This Italian marinated flank steak cooked in a cast iron pan (affiliate) is your new favorite weeknight dish! It’s bright, herby and vibrant and something that the entire family will love. Best of all, it takes under 20 minutes to cook and it is absolutely delicious!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It only has 242 calories per serving and fits into my weight-loss or weight maintenance meal plans.
- It only takes 20 minutes to cook, making it perfect for a weeknight meal.
- It’s a great dish to serve when you have guests over if you want to impress them.
- You can put it on a salad, sandwich or pair it with any side you like.
- You can use this flank steak marinade on other cuts of meat, like chicken or pork.
- It’s absolutely delicious and your entire family will love it.
What makes this dish healthy?
Flank steak is a lean cut of beef, which means that it’s low in saturated fat compared to other cuts of beef. And we know that saturated fats are not great for your heart health. Flank steak is also an excellent source of protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and niacin, which are all important in muscle formation, immune system function, formation of red blood cells and energy metabolism.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh basil
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Flank steak
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools you’ll need
- Food processor (affiliate) or high speed blender (affiliate)
- Large cast iron skillet (affiliate) (12 inches or more)
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
Tips for cooking flank steak
Flank steak is cut from the abdominal muscles or lower chest area of the cow and usually comes as a large flat piece of meat. Because this is a very muscular area of the cow, flank steak tends to have little fat and can be quite tough. However, it is packed with flavor, making it a great choice for many dishes. There are a few tricks to make sure you have a tender flank steak:
- Marinating flank steak for 24 hours prior to cooking to tenderize the meat and enhance the flavor of the beef.
- Flank steak has a coarse grain, which runs parallel to the length of the meat. ALWAYS slice the beef thinly and against the grain to maximize tenderness.
- Do not overcook the beef, it should be cooked to medium rare and pink inside to remain tender.
Instructions
To make this flank steak recipe you have to do a little thinking ahead. The steak should be marinated as little as 12 hours in advance, but about 24 hours is even better.
Add the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, shallot, fresh rosemary, fresh basil, fresh parsley, lemon, salt and freshly ground black pepper into the food processors and pulse until all the ingredients are mixed together. Transfer the marinade into an airtight container or a large ziplock bag and then add the flank steak. Make sure the marinade is covering the steak. Put it in the fridge and let marinate for 12 hours, then flip the steak over and let it marinate for another 12 hours.
Heat the cast iron skillet (affiliate) over medium high heat. Make sure it gets extremely hot before you put the steak on the pan. Put the steak on the skillet and let it cook, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes. Flip it over and cook the other side for about 4-5 more minutes. Remove the flank steak from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for about 5 minutes before you cut it. Cut the flank steak against the grain into thin slices.
TIP: Flank steak tastes best when cooked medium-rare, so make sure not to overcook it.
How to cut flank steak
There is a simple technique to cutting flank steak, which will ensure you have a tender steak every time. First you have to identify where the grain of the steak is. It should be running the length of the steak (see the black line above). Once you have identified it, place your knife perpendicular (red dotted line above) to the grain and turn it on a 45 degree angle. Start slicing into very thin strips and keep going until you’ve done the entire steak.
What to serve with flank steak
The great thing about flank steak is that you can literally serve it with anything your heart desires. You can go traditional with classic mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. You can keep it light and healthy and serve it on top of a salad, like this fennel, pear and celery salad. Or you can go with a full hearty meal and serve it with a side of gnocchi with pesto sauce. In the photo I have chosen to serve it with this instant pot (affiliate) mushroom farro risotto. Any way you serve it will be absolutely delicious.
Storage
If you have leftovers, cooked flank steak can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. My favourite thing to do is to have an open face steak sandwich for lunch the next day.
Wine Pairings for Italian marinated flank steak
This Italian marinated flank steak deserves a hearty red to go with it. I would choose a medium to full-bodied red. Here are a few options for you:
- Deerfield Ranch Red Rex, Sonoma County, USA
- Orin Swift Eight years in the Dessert, California, USA
- Zabu Impari Nero d’Avola, Terre Siciliane, Italy
- Laughing Stock Vineyards, Okanagan Valley, Canada
FAQ
Although hanger steak and flank steak are often listed as interchangeable ingredients in many recipes, they are not the same cut of meat. Flank steak comes from the abdomen of the cow and is tough due to lower fat content. Hanger steak, on the other hand, comes from the diaphragm of the cow and is more tender. They both, however, are very flavorful, lean cuts of beef. Flank steak is typically more economical and is more commonly found at the grocery store compared to hanger steak.
Although hanger steak and skirt steak are often listed as interchangeable ingredients in many recipes, they are not the same cut of meat. Skirt steak has more fat content than flank steak, giving it a richer flavor. It comes from the area of the cow called the plate, which is the abdomen/chest area.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this cast iron flank steak recipe:
Italian Marinated Cast Iron Flank Steak
Equipment
- Large cast iron skillet (12 inches or more)
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ shallot roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ½ lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 24 oz flank steak
Instructions
- Add the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, shallot, fresh rosemary, fresh basil, fresh parsley, lemon, salt and freshly ground black pepper into the food processors and pulse until all the ingredients are mixed together.
- Transfer the marinade into an airtight container or a large ziplock bag and then add the flank steak. Make sure the marinade is covering the steak. Put it in the fridge and let marinate for 12 hours, then flip the steak over and let it marinate for another 12 hours.
- Take the flank steak out of the fridge about half an hour before you cook it.
- Heat the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Make sure it gets extremely hot before you put the steak on the pan. Put the steak on the skillet and let it cook, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes. Flip it over and cook the other side for about 4-5 more minutes. Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for about 5 minutes before you cut it.
- Cut the flank steak against the grain into thin slices and serve immediately with your favorite side dish. I also like to add just a pinch of flaky sea salt on top when I serve it. Enjoy!
Notes
- This cast iron flank steak should be cooked to medium-rare and timing may vary depending on the thickness of the steak.
- You can choose to cook this steak on the BBQ.Keep in mind that the BBQ will be hotter than a cast iron pan, so will take a shorter amount of time to get to medium-rare.
- The calories in these recipes are estimated and can vary based on the ingredients you use as well as differences in portion sizes.
- One serving of steak is approximately 6 oz.
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