Of The Bovine Ilk: Ginger Cilantro Marinated Flank Steak

THE COW
The Cow is of the bovine ilk;
One end is moo, the other, milk.
- Ogden Nash, 1902-1971

When I was a kid growing up in midwestern farmland, I used to ask my mom to stop the car whenever I spotted a pasture full of grazing cows.  If time permitted, mom would oblige and pull the car over to the side of whichever single-laned road we were on.  I would kneel against the door armrest with face and hands pressed into the window, and then I would count, shouting out the numbers as gleefully and loudly as my youthful lungs would permit.  I would then group the cows according to markings and color, while my mom would participate and smile.  Ah, the whims of a 5 year old.  And the patience of a loving mother.  How I miss those years.

To this day, the cow has remained my favorite animal (aside from my boxer, of course).  No real reason other than for those fond memories.

As for the cow being food, its actually a pretty rare thing for me to eat beef.  Even more rare to cook it at home.  There will be the occasional steak when I get a serious craving (dry-aged sirloin, thank you), short rib (either braised or Korean style), oxtail soup, or meatballs for spaghetti.  If I had an outdoor space for a grill, burgers would be on the home menu regularly.  Alas, they are not.

Poorly sketched illustration of a beef side (from school years).  Flank, an abdominal muscle, is on the left side of the picture, above the beef plate.

And then there’s flank steak.  This cut of beef is probably what I cook most at home, as it is cheaper than a dry-aged steak, and takes far less effort than short ribs or oxtail if I’m in a hurry.  Plus, I love to use the marinade as a sauce and pour it all over a bowl of steaming sticky rice, which is pretty much the standard accompaniment for this preparation (along with corn if its summer).

The recipe I use comes from my sister, who originally introduced it to my family’s dinner repertoire years ago.  There are only four ingredients, and the longest part is the marination time.  Grilling was typically the favored method of cooking, but the broiler did the job during the colder months.  Regarding the recipe, I’ve provided measurements, but there is really very little margin for error.  One can always adjust the ginger or cilantro and add in other aromatics like garlic, red chili flakes, citrus, or what-have-you.  I basically just keep the 1:1 ratio of soy:water the same, however.  I also try to make a decent amount of marinade to have lots of  sauce, less can be used if you just want to flavor the beef (but you might regret it).  And that’s it!

GINGER CILANTRO MARINATED FLANK STEAK
serves 4

INGREDIENTS
1 flank steak, roughly 1 3/4 pounds, trimmed of excess fat and membrane

For the marinade:
3/4 C soy sauce
3/4 C water
1/2 C fresh ginger, chopped fine
1 1/2 C cilantro, chopped (I include the stems minus the roots)

DIRECTIONS
Mix the marinade ingredients together and combine with the flank steak, either in a non reactive container (I use a glass baking dish) or a ziplock bag.  Marinate for 4-8 hours, refrigerated, turning over meat periodically.

During the last hour or so, remove the meat from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature.  Remove from marinade, scraping off excess ginger and cilantro.  Either grill or broil to desired internal temperature, about 6 minutes on each side with high heat for medium rare, 8 minutes for medium (this will, of course, depend on the thickness of the meat.) Allow steak to rest for 10 minutes, slice thinly against the grain and serve.

Place marinade in a pot.  Bring to a boil, and allow to simmer boisterously for at least five minutes, or longer if you prefer.  Strain, if desired, and serve with steak.

TIP:  If you don’t want much charring on the steak in the broiler, cook it on the second shelf from the top.  Time will need to be extended by a couple of minutes per side.

TIP 2: Leftover flank makes for a great salad.  Especially a salad that involves avocadoes…

A gift from a friend.  My Cow Geekery knows no bounds.

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