Glazed Flank Steak with Honey-Dijon Onions
- Simple
- Tasty
- Fresh
Glazed Flank Steak with Honey-Dijon Onions
There are three components of a perfect grilled flank steak: 1) The marinade. Use your favorite or try mine below. 2) The cooking temperature. You don’t want the grill to be too high, lest you burn the marinade, which can make it bitter; nor too low, or the meat will dry out. Start with high heat and then, after a few minutes, drop the heat to medium. 3) Basting. It takes a bit of energy and sweat, but it’s worth the effort. Any leftover steak can be used in salads, fajitas, tacos, or sandwiches. The grilled sweet onions are a lovely add-on, but if you don’t have the time, skip them. The onions go with grilled chicken or just about anything else.
Glazed Flank Steak Marinade
Serves 8
3 tablespoons lite soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
One 2- to 3-pound (1 to 1.5 kg) flank steak, trimmed of all visible fat
Honey-Dijon Onions
2 large sweet onions, cut crosswise into ½-inch (1.25 cm) slices, keeping the slices intact
Canola oil cooking spray
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- To make the marinade, in a Pyrex baking dish, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until blended.
- With a sharp knife, lightly score both sides of the flank steak, only about 1/8 inch (3 mm) deep, in a crisscross pattern. Then poke the steak all over with a fork to allow the marinade to seep in. Place the steak in the baking dish or bag and turn to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap if using a baking dish, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
- To prepare the onions for grilling, run 1 or 2 soaked bamboo skewers through each onion slice to keep it intact as it cooks. Spray both sides of the onions with cooking spray, and place the onions on a baking sheet. Combine the Dijon mustard, honey, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl, mix well, and set aside.
- For a charcoal grill: Light a chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes. When the coals are hot, spread them evenly over the bottom of the grill and set the cooking grate in place. Cover and heat until hot, about 5 minutes. For a gas grill: Turn all the burners to high, cover, and heat until hot, about 10 minutes.
- Have a platter ready for the cooked steaks. Oil the grill grate and grill the steak for 2 minutes on each side (reserve the marinade). Then reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook to the desired doneness, basting every now and then with the marinade, and closing the lid as necessary, about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Transfer the steak to a carving board, cover it with foil, and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
- While the steak rests, place the onions on the grill and cook until they begin to pick up grill marks, turn light golden, and soften a bit, about 5 minutes on each side. As the onions cook, brush them with the mustard mixture and allow the glaze to bubble but not burn. Transfer the onions to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
- To serve, using a very sharp knife, cut the steak across the grain into the desired thickness (see box, below). Serve promptly.
282 Calories In
Protein: 26 g; Carbohydrates: 21 g; Fat: 10 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 453 mg; Carb Choices: 1½; Diabetic Exchange: 3 Lean Meat, 1 Starch, 1 Vegetable
282 Calories Out
Women: Walk: 69 minutes; Jog: 32 minutes
Men: Walk: 58 minutes; Jog: 27 minutes
How to Slice Flank and Skirt Steak or Brisket
A good slicing knife and a little bit of technique will make all the difference when slicing meat. The first thing to do is determine the meat’s grain, the direction the fibers run across the meat. Brisket and flank and skirt steaks need to be cut across the grain to achieve the most tender slices. Using a large fork, hold the meat in place on a chopping board or surface. (If your meat is juicy, you may want to surround the board with a paper towel or two.) Hold the knife at a 45-degree angle and cut the meat into thin slices, or the desired thickness.
Salsa Verde
Salsa verde, literally translated as green sauce, will brighten up any grilled steak, poultry, or meaty fish, such as tuna or swordfish. I like to mix cilantro and flat-leaf parsley in this Italian sauce, as it results in a more dynamic taste than just using one herb. For easy thawing and serving, freeze in small portions for up to 3 months.
Makes about 1 cup (250 ml)
1½ cups (60 g) packed fresh cilantro leaves and some of the stems
½ cup (25 g) packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 to 3 anchovy fillets or 1 to 2 teaspoons anchovy paste, or to taste
1½ tablespoons medium capers, drained, or to taste
1 garlic clove, halved
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until fairly smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressed flush against the surface of the sauce to prevent discoloration, and refrigerate if not serving immediately.
37 Calories In | 1 tablespoon
Protein: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 1 g; Fat: 4 g; Fiber: 0 g; Sodium: 106 mg; Carb Choices: 0; Diabetic Exchange: 1 Fat
37 Calories Out
Women: Walk: 9 minutes; Jog 4 minutes
Men: Walk: 8 minutes; Jog: 4 minutes