Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Marinade
- 60 ml soy sauce
- 60 ml olive oil
- 30 ml sherry vinegar
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 4 garlic, minced
Beef
- 800 g beef flank steak
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 446 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbohydrates
- 2 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 939 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 16 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 138 mg
- Potassium
- 768 mg
- Calcium
- 67 mg
- Iron
- 3.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 59 mg
- Phosphorus
- 439 mg
- Zinc
- 8.4 mg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 11 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 2.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.13 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.25 mg
- Niacin
- 15.1 mg
- Folate
- 30 mcg
- Water
- 164 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Whisk the soy sauce, olive oil, sherry vinegar, lemon juice, and minced garlic together in a mixing bowl until well combined.
Place the beef flank steak in a resealable bag or shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the meat, ensuring it is completely coated. Seal or cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to approach room temperature, ensuring more even cooking.
Remove the steak from the marinade, letting excess drip off. Pat the surface of the steak completely dry with paper towels. Discard the remaining marinade.
Preheat a heavy cast iron skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke.
Place the steak in the dry, hot skillet. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until a deep, dark crust forms and an internal temperature of 52 C or 125 F is reached for a rare doneness.
Transfer the steak to a clean cutting board and let it rest undisturbed for 10 minutes to allow the muscle fibers to relax and retain their juices.
Slice the steak very thinly against the grain, holding your knife at a 45-degree angle, and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Flank steak is a well-exercised muscle, making it incredibly flavorful but prone to toughness. Slicing strictly against the grain is mandatory for a tender bite.
- The dual acidic components of sherry vinegar and lemon juice brighten the flavor profile and act as a mild surface tenderizer during the brief marination period.
- Patting the meat completely dry before cooking removes surface moisture. This prevents the steak from steaming and ensures a superior crust develops immediately upon hitting the hot pan.
- Pull the steak off the heat right at 52 degrees Celsius. Carryover cooking during the resting phase will perfectly finish it without pushing it past rare.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store sliced steak in an airtight container with any resting juices.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze in a vacuum-sealed bag or airtight container. Texture may become slightly softer upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat just until warm to prevent overcooking past rare, or serve cold over salads.
Troubleshooting
Steak is extremely tough and chewy to eat.
Cause: The meat was sliced parallel to the grain instead of across it, or overcooked past rare.
Fix: Slice the already cut strips into smaller pieces or chop finely for tacos or stir-fry to mechanically shorten the fibers.
Prevention: Visually identify the direction of the long muscle fibers before cooking, and always slice perpendicular to them. Use a thermometer to monitor internal temperature.
Steak steamed in the pan and did not form a dark crust.
Cause: Too much surface moisture from the marinade or the pan was not hot enough.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cooked, but ensure the pan is hotter for the next attempt.
Prevention: Thoroughly pat the meat dry with paper towels before cooking and allow the cast iron skillet to preheat until smoking.
Cultural Context
Flank steak has long been a staple in North American and Latin American cooking, favored for its rich, beefy flavor and quick cooking time. Marinating this cut in a blend of umami-rich soy sauce and Mediterranean elements like olive oil and sherry vinegar represents a modern American fusion approach, designed to maximize both flavor and tenderness in an otherwise fibrous cut.
