Marinated Flank Steak: the juicy recipe you’ll love

Juicy flank steak is marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette to add flavor and tenderize the meat before cooking quickly on a griddle or grill. The dressing is easily made in a blender, with garlic, rosemary, oregano and a bit of wholegrain mustard.

Flank, or skirt steak, is a cut of meat that can be tough if not cooked correctly – which is on a high heat for a short time, or slowly, at low heat over many hours. The aim is to have a seared and tasty outside, while the inside is rare, or medium rare. Don’t overcook, or the meat will become tough.

Try serving sliced steak over toasted bread or with grilled veggies.

Tips

In the UK, it can be hard to find beef skirt/flank steak at your local supermarket. It’s worth a visit to a local butcher who can source it for you, or order some online from farm shops. Some places will give you a whole piece of flanks steak, while others will give you it cut into strips and rolled into rounds to form an individual steak. If you want to cook strips, simply unroll the rounds and cut them to manageable strips.

Use a glass or ceramic dish for the marinade, as metal ones will react with the acids in the dressing.

Instructions

In a blender, combine the garlic, rosemary, oregano, mustard and vinegar and puree until the garlic is minced.

With the machine still on, gradually add the oil and blend until creamy. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add the meat to a glass or ceramic baking dish* and pour all but 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette on top; turn the meat to coat well.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Heat your grill or griddle pan until it is hot. If you’re grilling a whole steak, use the ridged side of the griddle pan to give stripes. If you’re cooking smaller strips or rounds, cook on the flat side.

Remove the steak from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the steak over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 125° – around 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer the steak to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the meat against the grain and serve, passing the remaining vinaigrette at the table.

Serving ideas:

While you have the grill on, grill halved cherry tomatoes and sliced leeks. Serve everything over toasted bread, then drizzle the leftover 1/4 cup of vinaigrette over the grilled vegetables and the steak. Enjoy!