6
Serves
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 12 to 14 minutes
One of the leaner beef cuts, flank steak is an excellent choice when you’re craving a steak dinner. It is economical, has lots of flavor, and becomes nice and tender when marinated. Since you slice the steak before serving, it’s easy to control portion sizes. In this recipe, the zesty marinade is transformed into a rich-tasting sauce. We use a ridged grill pan or skillet, but you can also cook the steak on an outdoor grill or broil it.
1/3 cup orange juice or port
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds (700 grams) flank steak, trimmed
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (1 large)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice (or port), vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place the steak in a shallow glass dish, pour on the orange juice mixture, and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning several times.
2. Remove the steak from the marinade and pour the marinade into a small saucepan. Add the shallots and set aside. Brush a ridged grill pan or heavy skillet with the oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the steak to the pan and, depending on thickness, cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until it reaches the desired doneness. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring the marinade to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1/3 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the butter, and whisk until melted.
4. Slice the steak thinly across the grain. Add any accumulated juices on the cutting board to the sauce and serve the sauce with the steak. One serving is 3 ounces (85 grams) steak and 1 tablespoon sauce. Leftover steak will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Per serving: 196 calories, 25 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 8 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 269 mg sodium.