Pan Seared Flank Steak

Flank Steak is highly underrated, it's a wonderfully flavorful piece of meat and very economical.  I find the preparation of this steak is important however.  A few minutes trimming the fat and fibers pay off tremendously.   I read the other day that if you make small horizontal slits across the grain of the meat it tenderizers it to no end.  I did this, marinated it and then pan seared it on my beloved griddle pan. It was a huge hit.  Served with some roasted potatoes which I had lightly covered in olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper and a teaspoon or so of minced rosemary, along with a salad lightly dressed in a honey mustard vinaigrette, there was a moment of harmony in my household. 

It gets better! This meal is straightforward and quick.  You can marinate the steak, wash the salad and make the vinaigrette in the morning, the potatoes look after themselves in the oven and you just have to spend a few minutes cooking the steak at dinner time

This quite happily served 6 of us;

 1 3/4lb flank steak
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of minced rosemary
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
4-6 tablespoons olive oil 

To prepare the marinade, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and rosemary.  Whisk in the olive oil one tablespoon at a time until you have a thick vinaigrette.  Marinate the steak for at least a couple of hours but if you can get ahead of the game do this in the morning.  I use a gallon size ziplock bag for this purpose, although I admit it's probably not that good for the environment. 

When you're ready to cook, wipe the marinade off the meat with a paper towel.  Heat your pan (you can use a regular frying pan or cast iron pan) until really hot. 

Lay your steak on it and sear (without moving it so you get those great griddle marks) for about 4 minutes.  Turn it over and cook on the other side for 2-4 minutes depending on how rare you like your meat.

Remove to a platter, cover with aluminium foil and let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes.

To serve, slice thinly at an angle, pour the juices that escape when craving back over the meat.