MISO-MARINATED FLANK STEAK

The first time I made this, I followed the recipe to a tee. I’ve always been a fan of the Bon Appetit Food Lover’s Cleanse, and make these recipes often, so I knew it wouldn’t disappoint. Plus I had finally found miso paste at my local market, and was dying to try new recipes with it.  

First off: miso, so hot right now. Because of its many health benefits, miso paste is becoming a more popular ingredient in daily cooking  And while it’s not the cheapest ingredient, it is very versatile and can live in the fridge for months on end. 

If you’re not on the miso train yet, the only other thing I can tell you is that this is one of the best meals I’ve ever made. My husband and I only took breaks from eating it to tell each other how good it was. We agreed that we should make this at least once a month, next time with a bigger cut of steak. The next day I put the leftover steak in an amazing salad with spinach, whole grain rice medley, Miso Green Beans with Almonds, and a soy ginger dressing. It was incredible. My husband even sent me an email at work to say that it was the best salad of his life. 

The only trick to this meal is to follow the recipe exactly. I mean it. Do not, for the love of God, do not over marinate the steak. It ruins it. Because the second time I made this, that’s exactly what I did. And it was inedible (not to mention a total waste of food and money).  

Here’s what happened: I prepared the meat on Sunday night, with the intention of cooking Monday after work for a quick and easy meal. Then we had to go to a dinner we’d forgotten about, and kept it in the fridge with intentions to eat it the next day. Thinking it was all the same (ok, thinking I knew more than BA did, which is to say that I thought only good things happen from over-marinating and that I was about to have an even better steak). Tuesday night, we cooked it, the exact same way, and took a bite. We ate silently for a minute, trying to convince ourselves that the super saltiness of it was some new umami flavor that tasted good. It didn’t. I don’t know who broke the silence first, but I do know all we could say was how bad it was. Deflated and hungry, we chalked it up as a loss and moved on.  

Take my advice: make this dish, but trust the brilliant minds of Bon Appetit and do what they say.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup white miso (fermented soybean paste) - I used red and it was fine
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon peeled ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for brushing
• 1 1/2 pound grass-fed beef flank steak
• Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon (if you have it), and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In medium bowl, whisk together miso, mustard, ginger, salt, garlic, and 2 tablespoons oil into a paste.
2. Generously rub paste on both sides of steak. Do not discard excess, lay it on thick!
3. Wrap well in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
4. Arrange top rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 450°.
5. Oil a baking sheet (brush or spray).
6. Remove steak from marinade, shaking off excess, and place on prepared sheet.
7. Place on top rack in oven and roast, turning once, until cooked to medium, roughly 13 minutes.
8. While the meat is still in the oven, turn on the broiler to finish the steak. Keep a close eye on it to prevent burning. Broil on each side for approximately 1 minute, until deep brown.
9. Remove from oven and transfer to a heat safe cutting board.
10. Let meat rest for 10 minutes. This seals in the juices and will make it easier to cut.
11. Thinly slice against the grain.
12. Serve right away, with brown rice and Miso Green Beans with Almonds.

Serves 4.

Leftover Tip: Throw leftover steak in a salad with Miso Green Beans with Almonds leftover rice, spinach, and a ginger dressing.

Source: Bon Appetit | Miso-Marinated Flank Steak