With the quarantine going on, each meal always presents a new challenge. We are trying our best to use what we have in our pantry and to not end up eating tacos every meal. We love tacos, but sometimes you gotta have a change.
Tonight we had a flank steak and wanted to make a simple marinade that was full of flavor with pantry ingredients. We didn’t measure– just eyeballed and used what we had. Basically, a good marinade includes lots of flavor, some salt and some acid.
Ingredients– everything was in my pantry!
- Flank Steak- Any cut of steak will work
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Garlic
- Water
- Your favorite Steak Rub- I used my Garlic Junky
Combine all ingredients in a bowl or shallow baking dish and mix together.
Add the steak and let marinade for at least 30 minutes. Overnight will provide the most flavor.
Cooking Techniques
For cooking I like to sous vide thinner cuts and then sear to finish. This creates a nice even cook throughout the meat.
However, I went with the hot and fast method tonight. Which is a great way to cook steak when you are short on time and want to eat sooner.
I heated my Traeger up to 450 degrees and put the cast iron plate in.
After letting it heat up, I cooked the meat for about 4 minutes a side. I pulled it around 125 degrees and then rested for 10 minutes.
Slice however thick you like (we usually go super thin on flank steak, but went for 1/2 inch slices tonight). Serve with some veggies and a side and a dollop of homemade chimichurri (see recipe below).
Quick Pantry Chimichurri
- equal parts chopped parsley, cilantro and green onion (you could use dried herbs)
- 1/2 part chopped jalapeno (or dried red pepper flakes)
- squeeze of fresh lime juice (use any vinegar you have instead)
- a clove of garlic, chopped (use dried if you need to)
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- spices like cumin
- a pinch of sugar
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well and taste and adjust the seasoning. It should be pungent. If you use dried ingredients, add a tablespoon of very hot water to the mix, to soften the dried herbs and bloom the flavor.
Simple Flank Steak Marinade
Ingredients
- 1 flank steak any steak would work
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup worchestershire sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tbsp your favorite steak rub
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (except steak) in a bowl or shallow pan.
- Add the steak, turn to coat, and let marinade for at least 30 minutes.
- You can marinate it for up to 12 hours.
To Cook
- Preheat a grill to 450°.
- Remove steak from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Cook on the grill for about 4 minutes per side, flipping once.
- Using instant-read thermometer, cook until internal temperature is 125°.
- Place cooked steak on a plate or tray, tent with foil and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
- Slice against the grain for the most tender bites!
Quick Pantry Chimichurri
Ingredients
- equal part chopped parsley use dried if needed
- equal part chopped cilantro use dried if needed
- equal part chopped green onions use dried if needed
- half part chopped jalapeno or other pepper like serrano, or dried red pepper flakes
- 1 clove garlic, chopped use dried if needed
- juice of 1/2 lime use any light-colored vinegar if you prefer
- pinch salt and pepper to taste
- dash olive oil
- pinch dried cumin
- pinch white sugar
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Stir well.
- Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference. It should be pungent.
- If you use dried ingredients, add a few tablespoons of very hot water at the beginning to soften and bloom the flavors.
- Set aside until ready to serve.
Leave a Reply