Grilled Flank Steak & Kimchi Sauce

If it's a simple and full flavour steak dish you are looking for, then this delicious grilled flank steak and kimchi sauce has you covered! With only a few ingredients and less than 30 minutes, you can cook up a meal for 2-8ppl. Serve it family style and crack open a nice bottle, and your day has never looked better 😉

sponsored by Laithwaites Wines

Why I Love This Recipe

• it's simple
• full of flavour
• feeds a crowd
• healthy

So many things to love about this grilled flank steak dish with kimchi sauce. Let's start with the fact that in under 30 minutes, you can feed a crowd (BBQ size depending!). Low on the carbs front yet very filling, it's a great one for when you are hungry too. The kimchi sauce - whilst easy AF to make is full of flavour and works great not only with steak but pork, chicken or grilled vegetables too.

What Is Flank Steak

One of my favourite cuts! Flank steak is a thick cut that comes from the belly of the cow, just under the loin. It is an incredibly lean cut despite being surrounded by fat in the cow. It's a cut with a thick grain, is known to be tough if not cooked correctly (more on that in a minute), and it's surprisingly tender to eat. It's also

Cooking Flank Steak

Cooking flank steak is pretty simple - says the guy writing about it! Like any steak it's best to remove from the fridge 20-30 minutes prior to cooking to allow the meat to come to temperature.

Why do we do this? So that we can cook the meat evenly. If the meat is cold on the inside it will take longer for it to come to temperature, therefore leaving the exterior more cooked than the interior.

Salt or marinate? Both work fine but here are my tips when adding one or the other.

Salt - either just before or 30-40 minutes prior. Salt draws out the moisture, and if you salt it say, 10 minutes before cooking, then the exterior will be full of moisture, and you won't get a good sear/crust. After about 30 minutes, the steak reabsorbs that moisture so the salt really penetrates the meat then.

Marinade - when doing so, think of the sauce you are serving with the meat. No need to add something if you are making a crazy spicy sauce as you won't taste the hard work/effort you are going to. Secondly, if using acid (citrus or vinegar) in your marinade, I recommend only marinating for 30 mins - 2 hours. Any longer and you can break down the texture of the meat.

Now, you have done all the hard work and want to cook your grilled flank steak to perfection. What do you do? Firstly, get a good meat thermometer. It takes all the guesswork out of the equation!

I like to grill mine - hence it being called "grilled flank steak" but you can also pan-fry it. Either way, have your BBQ cranked up to 220c+ or your frying pan smoking. Place your meat on your chosen apparatus and leave it alone for about 3 minutes. Flip, and cook for a further 3 minutes or until your meat is 48-52c for medium rare.

Top Tip - if using a marinade, then grill it on the BBQ otherwise, the marinade will burn in the pan.

REST YOUR MEAT!

Flank Steak Alternatives

If you are a fan of this cheaper but flavoursome cut, then the following are similar (not the same) cuts that I use when feeding a crowd or making dishes like this

• flap meat - sounds strange, but this super flavoursome cut, Located on the bottom sirloin of the cow near the back leg it's great for hot and fast cooks and loves a good marinade
• skirt steak - a long thin cut that comes from the plate/belly. It's super flavoursome but, due to its thinness, cooks quicker. One notable difference between the 2 is the direction of the grain. The skirt runs widthways, whereas the flank runs lengthways
• hangar - a real beefy cut that is super tender. It's located near the diaphragm of the cow, so it doesn't do a lot of work hence it being low in fat

Kimchi Sauce

Who doesn't love kimchi? Well, if truth be told, Mrs AnotherFoodBlogger isn't the biggest fan, but I also didn't see her turning her nose up at this delicious grilled flank steak w/ kimchi sauce 😉

The sauce is so simple to make! Literally, get your favourite kimchi and roughly chop it, then lob it in a mini food processor with a dash of sesame oil and rice vinegar. Blitz it a few times, add some kewpie mayo and blitz it again. Simple!

Use it with this flank steak or any other grilled steak. It's also delicious with grilled vegetables, chicken and pork too.

Laithwaites & Elderton Shiraz

Two big powerhouses here! Laithwaites are a family-owned company here in Australia who are on a mission to bring you a great selection of curated wines from Australia and worldwide. These wines are often offered at below cellar door price, and when you see a winery like Elderton in the mix, you know you are getting a cracking drop!

Elderton winery - a family-owned winery that has been going about its business for 40+ years now. What can I say, when you think of Barossa, a few wineries come to mind immediately, and Elderton is certainly one of them. They have a wide range of wines for every wine addict to suit every pocket too! The Shiraz in question here is a classic Barossa shiraz with rich flavours of plum, licorice and chocolate too. Great balance of oak, tannins and acidity make this simply another cracker that will no doubt improve with age too. Coming in at $23.99 a bottle, it's obvious to see why Laithwaites are stocking it

Cheers!

Alternative Steak Recipes

So you've enjoyed my grilled flank steak with a delicious kimchi sauce and need more easy steak recipes for your BBQ? Check out these guys below, and don't forget to leave me a comment/review 😉

Steak & Corn Elote Tacos

Bavette Steak, Whipped Goats Cheese & Peach Tomato Salad

Moroccan Steak Pitas

Grilled Swordfish Steak, Charred Spring Onion & Orange Salsa

Happy Cooking & Happy Eating Friends!!