I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill. It cost me
around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated it for a
few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce and
dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to eat it,
shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to ruin
such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again. Thanks.

On 2014-05-26, Sqwertz > wrote:

> 1. Marinating it in vinegar

Horsepucky!! Most basic marinades include vinegar.

> 2. Overcooking it past med-rare.

Agree.

> 3. Flank is usually tough to begin with.

Agree.

> 4. High price is not an indication of quality or value.

Agree.


My first experience with flank stk was in cooking school. We
marinatied the flank stk in Italian salad dressing for about 4 hrs.
Roasted to medium rare. Sliced very thinly across grain. To die
for!!

Also, flank stk fajitas. A local place usta serve 'em for $.50
ea at a Thur happy hour. Best fajitas I've ever experienced.

I think the key is the marinating and the slice. Gotta be sliced
very thinly (1/4" max) across the grain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_WF-aUCOCk

nb

On 2014-05-26, Sqwertz > wrote:

> Good marinades contain very little acid components.

But most contain it, regardless of amount.

> I should have said "acidic" to include the wine. This is fact that it
> makes meat tough. Especially a thin grainy cut of meat like flank.
> You can read Harold Mcgee (who I trust more than Kraft and Unilever),
> or here's an online article:
>
> http://www.finecooking.com/articles/...tenderize.aspx

Not read it. I shall. I'm no expert on marinades and will readily
admit to being wrong when the case warrants it, as I've recently
admitted in the case of brines. Still, most marinades include the
most common "acid", vinegar.

http://bbq.about.com/od/marinadereci...0Marinades.htm

......seven out of ten, in this case.

I personally prefer either wine of citrus fruits, but longtime
experience has proven to me that vinegar is a most effective tenderizer
when used properly as a marinade.

nb

In article >,
wrote:

> I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill. It cost
> me
> around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated it for
> a
> few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce and
> dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to eat
> it,
> shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to ruin
> such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again.
> Thanks.

Be sure to slice flank steak very thinly, and across the grain. Also,
don't go beyond medium rare.

Isaac

On 5/25/2014 11:36 PM, wrote:
> I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill. It cost me
> around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated it for a
> few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce and
> dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to eat it,
> shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to ruin
> such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again. Thanks.
>

Like others told you, if you slice it in the wrong direction, it's
going to give you a workout.

My favorite recipe for flank steak includes pineapple juice.
I'm not sure red wine would be my choice of acid for this.
Also, I marinate it overnight. Not too long or it will start
to dissolve.

I hope you try again.

nancy

On 5/25/2014 10:36 PM, wrote:
> I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill. It cost me
> around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated it for a
> few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce and
> dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to eat it,
> shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to ruin
> such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again. Thanks.
>
We had flank steak last night for dinner, too.

1) Don't cook it too long. It has to be served rare

2) slice it against the grain on a steep angle.

I marinated ours in a store-bought tequila/lime marinade.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

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It makes great jerky. That is the highest calling I have found for the stuff.

Jerky Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network

On Sun, 25 May 2014 23:36:36 -0400, wrote:

> I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill. It cost me
> around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated it for a
> few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce and
> dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to eat it,
> shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to ruin
> such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again. Thanks.

The crucial mistake was buying flank steak. It's tough as shoe
leather - marinating it gives some flavor, but the way you cut it is
how to make it chewable. Cut against the grain, on a slant... and
never, ever, pay $17 for flank steak again. Buy a decent cut if
you're going to throw that amount of money on the counter. Even a
tri tip would have been better than flank.


--

Good Food.
Good Friends.
Good Memories.

On 5/26/2014 11:53 AM, sf wrote:
> On Sun, 25 May 2014 23:36:36 -0400, wrote:
>
>> I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill. It cost me
>> around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated it for a
>> few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce and
>> dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to eat it,
>> shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to ruin
>> such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again. Thanks.
>
> The crucial mistake was buying flank steak. It's tough as shoe
> leather - marinating it gives some flavor, but the way you cut it is
> how to make it chewable. Cut against the grain, on a slant... and
> never, ever, pay $17 for flank steak again. Buy a decent cut if
> you're going to throw that amount of money on the counter. Even a
> tri tip would have been better than flank.

Never have I found flank steak to be tough no matter its preparations
and/or marinades, _unless_ it's been over-cooked, over-grilled or
over-broiled to more than medium-rare (cook pink) at most. Personally,
my beef steaks (tenderloin, ribeye, and flank) are 'cooked' to the
nearly "moo" stage. YMMV

As others and sf have mentioned, it's important to cut the flank steak
across the grain, and flank steak does has a very noticeable grain to
its appearance.

If diners prefer "well-done" beef, then flank steak is definitely not
the best cut of beef to use. Instead, maybe make 'beef burgundy' or
some other braised beef for stew(s) with less expensive cuts. HTH.

Sky, who remembers well when flank steak used to be 'cheap' !

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 25 May 2014 23:36:36 -0400, wrote:
>
>> I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill. It
>> cost me
>> around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated it
>> for a
>> few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce
>> and
>> dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to
>> eat it,
>> shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to
>> ruin
>> such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again.
>> Thanks.
>
> The crucial mistake was buying flank steak. It's tough as shoe
> leather - marinating it gives some flavor, but the way you cut it is
> how to make it chewable. Cut against the grain, on a slant... and
> never, ever, pay $17 for flank steak again. Buy a decent cut if
> you're going to throw that amount of money on the counter. Even a
> tri tip would have been better than flank.
>

I remember when they almost gave flank and skirt steak away because nobody
liked it. Now it is more expensive than prime cuts. Same stuff but people
just learned how to cook it I guess.




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On 5/26/2014 12:52 PM, Paul M. Cook wrote:
>
> I remember when they almost gave flank and skirt steak away because nobody
> liked it. Now it is more expensive than prime cuts. Same stuff but people
> just learned how to cook it I guess.

No kidding !! Yeah, sort of like chicken wings, too, which used to be
'dirt' cheap. Now, those more expensive relatively speaking than an
entire whole chicken is pound-for-pound (I think?), dang !

Sky

That's a shame

On 5/26/2014 11:53 AM, sf wrote:
> On Sun, 25 May 2014 23:36:36 -0400, wrote:
>
>> I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill. It cost me
>> around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated it for a
>> few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce and
>> dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to eat it,
>> shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to ruin
>> such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again. Thanks.
>
> The crucial mistake was buying flank steak. It's tough as shoe
> leather - marinating it gives some flavor, but the way you cut it is
> how to make it chewable. Cut against the grain, on a slant... and
> never, ever, pay $17 for flank steak again. Buy a decent cut if
> you're going to throw that amount of money on the counter. Even a
> tri tip would have been better than flank.
>
>
Definitely NOT true. I buy flank steam all the time. Marinate it and
throw it on the grill. It's all about how you cook it and how you slice
it. If your flank steak is tough, you are not cooking or slicing it
properly.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

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On 5/26/2014 12:52 PM, Paul M. Cook wrote:
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Sun, 25 May 2014 23:36:36 -0400, wrote:
>>
>>> I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill. It
>>> cost me
>>> around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated it
>>> for a
>>> few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce
>>> and
>>> dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to
>>> eat it,
>>> shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to
>>> ruin
>>> such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again.
>>> Thanks.
>>
>> The crucial mistake was buying flank steak. It's tough as shoe
>> leather - marinating it gives some flavor, but the way you cut it is
>> how to make it chewable. Cut against the grain, on a slant... and
>> never, ever, pay $17 for flank steak again. Buy a decent cut if
>> you're going to throw that amount of money on the counter. Even a
>> tri tip would have been better than flank.
>>
>
> I remember when they almost gave flank and skirt steak away because nobody
> liked it. Now it is more expensive than prime cuts. Same stuff but people
> just learned how to cook it I guess.

I can still get flank steak here at reasonable prices. Skirt steak is
very accessible and affordable as it's used for fajitas and I'm in an
area where most of the population is of Mexican heritage.


--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

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On 5/26/2014 5:29 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
> On 5/26/2014 11:53 AM, sf wrote:
>>
>> The crucial mistake was buying flank steak. It's tough as shoe
>> leather - marinating it gives some flavor, but the way you cut it is
>> how to make it chewable. Cut against the grain, on a slant... and
>> never, ever, pay $17 for flank steak again. Buy a decent cut if
>> you're going to throw that amount of money on the counter. Even a
>> tri tip would have been better than flank.
>>
>>
> Definitely NOT true. I buy flank steam all the time. Marinate it and
> throw it on the grill. It's all about how you cook it and how you slice
> it. If your flank steak is tough, you are not cooking or slicing it
> properly.

Ditto!!! I agree whole hardheartedly with Janet Dry-rubs work well,
too! Flank steak is always good unless it's not prepped or it's
over-cooked. Flank steak is always tender until it's overcooked (more
than medium-rare at most) and/or sliced incorrectly.

Sky

On 5/26/2014 5:31 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>
> I can still get flank steak here at reasonable prices. Skirt steak is
> very accessible and affordable as it's used for fajitas and I'm in an
> area where most of the population is of Mexican heritage.

Alas, flank steak in 'my neck of the woods' these days tends to be
anywhere from $6.99+/lb to $8.99+/lb or more Bums me out since I
remember when it was much less expensive (years ago) at $2.99/lb - give
or take some :/ Heh - nice Ribeye steaks at Sam's tend to be something
like $7.99/lb, but I haven't checked prices lately - go figure!

I should check out the local Latino shops to see and compare their
prices with regard to flank & skirt cuts of beef! I'll skip the
cow-head that I saw (er, freaky - heheh) in the freezer section the time
I was there about a year ago or so ;> And, I'm sure that's a cultural
thing !

Sky

On Sunday, May 25, 2014 5:36:36 PM UTC-10, wrote:
> I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill. It cost me
>
> around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated it for a
>
> few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce and
>
> dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to eat it,
>
> shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to ruin
>
> such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again. Thanks.

When I was a kid, I used to cook this cheap, tough, undesirable piece of meat by stuffing it, rolling it up, tying it up with string, and then braising. It was still quite a tough piece of meat. Imagine my surprise to learn that you could grill it and it would be tasty.

I like to slash the meat in diagonals and marinate it in teriyaki sauce. The best thing to do is grill it over very hot charcoal. Grill to med. rare. Don't overcook! This piece, like tri-tip, cooks faster than most meat. It's a mystery to me why. Let it set for a few minutes and then slice across the grain at a shallow angle - around 30 to 45 degrees. If you don't like med.. rare, you can just forget about flank steak.

If I had grilled flank steak this way when I was a kid, my parents would have thought that I was a very special lad. Unfortunately, I never did. (-:

On Mon, 26 May 2014 10:52:26 -0700, "Paul M. Cook" >
wrote:

>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Sun, 25 May 2014 23:36:36 -0400, wrote:
> >
> >> I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill. It
> >> cost me
> >> around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated it
> >> for a
> >> few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce
> >> and
> >> dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to
> >> eat it,
> >> shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to
> >> ruin
> >> such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again.
> >> Thanks.
> >
> > The crucial mistake was buying flank steak. It's tough as shoe
> > leather - marinating it gives some flavor, but the way you cut it is
> > how to make it chewable. Cut against the grain, on a slant... and
> > never, ever, pay $17 for flank steak again. Buy a decent cut if
> > you're going to throw that amount of money on the counter. Even a
> > tri tip would have been better than flank.
> >
>
> I remember when they almost gave flank and skirt steak away because nobody
> liked it. Now it is more expensive than prime cuts. Same stuff but people
> just learned how to cook it I guess.
>
And that's a damned shame.


--

Good Food.
Good Friends.
Good Memories.

On Mon, 26 May 2014 17:29:52 -0500, Janet Wilder >
wrote:

> If your flank steak is tough, you are not cooking or slicing it
> properly.

Be my guest cooking it, I'll make mine skirt and flap meat... thank
you very much.


--

Good Food.
Good Friends.
Good Memories.

On Mon, 26 May 2014 17:23:35 -0700 (PDT), dsi1 >
wrote:

> On Sunday, May 25, 2014 5:36:36 PM UTC-10, wrote:
> > I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill. It cost me
> >
> > around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated it for a
> >
> > few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce and
> >
> > dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to eat it,
> >
> > shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to ruin
> >
> > such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again. Thanks.
>
> When I was a kid, I used to cook this cheap, tough, undesirable piece of meat by stuffing it, rolling it up, tying it up with string, and then braising. It was still quite a tough piece of meat. Imagine my surprise to learn that you could grill it and it would be tasty.
>
> I like to slash the meat in diagonals and marinate it in teriyaki sauce. The best thing to do is grill it over very hot charcoal. Grill to med. rare. Don't overcook! This piece, like tri-tip, cooks faster than most meat. It's a mystery to me why. Let it set for a few minutes and then slice across the grain at a shallow angle - around 30 to 45 degrees. If you don't like med. rare, you can just forget about flank steak.
>
> If I had grilled flank steak this way when I was a kid, my parents would have thought that I was a very special lad. Unfortunately, I never did. (-:

I'm not gaga over tri tip, but I'll eat it if someone else cooks it.
NOT a tri tip fan and I like flank steak even less.


--

Good Food.
Good Friends.
Good Memories.

"Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
eb.com...
> On 5/26/2014 12:52 PM, Paul M. Cook wrote:
>> "sf" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On Sun, 25 May 2014 23:36:36 -0400, wrote:
>>>
>>>> I cooked what looked like a nice flank steak tonight on my gas grill.
>>>> It
>>>> cost me
>>>> around $17 so I'm assuming it was a decent piece of meat. I marinated
>>>> it
>>>> for a
>>>> few hours in red wine with garlic, pepper, sugar, worcestershire sauce
>>>> and
>>>> dijon mustard. While it looked nice after I sliced it, when we went to
>>>> eat it,
>>>> shoe leather would have been more tender. What could have gone wrong to
>>>> ruin
>>>> such a nice piece of meat? I don't want to make the same mistake again.
>>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> The crucial mistake was buying flank steak. It's tough as shoe
>>> leather - marinating it gives some flavor, but the way you cut it is
>>> how to make it chewable. Cut against the grain, on a slant... and
>>> never, ever, pay $17 for flank steak again. Buy a decent cut if
>>> you're going to throw that amount of money on the counter. Even a
>>> tri tip would have been better than flank.
>>>
>>
>> I remember when they almost gave flank and skirt steak away because
>> nobody
>> liked it. Now it is more expensive than prime cuts. Same stuff but
>> people
>> just learned how to cook it I guess.
>
> I can still get flank steak here at reasonable prices. Skirt steak is
> very accessible and affordable as it's used for fajitas and I'm in an area
> where most of the population is of Mexican heritage.
>

Same here but that only makes it more expensive.

On 5
> /26/2014 5:20 PM, sf wrote:
>
> I'm not gaga over tri tip, but I'll eat it if someone else cooks it.
> NOT a tri tip fan and I like flank steak even less.
>
As it goes, flank steak won't ever be a popular cut. 50 or so years ago
it was sliced raw, marinated in teriyaki sauce, skewered on bamboo
sticks, then grilled on a hibachi. I used to always eat a couple of
sticks with a bowl of saimin. That was how the locals dealt with this
cheap, nasty, cut of meat and made it memorable.

On 5/26/2014 7:07 PM, Sky wrote:
> On 5/26/2014 5:31 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>>
>> I can still get flank steak here at reasonable prices. Skirt steak is
>> very accessible and affordable as it's used for fajitas and I'm in an
>> area where most of the population is of Mexican heritage.
>
> Alas, flank steak in 'my neck of the woods' these days tends to be
> anywhere from $6.99+/lb to $8.99+/lb or more Bums me out since I
> remember when it was much less expensive (years ago) at $2.99/lb - give
> or take some :/ Heh - nice Ribeye steaks at Sam's tend to be something
> like $7.99/lb, but I haven't checked prices lately - go figure!
>
> I should check out the local Latino shops to see and compare their
> prices with regard to flank & skirt cuts of beef! I'll skip the
> cow-head that I saw (er, freaky - heheh) in the freezer section the time
> I was there about a year ago or so ;> And, I'm sure that's a cultural
> thing !
>
> Sky
>
Don't look for flank steak at the Latino store, but there will be plenty
of skirt steak. They even butterfly it.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

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On 5/27/2014 9:38 AM, Janet Wilder wrote:
> On 5/26/2014 7:07 PM, Sky wrote:
>>
>> I should check out the local Latino shops to see and compare their
>> prices with regard to flank & skirt cuts of beef! I'll skip the
>> cow-head that I saw (er, freaky - heheh) in the freezer section the time
>> I was there about a year ago or so ;> And, I'm sure that's a cultural
>> thing !
>>
>> Sky
>>
> Don't look for flank steak at the Latino store, but there will be plenty
> of skirt steak. They even butterfly it.

True flank steak and lack thereof at nearly all Latino stores
It's not often I buy flank steak these days, especialty since it's
gotten so expensive these days. At the equivalent price, I'd rather
spend the money on ribeyes!

I admit, I've never used/bought skirt steak before, although I know it's
used to make 'fajitas' And, I very much like fajitas when dining at
"Mexican" restaurants.

Sky