So I just did a little research on the interweb and apparently flank steak is now a featured dish at Friday’s…  If Guy Fieri thinks it’s awesome, well then it has to be, right?  I mean hell, he has a show on Food Network….  Wait, what’s that?  WHAT!!!!  Food Network is to food what MTV is to music videos????  How can that be??

Yes it’s a tragedy, Food Network now sucks royally.  I’ll move on.  Flank steak is a fairly lean and cheap cut of meat.  As its popularity continues to grow the leanness will probably stay but the cheapness will go the way of the fajita.  Still, as long as the price doesn’t reach the astronomical realm of grass fed, no hormones, saw a therapist two times a week (how else can you be happy) beef you can buy at your local socially conscious grocery store, it’s worth it for dishes like the one pictured below.

It’s a grilled flank steak salad, but I’ve included mango, avocado, and and an heirloom tomato from our garden to make it more than just meat on lettuce (another Friday’s specialty).

First you need to get a grill, cast iron pan, or oven nice and hot (I am going to assume my readers are classy folks so my instructions from here on out will be based on the assumption you are grilling the steak.  If you have for some reason picked an urban lifestyle devoid of outdoor cooking opportunity, a cast iron skillet is your next best option, but broiling does work too I guess). Once your grill is hot enough, you should only be able to hold your hand over the grill for a few moments.

While your grill is heating up or even before hand, take out your steak and let it come up in temperature a few degrees.  Cold meat doesn’t do well on a grill, trust me.  A few minutes before you put the steak on the grill add a little sea salt and cracked pepper and drizzle some olive oil on it.

Next, place the steak on the grill and cover it for a few minutes.  I say a few minutes because depending on the heat of the grill and the temperature of the meat there is some play you have to deal with.  After your few minutes are up, give it a 90 degree turn to get those grill marks everyone gets excited about.  Again depending on the heat of your grill you make need to give the meat 30 seconds or 90 seconds, but it won’t be much longer than that.  If it is you won’t get grill marks anyway, so give up and just try to get your steak cooked the way you like it.

Flip the steak and repeat.  You won’t want to give this side as much time if you are cooking your steak rare, medium rare, or medium.  In fact, if you are cooking your steak rare, cut the times in half and do business with a good butcher.

Finally, pull the steak of the grill and let it sit for a few minutes.  Once it’s rested cut the meat across the grain and place it on a bed of lettuce with mango, avocado, and tomatoes cut roughly about the same size.  Drizzle some balsamic vinaigrette on it and you’re done.

- Team Denver