Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Grilled Balsamic Flank Steak


Flank steak. Adam and I's arch nemesis in the kitchen.

You can count the number of times we have attempted making any kind of steak at home on one hand. Easily. It's 4.

And of those, how many times did we either overcook or massively under-cook (and spend forever trying to get it cooked to the right temperature) the steak? 4.

That might explain why we prefer to get steak elsewhere.

I must have been off in la-la land when picking this recipe out for dinner last week. Why on earth would I pick a steak recipe with our stellar track record, not to mention I'm not a huge steak person? Sometimes, things are meant to be.

It took a bit of patience, and lots of testing with the meat thermometer, but we finally got the steak in the golden 130-135 degree range. After pulling it off and letting it rest a few minutes came the final test. We cut into the steak with breaths held -- was it overdone? Was it still completely rare? Instead, we were presented with a perfectly pink and juicy center with a nice outside crust full of balsamic flavor. Steak - 4, Us - 1.

Grilled Balsamic Flank Steak


Adapted from: Cooking Light, May 2010

1/3 cup blasamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons brown sugar
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into 4 pieces
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a gallon-sized ziploc bag, combine balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and garlic. Add steak and seal bag. Flip bag several times to coat steak. Let steak marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, turning once. Meanwhile, pre-heat grill (to medium-high if using a gas grill).

Remove steak from ziploc and place on a plate. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Set aside. Pour remaining marinade into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Transfer steak from plate onto the grill once hot. Cook steak for 5 minutes on each side, basting with reduced marinade every few minutes, or until steak reaches an internal temperature between 130 and 135 degrees F. Remove steak from grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes prior to serving. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.


Serves: 5


I wanted a little something else to go with the steak that wasn't my typical go-to bagged salad. I decided to make quinoa again, this time off the cuff with things from our fridge. Since the hubby actually had to debate going back for seconds versus a bowl of ice cream, I figured it must be pretty dang good. And if it's good, why then, I must share it with you! :)

Quinoa with Basil, Feta, and Roasted Red Peppers

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth and 1 cup rinsed and drained quinoa to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup crumbled feta, 2 tablespoons chopped basil, and 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar and stir well to mix.

Serves: 10 as a side



Nutrition Facts - Balsamic Flank Steak
Serving Size 161g
Amount per serving
Calories 279Calories from fat 102
% Daily Value
Total Fat 11.3g17%
Saturated Fat 4.7g24%
Cholesterol 75mg25%
Sodium 485mg20%
Total Carbs 3.0g1%
Sugars 2.7g
Protein 37.9g
Vitamin A 0%Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2%Iron 15%

Nutrition Facts - Quinoa
Serving Size 71g
Amount per serving
Calories 71Calories from fat 16
% Daily Value
Total Fat 1.8g3%
Saturated Fat 0.7g3%
Cholesterol 3mg1%
Sodium 168mg7%
Total Carbs 10.9g4%
Fiber 1.2g5%
Protein 2.9g
Vitamin A 4%Vitamin C 13%
Calcium 3%Iron 4%

10 comments:

  1. I love marinated flank steak! That Quinoa salad sounds delish and that stats are so good too!

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  2. This sounds like a great marinade for the steak! Congrats on your win!

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  3. I think flank steak is one of the easiest steaks to make. It is the only one I will attempt to try myself. I am going to try this next time we have flank steak! Glad you were able to get it right!

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  4. This looks delicious and perfectly cooked, yum!! :)

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  5. This looks so good. Like out of this world good. I never see flank steak here. Not sure if they just don't sell it here or locally or it's called something different in Canada. I don't get why I never see it. I am going to go ask my butcher about it. While I'm there maybe I'll grab some rib eyes, I love steak. We do it once a week over the summer. Not good for the arteries but hey it's only for a couple months.

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  6. @Kim Bee Have you seen a London Broil in the store? That would be the same cut. (Ha, I had to look it up though!)

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  7. This looks sooo good! I recently marinated flank steak in a soy sauce marinade and it was so delicious. I love balsamic vingear on anything so Im sure I would love this

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  8. Hooray! Congrats to you and Adam for conquering steak :-) I love a good flank steak. It's so flavorful and I think a relatively affordable cut. You can do any marinade you like and it'll be so tasty!

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  9. Wow that is absolutely fantastic! I love balsamic on just about anything and this just tops the list for me. Delicious!

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  10. Wow! Only 4. I'm a bit of a red meat fanatic... (shameful I know) so I can't even begin to imagine how many times I've cooked steak..... It's got to be in the hundreds. But I still hold my breath each and every time I make the first slice. I'm glad this turned out for you! It sounds delicious :D

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