Grilled Flank Steak- My Favorite Balsamic Marinade

We went over to one of our friends’ home the other night for dinner. We brought the meat and salad and they supplied side and dessert (oh my gosh it was the most delicious strawberry shortcake. A true favorite of mine!)

I got this recipe from a girl I went to Elementary and Junior High School with. Fast forward 5,000 years, we became friends on facebook and the rest is history! 

Anyway, this is hands down our new favorite way to cook flank steak. If there is one meat recipe you try from me this weekend, make it this one. You will love it forever.

What Is Flank Steak

Flank steak is a lean, somewhat tough cut of beef that is long and flat. It is still quite flavorful but it mostly benefits from a marinade that tenderizes the meat. 

Prepared this way, marinated, cooked quickly at high heat, and thinly sliced, flank steak practically melts in your mouth.

What’s in the Marinade?

• Soy Sauce– This adds a lot of flavor and a touch of salt to balance out the sweetness in the marinade.
• Oil (Vegetable is what we use, but you could use olive oil)
• Dark Brown Sugar– Dark brown sugar gives a touch of sweet and balances the salty of the soy sauce, but we prefer dark brown sugar to add a little more depth of flavor.
• Worcestershire Sauce– Umami is the flavor you forget about. Yes, there’s sweet, salty, bitter, sour but did you know umami is that earthy goodness? Worcestershire enhances that in a beef marinade.
• Dijon Mustard– A strong but not bitter mustard that helps to enhance flavor.
• Garlic– Garlic breaks up the muddled flavors in a beef dish, adding a stitch of a bite.
• Chives- A more mild onion flavor that also adds a little freshness.
• Pepper- While we don’t need to add salt thanks to the soy sauce we do need a little heat from the pepper.
• Balsamic Vinegar- Acid is one of the key components in cooking as you’ll read in our cookbook, Raised in the Kitchen. It cuts through the flavors, tenderizes the meat and adds a sweet but tangy flavor.

What to Use if You Can’t Find Flank Steak

A great substitution for flank steak is a skirt steak or flat iron steak. We loooove skirt steak!!

What Is Another Name For Flank Steak?

 Some butchers sell flank steak under the name “London Broil,” while others use that term for cuts from the round.

How to Keep Flank Steak  Tender

Flank steak has a lot of fibers running through it, and it is a fairly lean cut of meat. It has an intense beefy flavor, but it can be a little tough.

• It should be thinly sliced and cut against the grain. Look for which way the lines are running through the meat and cut the opposite direction. This will give it maximum tenderness.
• Marinades can also help it to be tender. 
• Let it rest! Once it has cooked, remove it from the grill and set it aside to rest for about 5 minutes. This allows juices to redistribute and the meat will be more flavorful and tender. 

How Should Flank Steak be Cooked

• Grilling is the best way to cook flank steak, as it caramelizes the flavor on the outside, adding a nice sear but you can still control the inner temperature.
• To keep your flank steak grill time to a minimum. Start with a high heat to sear both sides then turn it down to medium and only cook for about 9-12 minutes total.
• Because this is a lean cut, it is best cooked rare, medium-rare, or medium. I would never cook a flank steak to well done. 

[Additionally, you can also pan-sear it in a skillet or broil it in your oven, but you will lack flavor. ]

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