The flank steak is my favorite steak (after filet mignon of course). It is that piece of meat that makes it impossible for me to become a vegetarian. And I owe it all to my mom. My mom has been making this steak for as long as I can remember, usually on Sundays. I can still remember how my dad used to cut this steak into small pieces for a very small moi (about 4-5 years old). I now find myself cutting meat for my children exactly as my father did three decades ago (yikes!).
Flank steak is not an expensive cut. This makes it ideal for feeding a family of five during the lean years of the late 70’s and early 80’s. Those were the years when filet mignon really was only for the French! But marinate this less sophisticated steak in just the right marinade and it transforms from tough and chewy to butter knife cut. This is so true that I’ve never been able to order a steak at American steakhouses because no other steak comes close to my mom’s.
Cooking it on the grill is the best way to eat this, but before we had a gas grill, my mom would roast it in the oven in the colder months. Since I live in France, I can say that I also use this method from the end of October to March. Grilling is fine, but firing up the grill is definitely the best way to heat up this recipe. And since the sun is shining, spring is in full bloom, and cold winter evenings are a thing of the past, then today is the day to start thinking about turning on the barbie and trying new recipes for the great outdoors.
For the perfect American Sunday meal, Mom would add corn, on the cob when in season, warm bagels, fresh green beans cooked West Virginia-style (long in boiling water and with slices of bacon), and a crispy Iceberg Mixed Salad. american cabinets Choice. That’s a meal we can all enjoy.
The exciting thing about the following marinade is that you can also use it for chicken. My mom has been saying for over 30 years (every time we sit down to this meal) that you can marinate chicken in it, but we have yet to try it.
And I just discovered that this marinade works wonderfully with portabello mushrooms! Yes, I started my vegetarian kick and thought I’d try the “vegetarian meat substitute”. If there are still vegetarians reading this article at this point, you can get that special “flank steak” flavor without the beef (this goes for any other mushroom fanatics reading this entry) just marinate an hour and cook grilled. Then melt away from the delight of succulent mushrooms that could replace beef anywhere (well, almost). Tomorrow, I’ll get a great leftover recipe for this steak, as long as you can scrap enough pieces.
Any way you cut it, this steak and marinade is for you.
Jane’s Flank Steak and Portabello Mushroom Marinade
- 1-2 pound flank steak
- 1/4 cup salad oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon onion flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
Combine all ingredients in a bowl; place steak in baking dish; to marinate over steak, cover with plastic wrap. Marinate the steak for 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Grill or grill; cut diagonally (this is a must).