Cook Once/Eat Twice: Flank Steak

A culinary chameleon, flank steak is happy to take on the flavors of its marinade or rub. I love to give mine a long soak in a bold, garlicky marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. And because flank is a relatively inexpensive steak, I usually buy an extra one when I’m shopping for dinner, and throw them both on the grill at the same time. The first makes a great fast and easy meal with grilled vegetables, and the second yields hearty leftovers for later in the week.

One of the first things I learned when I started experimenting with the leftovers idea is that you don’t really want to cook the steak much longer than you already have, because it gets tough and chewy if overcooked. Instead, gently reheat it—as in the open-face sandwiches with herbed goat cheese and ripe tomatoes here—or serve it cold. It’s perfect in an arugula salad with white beans and shiitake (cold), and surprisingly delicious mixed with spinach, feta, and raisins and stuffed into hollowed-out red onions that get warmed in the oven (gently reheated). But the real secret is not overcooking the steak the first time out. Well, that and the big handful of garlic in my marinade.

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  Grilled Flank Steak with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
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  Open-Face Steak Sandwiches with Herbed Goat Cheese and Tomatoes

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  Grilled Steak and Arugula Salad with White Beans and Shiitake
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  Red Onions Stuffed with Grilled Steak, Spinach, and Feta

Photos: Scott Phillips