Salt Block Grilled Flank Steak Recipes

GRILLED FLANK STEAK WITH GARLIC & ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Make the marinade by combining the olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender. Blitz for a few minutes, until garlic and rosemary are pulverized.
• Place the flank steak in a medium baking dish. Using a fork, poke meat about 10 times on each side. Pour the marinade over top and turn the steak a few times to coat evenly. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Grease grill with oil and preheat to high. When grill is hot, grill flank steak covered for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook covered for about 3-4 minutes more. Let meat rest on cutting board, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes. Slice very thin against the grain.

GRILLED FLANK STEAK RECIPE

Steps:

• Prep. An hour or two before cooking, moisten the surface of the meat, salt it, and place it in the fridge. This technique is called a dry brine and it does a great job of amplifying flavor because the salt is sucked down deep into the meat.
• Flank steak is usually wedge shaped. One end is a lot thicker than the other. When you cook it hot and fast one side is either overcooked or undercooked. So here's how to outsmart the steak. If your steak is more than 1/4" thicker at one end than the other, cut it in half and start the thick half first. This is important: Make a mental note of which way the grain of the fibers is running. You can even put a toothpick in there as a pointer.
• Lightly coat the meat with oil to help darken the surface and keep it from sticking.
• Fire up. Start a 2-zone fire and get the hot zone as hot as possible. Flank steak is best over charcoal or the sear burner of a gas grill. If you are using charcoal, here's a trick: Raise the coals so they are about 2" below the cooking grate. On a Weber Kettle, put a couple of bricks under the charcoal grate as shown here. We want high heat so we can take the surface to dark brown and crusty, almost but not quite charred.
• Cook. Put the thick half of the flank steak on first, about 2 minutes ahead of the thin half. Leave the lid off. Cook about 4 minutes on the first side or until it gets dark brown and from the side you can see the color has changed about 1/4" up the side. Cook on the other side about 3 minutes. The exact time will depend on your grill. If the skinny section finishes too fast you can move it to the indirect zone.I like mine rare to medium rare, at about 125°F, which is where it is when the juices start to come through the surface. Use an instant read meat thermometer to be sure you get it right.
• Slice. Remove the flank steak from the grill and set on a cutting board. The way you carve the meat is crucial to making it easy to chew. Flank steak tends to be tough, but if you cut it thin and across the grain, it is easier to chew. Click here to learn more about the proper way to carve flank steak. Place the meat on a cutting board. Hold a thin blade at a 45 degree angle and cut 1/8" slices across the grain.If you slice with the grain it will be much too chewy. On a flank steak, the first cut will be a little overcooked. Not to worry, the center cuts will be just fine.
• Serve. Plate the meat, laying it out in a fan. If wanted, top it with a little chimichurri sauce but be careful not to add too much as you want to meat taste to shine through. It can also be served over salad.

SALT BLOCK-GRILLED FLANK STEAK

Steps:

• Cut the flank steak lengthwise along the grain of the meat, creating two long strips. Then, turning the piece perpendicular to the blade of your knife, cut the strips across the fiber of the meat into 1/4-inch-thick strips, each about 2 to 3 inches long. Set aside.
• Heat the salt block on a stove, as described in Heating on page 269.
• To test whether the block is hot enough, place one piece of meat on the block. It should sizzle vigorously (or however it is that a piece of meat sizzles when it is really sizzling). Alternatively, use an infrared thermometer, or try to hold your hand 2 or 3 inches away from the block. If you can't, it's hot enough.
• Place about 12 pieces of steak on the block, or as many as the block will hold without the pieces touching. After 5 seconds (yes, just five seconds), flip and cook for another 5 seconds. Repeat with the remaining steak and serve immediately.
• Make sure the salt block is off the heat, and let it cool to room temperature before cleaning and storing it (see page 270).

GRILLED FLANK STEAK

Steps:

• Mix oil, lemon juice, garlic, minced onion, flavor enhancer, salt, pepper, sugar, dry mustard, rosemary, and ginger together in a glass jar. Place flank steak in a zip-top bag and add marinade. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove flank steak from the marinade and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
• Cook on the preheated grill, turning once, until firm and slightly pink in the center, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Slice on a diagonal across the grain to serve.