Flank Steak
Photo: Angela
About
A beef steak cut from the belly muscles of the cow. Common cooking methods include broiling, grilling, and braising. It is often prepared as London Broil, butterflied, or stuffed. It is also common in Fajitas and Carne Asada,
Information
Physical Description
A flat sheet of beef, usually sold in rolls or loosely folded on itself.
Very lean, and any fat is visible and usually in clumps.
The flank steak, and two other cuts (the skirt steak and the hangar steak) are cur from the same part of the cow. The hangar is the thicker portion of the diaphragm of the cow, the skirt steak has more fat, and is encased in a membrane which should be removed before cooking, The flank steak is leaner
Tasting Notes
Preparation and Use
A good use of flank steak is to pound, stuff with grated vegetables, roll, bind with twine, and braise in wine, tomato sauce and herbs.
Another good use is to pound, season well, and brown in a very hot cast iron skillet. Allow to sear on each side, and then sit for ten minutes before slicing across the grain and use in fajitas. This cut of steak is perfect for marinating, it will hold well.