Speckle Park Cook Book Glossary

Flank

Flank steak

Flank steak is a broad, flat muscle from the belly, with long, clearly visible fibres. It is lean and has a bold beef flavour, but without a good method it can turn chewy.

A typical flank weighs 500 g to 1 kg (1 to 2 lb) and is about 2 cm (¾ in) thick, making it easy to cook evenly. It is an everyday favourite for marinated steak dinners, stir-fries and sliced steak salads. Look for pieces that are uniformly thick and have a bright red colour.

It has little fat, so it benefits from a marinade and from not being overcooked.

Techniques

Marinate flank for at least a few hours with something acidic, such as citrus, vinegar or yoghurt, plus oil and seasoning. Then grill or broil it over very high heat for four to five minutes per side, to medium-rare, about 54°C (130°F).

Let it rest for five to ten minutes, then slice thinly against the grain at an angle. With such long fibres, this is the biggest factor in how tender it feels.

Thin slices go straight into a stir-fry, where the meat cooks in under two minutes. At the other extreme, flank can be braised for two hours or more until it shreds easily, which is how it is used in dishes like Cuban ropa vieja or Colombian shredded beef.

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