Recipe: Flank Steak Marinade
A flavorful flank steak marinade inspired by Korean bulgogi.
Makesabout 2 cups
Prep15 minutes
Flank steak is my absolute favorite cut of steak for weeknights. It’s quick-cooking, and the most budget-friendly steak I know. Plus, you can cook it a number of different ways, and make a ton of different dinner options out of this one single cut.
While this particular marinade is inspired by Korean bulgogi, it acts as a basic framework that can be adapted to a variety of flavor profiles. Once it’s marinated, cook your steak anyway you like — although we’re partial to grilling it over high heat.
The Best Flank Steak Marinade
Bulgogi is a Korean dish that uses the enzymes in pears to tenderize beef and give it a sweetness that’s further brought out by high-heat cooking. Here, we’ve combined the sweetness of bulgogi with the basics of a classic marinade — namely water, oil, and salt. If you like, swap the pear with orange juice or red wine and use your favorite vinegar instead of the sesame oil, and you’ll get a totally different — but equally flavorful and tender — steak.
Flank Steak Marinade
A flavorful flank steak marinade inspired by Korean bulgogi.
Prep time 15 minutes
Makes about 2 cups
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup
water
- 1/4 cup
olive oil
- 1/2 cup
mashed canned pear (about 2 large halves from a 10-ounce can of pears in juice)
- 2 tablespoons
packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon
toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
- 2 pounds
flank or skirt steak
- 2 cloves
garlic, minced
Instructions
Place the water, olive oil, mashed pear, brown sugar, sesame oil, salt, and red pepper flakes in a glass measuring cup and whisk to combine.
Place the flank steak and garlic in a large zip-top bag and pour the marinade over the steak. Seal the bag and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight before cooking.