Friday night is traditionally steak night in our household, usually an entrecôte that Ralph buys from our Lamb Guy at the Bargteheide Friday farmers’ market or from Hoose Landschlachterei in Hammoor.

Occasionally, Ralph will pick up a flank steak and marinate it for a weeknight treat. Once rested, he serves it with a side such as baked potatoes or cuts the steak into bite-sized pieces and places them in a big bowl, which we share using chopsticks—usually while watching Grant Horvat Golf or Bryan Bros Golf on YouTube.

Flank steak, also known as skirt, hanger, flat iron, and bavette steaks, comes from the same general area of the cow: the lower side in front of the rear haunch. If you search for them online, you can read about the subtle differences.

What they have in common is that they’re all well-marbled, thin, long, flat cuts. The flesh has a chewier texture than a rib or sirloin steak, so we usually marinate it for a day before grilling.

Bavette steak is what the French call flank steak, and is used almost exclusively in restaurants for lunch, as it can be cooked very quickly.

Ralph’s marinade is more like a BBQ sauce without much acid—just enough to help tenderize it a bit.

Note: Mogly hates this steak cut because there is no waste.

Ingredients:

• 500 g to 800 g flank steak
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (we use salt-reduced)
• freshly ground black pepper (about 1 tsp)
• 1/2 Tbsp finely grated ginger
• 1/2 Tbsp finely grated garlic
• juice of 2 small limes
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Mix everything together and smear it over the steak. Refrigerate for a day or overnight.
2. Before grilling, let the steak come to room temperature for an hour or two. Set the BBQ to its highest setting and let it heat to full temperature. Lay the steak over the flames to sear with the lid open. After 3 or 4 minutes, rotate it 45 degrees to create a crosshatch pattern and sear for another 3 or 4 minutes.
3. When you have a nice sear on the first side, turn the steak over and sear the other side in the same way. If your steak is a bit thicker, you can turn the heat down to medium-low and close the lid. Check it every couple of minutes until it reaches your preferred doneness.
4. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes to release its juices, then slice across the grain into 2.5 cm (1 inch) strips.