Balsamic Fig Salsa Grilled Flank Steak Recipe — Salt & Wind Travel (2024)

FAQs

How long do you grill flank steak on a gas grill? ›

How long does it take to grill flank steak? Flank steak is a relatively thin cut, but depending on the thickness of your piece, it should take 3 to 5 minutes per side over a very hot grill (around 400˚ to 450˚) or in a grill pan over medium-high heat.

Grilling is perhaps the best way to cook Flank steak, but you can also pan-sear it in a skillet, broil it in your oven, or even use a specialty cooking method like an instant pot. The real trick is to keep your Flank steak grill time to a minimum.

Flank steak should be served rare or medium rare, otherwise, it may be too dry. If the steak isn't done enough to your liking, return the steak and pan to medium high heat for a few minutes. Let the steak rest: Remove the steak from the pan to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes, covered with aluminum foil.

Flank Steak Internal Temperatures

For rare, aim for 120-130 °F internally. For medium-rare, aim for 130-135 °F internally. For medium, aim for 135-145 °F internally.

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.

TIPS FOR GRILLED FLANK STEAK RECIPE

Pound the steak to an even, thin thickness to tenderize and for even cooking. Don't marinate much longer than 12 hours or the muscle fibers can break down and become mushy but please aim for 12 hours for optimal flavor and juiciness.

Acids like balsamic vinegar and lemon juice or lime juice are commonly used to tenderize flank steak, but a lesser-known tenderizer is soy sauce. Like acid, soy sauce will break down the proteins just enough to make for a tender steak. This flank steak marinade is made with low-sodium soy sauce.

No matter the cooking method, with or without a marinade, you should always cut flank steak across the grain for the most delicious results. Slicing flank steak this way cuts through those tough fibers, shortening them to get an easier-to-chew, more tender bite of beef.

Flank steak tends to be chewy if overcooked: watch the side of your steak as it cooks, the color will begin to change and creep up the side of the steak – when it reaches about 1/4 inch up the side, it's time to turn the steak over. Continuing cooking until desired doneness.

Should flank steak be room temp before grilling? ›

You also want to start cooking when your meat is at room temperature, so take the meat out of the fridge at least 45 minutes before cooking; if you're only doing an hour for your brine or marinade, don't bother sticking it back in the fridge at all.

Salting relatively close to cooking seasons the steak and helps create a dry surface for searing. Salt steak for 24 hours: Salting your steak overnight (18 to 24 hours before you plan to cook it) also creates a dry surface for searing, but with the added bonus of a bit more concentrated flavor in the interior tissue.

Instructions. Pat flank steak dry with paper towels. Season liberally with salt on all sides. Rest steak at room temperature for 40-45 minutes.

As long as the steak has come up to temperature on the inside, it doesn't matter how pink you like it. Once it comes up to temperature, 125 to 130 degrees for rare, all the germs have been killed. Most people enjoy their steak cooked to medium-rare with an internal temperature of 130 to 140 degrees.

The big advantage of dry rubs, and the reason we love using them so much, is that they don't add any additional moisture to the exterior of a piece of meat the way that a marinade does.

Take the flank steak off the heat once its internal temperature reaches 130 degrees for a medium rare, or 5 degrees below your preferred doneness. Flank steak should really only be served medium rare. If you want well done steak, choose a different cut.

The critical reason for this is that flank steak, although lean and tasty, is tougher than other cuts of beef due to the many long, thin fibers running through it. To help tenderize flank steak, it is often marinated and cooked by grilling, stir-frying, broiling, or smoking.

Slow cooking a flank steak makes it incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful.