When it comes to steak, I do not mess around. Beef – steak, in particular – is by FAR my favorite protein, and I’ve had it just about every way you can cut it, sear it, grill it, smoke it, marinade it, stir fry it or otherwise plate it up. I’ll more than happily eat a steak whatever way ya wanna give it to me, but I’ve definitely got my favorite steak dishes, especially when it comes to cooking one at home.
Flank steak is such an incredible cut of meat for home preparation! It’s cheap as chips, soaks up flavor like an absolute champ, cooks up right on the stove top and takes absolutely no time at all to prepare, since it’s not super thick.
I’ve been making this exact flank steak recipe for several years now, and it always comes out perfectly. It’s seriously fool-proof. The marinade is just right, and the meat is always so well-flavored and tender when it’s done cooking. The chimichurri doesn’t make-or-break the dish (the steak’d be perfectly perfect without a sauce) but I happen to think the punchiness of the herbs and the vinegar is the, well…perfect thing to eat with this steak. Below are the recipes for both – I like to serve the steak over long grain white rice that I boil in water with some cumin seed and lime juice, but it would be great with roasted fingerling potatoes or some white or black beans. Here’s the recipe to get you started:
Marinated Flank Steak With Classic Chimichurri
Ingredients
For The Steak
- 1-2 lb(s) flank steak
- 5 chilies, halved and stems removed *I like to use serrano when I can find them, but any mild chili is fine
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- juice of one lime
- 1 tbso light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 handful fresh chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup flavorless oil *I use sunflower, but canola or veg works!
- salt and pepper *a pinch of each
For The Chimichurri
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, larger stems discarded
- 3 tbsp red or white wine vinegar *red is more traditional
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
- 2-3 tsp crushed red chili flakes *depending how hot you like it
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
For The Steak
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Prepare the marinade for the steak by first cooking the chilies, garlic and cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until the garlic and chilies are lightly charred and the cumin is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
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Add the cooked chilies, garlic and cumin to a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients, aside from the oil, and process until everything is very finely chopped. Add in the olive oil and pulse to emulsify completely.
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Pour the marinade into a ziptop bag with the steak and make sure the marinade coats the meat completely. Pop the bag in the fridge for at least 1 hour, and up to 6 hours, turning to make sure the meat is coated in the marinade about halfway through the marinating time. Before cooking the steak, remove it from the fridge and let it hang out at room temp for at least 15 minutes, preferably about half an hour.
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To cook the steak (for medium-rare preparation) drain off the excess marinade and heat a dry grill pan over medium-high heat until the pan is very hot, and grill the steak for 6 minutes on the first side. Flip the steak and grill for another 5 minutes. Place the steak on a cutting board or counter and tent with foil for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
For The Chimichurri
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Pop all of the ingredients, aside from the olive oil, into a food processor and blend until everything is finely chopped.
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At this point, you can add the oil and continue blending to emulsify the ingredients (which is a less traditional method) or you can put the chimichurri in a bowl and then add the oil, stirring to combine the ingredients together, which is a more traditional method. Following either preparation, I like to stir in an additional teaspoon of red chili flakes, but that's completely optional! Serve immediately.