~Open-Sesame Flank Steak w/Garlic-Ginger Sauce~

Give me a big, fat, juicy, perfectly-grilled, rare- medium-rare steak and I am a happy camper.  I am a beef lover, and, in the Summer, "throwing a few steaks on the grill" and having them emerge just the way each person wants his or hers cooked is an artform.  In the Fall and Winter? Not so much.  When the snow flurries begin to fall, you will rarely find me outside on the grill never find me outside on the grill.  So, what does a beef lovin' gal like me do tonight?

I'm in the mood for an Asian beef fling before Thanksgiving, so:

I'm turning to the flank steak.  It lends its flavorful self to indoor cooking beautifully.  Sometimes I broil it, sometimes I pan-sear it, sometimes I marinate it, sometimes I don't (don't roll your eyes, my blackened flank steak needs no marination).  The only thing I do not do to it is overcook it, because if the lean and sexy flank steak is not quickly cooked and served rare- medium-rare it is not worth eating. 

A well done flank steak is not well done at all. 

By the way, flank steak is technically not a steak.  It is the belly muscle of the cow, and, it's very similar to the popular hanger and/or skirt steak.  I can't be sure, but I strongly believe the Tex-Mex dish, fajitas, is solely responsible for making flank steak the apple of America's steak eye.

I always aim for the biggest flank steaks money can buy.  Why?  It's just extra insurance that the meat will remain medium-rare or rare (small ones overcook too fast for my blood), and, leftovers in a salad or on a sandwich the next day are just extraordinary.  Today I have:

2,  2  pound flank steaks

For the marinade and the sauce:

6-8  tablespoons minced garlic cloves, about 3-4 ounces

6-8  tablespoons minced ginger, about 3-4 ounces

6-8 tablespoons minced scallions, white and light green parts only, about 3-4 ounces

1  cup Golden Mountain seasoning soy sauce, or Thai seasoning soy sauce

2  tablespoons sesame oil

2  cups honey

1/2  cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar

1  tablespoon sesame seeds (for sprinkling on steaks during the broiling process)

~ Step 1.  In mini-or small size food processor, place the garlic cloves.  Using a series of 15-20 rapid on-off pulses, mince the garlic.  Transfer it to a 2-gallon size food storage bag.

~ Step 2.  Coarsely chop the ginger.  Repeat above process and add to bag with garlic.

~ Step 3.  Coarsely chop the scallions.  Repeat the above process and add to bag with garlic and ginger.

Note:  You can use a larger food processor, but do not be inclined to mince the three together at the same time.  Their textures are quite different and they will not process evenly as a group.

~ Step 4. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, honey and brown sugar to the the bag.  Using your fingertips on the outside of the bag, "squish" the bag until the sugar is thoroughly incorporated.

~ Step 5.  Add flank steaks, seal bag and place  in a large, deep bowl.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours or longer, stopping to toss the bag about once every 30-60 minutes.

~ Step 6.  Remove the bowl of steaks about 1 hour prior to broiling. Line a 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan with a piece of wide, heavy-duty aluminum floil.  Line the foil with a sheet of parchment paper.  If you do not have parchment paper, spray the foil with no-stick cooking spray. Place the flank steaks, side by side, underside (bottom side) up,  on the parchment. Set aside, while preparing the sauce as follows:

~ Step 7.  Pour all of the marinade from the bag into a 3 1/2-quart chef's pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Adjust heat to simmer rapidly, until the mixture is reduced slightly, about 15-20 minutes. During this time:  Regulate and pay very close attention to the heat as this mixture can and will boil over very quickly.  Turn heat off and allow foaming to subside.  Sauce will be glistening and slightly thickened (this is a sauce not a gravy).  Cover pan and let sit on warm stovetop while broiling steak:

~ Step 8:  Place pan of steak, about 6" under preheated broiler for 8-8 minutes (I do 8 minutes for rare.).  

Remove from oven and flip steaks over. Sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds and return to broiler for another 8-9 minutes (I do 8 minutes for rare.).

                                       ~ Step 9. Remove from oven and transfer steaks to a cutting board.  Allow to rest, about 9-10 minutes.  Holding knife at a 30 degree angle, slice as thinly as possible.  Serve over steamed rice with garlic-ginger sauce to the side for dipping or drizzling:

Open-Sesame Flank Steak w/Garlic-Ginger Sauce:  Recipe yields a 6-8 servings of steak, depending upon what it is served with, and, about 4 cups of sauce.  Store leftover sauce in the refrigerator and reheat gently prior to using on broiled steak, chicken or fish.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; mini- or small food processor; 2-gallon food storage bag; 1-cup measuring container; large, deep bowl; 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan; aluminum foil; parchment paper; 3 1/2-quart chef's pan w/straight deep sides & lid

Cook's Note:  For another one of my favorite indoor steak dinners, try my recipe for ~ T.G.I. Five-Minute Filet Mignon w/a Cremini Saute ~.  This easy, mouth-watering, pan-seared steak really does go from skillet to plate in five short minutes! You can find it in Categories 3, 20 or 21!

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2013)

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