Flank steak is lean, flavorful, and fast and easy to cook. Because it is lean, it should be cooked with care: It is at its most moist and flavorful served medium rare.
Regardless of how you cook it, flank steak should be cut across the grain into very thin strips before serving.
While the ingredients list for this recipe may be long, the time it takes to prepare this dish is very short.
PAN-SEARED FLANK STEAK WITH THAI DRESSING
Serves 4
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons water
1/8 teaspoon Asian chile paste (or to taste)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped peanuts
1 pound flank steak
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
Combine the sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, water, chile paste, mint, basil and peanuts in a small bowl and set aside.
Sprinkle the flank steak with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large, cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak and cook 4 minutes; turn and cook another 4 minutes or to desired degree of doneness.
Remove from skillet and let stand 5 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain on a diagonal.
Fan the slices out among 4 plates; spoon dressing over.
Per serving: 220 calories, 24 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber, 11 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 43 milligrams cholesterol, 545 milligrams sodium
Marge Perry writes for Newsday, which provided the recipe analysis.