Toby,
I must have made this a thousand times and posted it more than once so I risk being repetitive.

*** Recipe from Ren Adler Ascher's kitchen ***
Marinated Flank Steak

Source: My own recipe since the late 1970Âs.
Ingredients:
2 Â3 Lb. Flank steak
For Marinade:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, sliced (optional)
Preparation:
 In a large bowl, whisk first 4 ingredients together.
 Add remaining ingredients and stir.
 Have butcher trim flank steak of all excess fat and silverskin.
 Pound steak slightly on both sides, and with a sharp knife score surface shallowly on the diagonal in one direction and then in the opposite direction, creating a diamond pattern on both side.
 Place in marinade and turn every so often to marinate evenly.
 Refrigerate overnight if possible. Alternatively, marinate at room temperature for two hours and cook or refrigerate until ready to cook.

To cook:
 Remove from refrigerator one hour before cooking, drain and blot off excess marinade
 Drain and discard marinade
 Grill on barbecue or cook under broiler about 4 1/2 to 6 minutes on each side (depending on thickness) for medium rare. Do not overcook.
 Let stand 2-3 minutes before slicing across the grain at a slanted angle.

Be sure to slice all before cold, even if expecting leftovers, because it will not slice as well when cold.

What a steal, Toby! Here are two marinades that are super-easy and good.

Flank Steak Marinade #1

meat tenderizer
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. honey
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 cloves minced garlic

Pierce flank steak several times on each side with a meat fork. Sprinkle lightly with meat tenderizer. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over steak. Marinate overnight. Grill for approx. 5 minutes; turn and grill about 3 minutes more. Slice thinly on the bias.

Flank Steak Marinade #2

3/4 c. soy sauce
3/4 c. water
3 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground ginger (about 3/4 tsp. if you're grinding fresh)
1 small cloved minced garlic

Combine all marinade ingredients and pour over flank steak. Marinate 5 to 6 hours. Grill.

You're right when you say it's a tough cut. But it's an extremely flavorful one if treated properly. You just about have to marinate it, and I definitely prefer to use tenderizer. (If you're worried about MSG, Adolph's hasn't contained any for years.)

Just don't overcook. And slice very thinly, against the grain. We love it with spinach bread and corn on the cob.

Might as well throw my recipe into the choices... :)

Here's the recipe we marinated it in when we had the deli. It was a huge seller. In the summer we did 25 lbs worth at a time. Never had any left to pitch.
We grilled it over lump charcoal and while it was cooking we would bring the marinade to a boil and cook it for about 15 min. We then sliced the steaks and poured the hot marinade over them.

Backwoods Flank Steak

3/4 C soy sauce
1/3 C Pickapeppa Sauce
1/3 C worcestershire sauce
1/4 C red wine
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tabsp sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 flank steaks (about 2 1/2 lbs total)

Combine the marinade ingredients in a container large enough to hold the steaks. Add the steakes and refrigerate 6 to 24 hrs...

Nancy

Well, it's pretty obvious, Nancy, that your recipe absolutely puts mine to shame! Omigosh, I just love Pickapeppa Sauce. I can taste that flank steak now. Toby, forget everything I said and try hers!!! :)

sm

The clue is do NOT over cook it....if you do get it cooked more than medium rare, you are committed to cooking it all the next day to have an edible piece of meat!
I've done it Bubbe's/ Renee's way and it's very very good!
Linda C

Not to sound like a broken record but yes the key is not to overcook or you will be chewing shoe leather and slicing thin against the grain.

Wizard your recipe sounds great but I am not familar with Pickapeppa sauce. What's in it? Is it spicy?

Thank you everyone. All sound good, but I'll start at the top with Renee's, because I don't have pickapeppa sauce and can't get it here. I think it was established before on this forum that there really isn't a great sub for it. I'll look on my next trip across the line. Then I can try yours Nancy, because I haven't copied one recipe of yours that wasn't fabulous.
Steelmagnolia - what is spinach bread - spinach in the bread or on the bread? If you feel like sharing, I'd love a recipe.
Jane

Jane -- I'm delighted to share! This is a huge favorite of all my sons. One prefers me to use a large loaf of unsliced French or Italian bread. Another likes 'individual' portions, using small, unsliced French rolls. And DS#3 will take it any way he can get it. :)

SPINACH BREAD

1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach
1/2 c. chopped onion
4 T. butter or margarine
1 (6-oz.) roll Kraft garlic cheese, cut into cubes
1 loaf French bread
lots and lots of Mozzarella, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook spinach according to package directions, draining well. Saute onions in butter until very tender.

Combine spinach, sauteed onions and cubed cheese. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until cheese melts.

Cut out the center of the bread loaf, leaving about a 1/2" shell. Fill the cavity with spinach mixture. Top with lots of mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Thank you SM - that sounds like a great go-with for the soup suppers we're fond of during the winter.
Jane

Thank you Linda.

Tip: Someone else made my recipe, can't remember who, and posted that she froze an extra one right in the marinade uncooked. I never thought of that, but I tried it and it was perfect. I just defrosted it in the fridge and cooked as above.

If that sale is still going for $2.00 a pound, RUN back and get a couple more and freeze them (double wrap). You will not be sorry!
Flank and Top Sirloin are my favorite cuts of beef!
The recipe that you picked sounds really great though I have never had it.
3 most important things to remember about flank steak, besides a good recipe of course:

1. Marinate overnight to 24 hours at least in refrigerator, those 1 to 3 hour times in marinating just doesn't give it justice, and let sit outside the frig till it reaches room temperature, 60 to 90 minutes will be fine before it hits the grill.

2. ALWAYS cut across the grain in thin slices with (very sharp knife) at a slight angle. I try to keep the slices at 3/16 inches or less.

3. Please serve with mashed potatoes and brown gravy and mushrooms. It's a man thing, AWESOME combination!

Here is one of my favorites that I've been making for a couple of years now.

David

Beef Fajitas Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Macho Nachos

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup tequila
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried crushed Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 pounds flank steak, fat trimmed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 large flour tortillas
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Lime wedges, accompaniment
Cold Mexican beer, or tequila shots

In a bowl, whisk together the lime juice, tequila, garlic, cilantro, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the Worcestershire sauce, oregano, pepper flakes, cumin and coriander. Pour into a large zip-lock bag, add the steak, and seal. Place in a baking dish and refrigerate for at least 12 and up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
Remove the meat from the bag and pat dry. Season on both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper.

Preheat the grill to high, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Wrap the tortillas in foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes to warm and soften. Remove from the oven and keep warm in the aluminum foil.

Cook the steak over the grill to preferred temperature, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions, and cook, stirring, until soft and slightly caramelized, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic, remaining teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Divide among the warmed tortillas and top with the vegetables. Squeeze with lime juice and serve immediately with cold beer or tequila shots.

David - wow! That sounds really good. And the accompanying tequila shots will help the children sleep!
We love Tex Mex and Mexican, so this is deinitely going on the to try list!
Jane

I absolutely love Nancy's backwoods flank steak. It is one of our regular meals. Another flank steak dish I loved was a Grilled Flank Steak with Sesame Sauce & Grilled Scallions. Not quite as easy as the backwoods, so I've only made it once (but really mean to make it again).

Grilled Flank Steak with sesame sauce and grilled scallions:

Ingredients
1-1/2 lb. flank steak
1-1/2 tsp. kosher sal
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil; more for the grill
1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
1-1/2 Tbs. minced garlic
3 Tbs. rice vinegar
2 Tbs. Asian sesame oil
1-1/2 Tbs. light or dark brown sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
20 scallions (preferably thick ones), roots trimmed
1 Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted
how to make
Season the flank steak with 1 tsp. of the salt and the pepper. Mix 1 Tbs. of the soy sauce, 1 Tbs. of the canola oil, 2 Tbs. of the ginger, and 1 Tbs. of the garlic in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add the steak and turn and massage it in the bag to cover it with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight.

Heat 1-1/2 Tbs. of the canola oil and the remaining 2 Tbs. ginger and 1/2 Tbs. garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat until the ginger and garlic sizzle steadily and just begin to brown around the edges, about 3 min. Add 1/3 cup water, the remaining 1.4 cup soy sauce, and the rice vinegar, sesame oil, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tsp. of water and stir it into the soy mixture. Cook until it returns to a boil and thickens slightly, about 1 min. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Heat a gas grill to medium high or prepare a fire on a charcoal grill with a medium-hot and a low zone. Rinse the scallions but do not dry them. Toss the scallions with the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. canola oil and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Clean and oil the grill grates. Grill the steak (over the hotter zone if using charcoal), covered, until it has good grill marks, 5 to 6 min. Flip and reduce the heat to medium if using a gas grill or transfer the steak to the cooler part of the charcoal fire. Cook, covered, until the steak is done to your liking, 4 to 5 min. for medium rare (cut into the steak to check). Transfer to a large cutting board, brush with about a third of the sesame sauce, and let rest for 5 to 10 min.

While the steak rests, clean and oil the grill grates, set the scallions on the grill (over the cooler zone if using charcoal), and cook until they have good grill marks, 2 to 4 min. Flip and cook until theyre tender, 2 to 4 min. Transfer to a large platter and drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of the sesame sauce.

Slice the steak thinly and serve with the scallions, a drizzle of the remaining sesame sauce, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

From Fine Cooking 87, pp. 53
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Just as a side note, I have found the tenderest (and affordable) flank steak at Cosco's. So good.

I actually like this cut of meat a lot. It's unfatty, cooks quickly, and most of the ones I've bought have been very tender and tasty.

Lynn.

You lucked out, tobyt. Flank steak normally goes for about three times that price, if I'm not mistaken. Once, long ago, it was considered an inferior cut and could be bought for a cheap price. Then it caught on and is no longer a bargain.

It's important not to overcook it and to slice it thin with a very sharp knife at a low angle as you would slice lox. It's a bit chewy but yummy. It's a very lean cut of beef, so more healthful than other steaks.

Oy! I have been dying to make Nancy's Backwoods Flank Steak recipe, as it sounds soooo goood, but I can't find Pickapeppa sauce anywhere (not even at our local food mecca, Wegmans)! I'm wondering if I should suck it up and special-order it online, or if there is something I can substitute? I'd imagine it can't be that spicy, since the recipe calls for 1/3 of a cup?

Emily

I agree with the others, do not overcook it....no more that med-rare....when you slice it make sure to slice it against the grain and very thinly. It's a great piece of meat and usually a good price.

Linda

Just had to come back to say wow! I used Renee's recipe and it was so tender and so flavourful. As I was carving it, I thought "oh good, enough for tonight and maybe French Dip later in the week."
Then I sat there and watch as DH and DDs took seconds and then THIRDS! So much for my "planned overs" but it sure was a hit. Thanks to everyone for all the great advice!
Flank Steak - where ya been all my life?!
Jane

I have to second Jane's comment on Renee's recipe - I had flank steak from Costco sitting in our freezer for months and finally defrosted it. So good!

I found the Pickapeppa sauce, so I'm going to try Nancy's recipe next. I think it would be great to have several go-to marinades because I'm sure they have a slightly different taste.

Thanks!!

We ate the steak just plain with veggies, and in the past have used it for fajitas. Jane mentioned French Dip. Any other great ways to serve it?

Sue

Here's a recipe my mother was known for among her church group. It does take a bit more time and effort, but it's great for picnics or buffets because it's delicious served at room temperature. Actually, I've done 4 flank steaks at a time and it really wasn't all that much work!

I could always tell when mom as peeved with dad because she made this recipe. I still remember her banging away at the meat with a mallet for 15-30 minutes! I could never get the meat as tender as she could, so I just have the butcher run it through the tenderizer one time. This tenderizes the meat without turning it into mush.

I also find the meat slices more easily when it's at room temperature or cooler as the egg coating has a tendancy to pull off. This really only impacts presentation...it tastes just as good!

KOREAN FLANK STEAK

1 flank steak, tenderized
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. soy sauce
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten

Cut flank steak lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces. Marinate in sugar, soy sauce and garlic for at least 30 minutes. Coat with flour and dip into a mixture of beaten egg and green onion. Fry in hot oil. Try not to let the pieces touch while the egg coating is cooking. And be careful not to burn the coating or overcook the meat. Slice against grain and serve hot or refrigerate until needed.

Here's one I have in my "to try" files.

Fajitas

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

From reviews: very tasty, excellent marinade, use skirt steak first if u can, cook a little longer.

Marinade (Mojo):

1 orange, juiced
2 limes, juiced
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 chipolte chiles, in adobo sauce
3 tablespoon roughly chopped
fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 pounds skirt or flank steak, trimmed of fat cut into thirds or 8-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Lime juice,
olive oil, optional
12 flour tortillas, warm Guacamole, recipe follows
Good quality store bought salsa

In a small 2 cup measuring cup, or something similar size and shape, combine all the marinade ingredients. Using an immersion blender, puree the marinade until smooth.

Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and add the steak, seal and shake to coat. Refrigerate the beef for 2 to 4 hours to tenderize and flavor the beef.

Preheat a ridged grill pan on high heat. Drain the marinade from the beef. Lightly oil the grill or grill pan. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill the steak over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side and then transfer to a cutting board and let rest.

Depending on the size of your grill pan you may need to cook in batches.

Once the beef is off the grill pan and resting, add the bell peppers and onions tossed with lime juice and olive oil, if using. Grill the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are just barely limp.

While the peppers and onions are cooking, heat up the tortillas. Turn any free burners on a medium low flame. Place a tortilla on each flame and let it char about 30 seconds to 1 minute, flip the tortilla and repeat on the second side. Once heated and charred remove the tortilla to a clean tea towel and wrap to keep warm. Repeat until you have warmed all of your tortillas.

You can also heat your tortillas in a microwave, lightly dampen a tea towel with some water, wrap the tortillas in the damp towel and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute. Check to see if they are warm, if not repeat the heating at 1 minute intervals until they are warm and pliable.

Thinly slice the steak against the grain on a diagonal.

To serve: Spread some guacamole on a tortilla, top with a few slices of steak, peppers and onions, and salsa. Roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling. May also be served with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Guacamole:

5 ripe Hass avocados
3 to 4 limes, juiced
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 serrano chile, chopped
1 big handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Drizzle olive oil Halve and pit the avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, and fold everything together. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.