Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Bobby's Balsamic-Marinated Flank Steak

This recipe comes from one of our favorites, Bobby Flay. (We just call him Bobby). It's in his cookbook we have, Bobby Flay's Boy Gets Grill, on page 215. You'll just have to believe me when I say I didn't even have to look that page number up. That, my friends, is how good this steak is.

Some people are afraid of flank steak, or, like my dad, hadn't had a good flank steak until we cooked this up. Honestly I think a lot of people just overcook it. Don't be afraid of a rarer steak--this steak is best on the medium rare side, or even rarer than that. Trust me. You will not be disappointed.

Here we go:

Serves 4; can be doubled for 6 to 8 (no need to double the marinade)

½ cup balsamic vinegar

¾ cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped rosemary leaves

1 (1 ½- to 1 ¾-pound) beef flank steak

Salt and freshly ground pepper


1. Whisk together the vinegar, the oil, the garlic and rosemary in a large dish (or use a thick, sealable plastic bag). Add the steak and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours, turning every 2 hours.

2. Heat your grill to high.

3. Remove the steak from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred and crusty, 4 to 5 minutes. (do not close lid on grill unless it is cold and/or windy) Turn steak over, reduce the heat to medium or move to a cooler part of the grill, and grill until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes more. *(If your steak is larger, grill for an extra 1 to 2 minutes per side, but be careful not to overcook).

4. Remove the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into ½ inch thick slices against the grain of the meat.


Serve immediately with slices of grilled crusty bread and a salad. We usually just have steak, to be completely honest. We're beef people, after all.

7 comments:

Rigby said...

what temperature is "high" considered on a grill? i use a big green egg, and am sure that my "high" temperature is much hotter than the average grill.

thanks.

Min said...

I'm not familiar with a "big green egg" but I can tell you what Bobby says in his book:

"You can use the time-tested method of holding your hand a few inches--about four--above the grate and seeing how long you can keep it there. I know it sounds a little dangerous, but you'll pull your hand back at just the right moment. High = 2 counts; Medium-high = 4 counts..."

Hope that helps! Incidentally, the counts go up by twos from there as the temp decreases.

Unknown said...

Hello! Was curious about nutrition information?

just mel said...

Made this tonight! Cooked on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet and it was fabulous!!!

Anonymous said...

I marinaded this all day, but not much of the flavor came through. OK but not great.

Anonymous said...

I made this last night in a cast iron skillet. I didn't really like the taste, so I added a drizzle of honey across the top after cooking. Really improved the taste.

Anonymous said...

I’ve made this recipe for years and it’s a family favorite. I do double the marinade and mix equal parts regular balsamic & balsamic glaze. The glaze helps create a hint of caramelization on the meat. Thank you for sharing!