling which is my favorite. Since flank steak is somewhat thin I wouldn’t try a reverse sear or anything like that. Just sear it for a couple minutes per side to get some nice color on the outside and you should end up with a nice medium rare inside.
You will notice one end of the flank steak is thicker than the other. Because of this I usually like to cut my flank into two pieces so I can pull the thinner end off the heat before the thicker end. If you don’t do that the thinner end will almost always be medium to medium well when the thicker end is medium rare.
If you want to marinate your flank steak please have at it. I like a nice Asian marinade with some combination of soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and some red chili flakes. Marinate the steak for an hour or two before cooking. My favorite serving suggestion is to cut it up and serve it with some rice.
A stir fry is also another great option. Cut the steak into pieces, cook it up in a nice hot wok, throw in some veggies, and dump it all over some rice or noodles.
Flank steak also makes a great alternative to skirt steak in fajitas. Most fajita recipes are somewhat similar with a marinade of olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, black pepper, and onion powder. Saute up some peppers and onions, cook up the meat, slice it, and throw it on a tortilla. Personally I hate peppers and onions so I will never eat a fajita in my life but I do love the flavor of fajita beef. I would just take the meat and go the taco route with it.
A couple weeks ago I made a flank steak with Hardcore Carnivore rub. That rub gave the perfect amount of flavor to the steak. It also has a nice black color that looks great on the plate. Here is a picture of the finished product:
You will also see London broil regularly made with flank steak. I couldn’t really find any unifying recipe for London broil though. Basically if you marinate a flank steak and cook it over high heat you will have a London broil.
If you ever see a recipe that calls for skirt steak or hanger steak feel free to substitute in a flank steak.
Where to buy flank steak
Nearly every grocery store will have flank steak. You probably have a better chance of finding flank steak at the grocery store than at the butcher shop. I have seen flanks regularly at Costco as well and they usually come in a 2 pack there.
$7-10 per pound seems to be the going rate for flank steak. Years ago flank used to be considered a budget cut but as the popularity has grown so has the price. If you ever see flank on sale in the $6-7 range you should buy a few and stock your freezer. A family of 4 can easily eat a great flank steak dinner for around $15.
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