A white plate topped with meat and potatoes on a table
A popular way to serve tougher cuts of grilled steak is to slice it thinly, against the grain after resting so it's much more convenient for the guest to enjoy their meal.

Flank Steak

There are many cuts of beef which are great for grilling. Several cuts of beef such as filet mignon, rib eye, NY steaks etc... are very tender but very expensive.

Beef cuts such as flank steak (also called London broil), skirt steak, hanger steak, flat iron steak ... are extremely flavorful, more affordable but require a little extra culinary finesse to produce a tender, delicious meal. Flank steak is probably the most popular. Flank steaks can be grilled, broiled or  braised.



I generally marinate flank steak for about an hour without salt... and let the meat come to ambient temperature. I add salt just before I begin to grill.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 20 min (grilling/ resting)

Yield: 4 portions


Ingredients      

2  lbs.       Flank steak                      


Marinade:

4  oz.       Olive oil                                                                     

1 Tbsp     Black pepper                                   

1 Tbsp     Ginger root, fresh, peeled & minced  (optional)                       

3 Tbsp    Shallots, minced   

1  Tbsp   Garlic, chopped                              

2 Tbsp    Green onions, sliced thinly 

2 Tbsp    Herbs, chopped (parsley or cilantro or rosemary)


tt    Kosher Salt     


Compound butter:

1 lb             Butter, lightly salted, room temperature

1/2 tsp      Kosher Salt

1/4 tsp      Cracked Black Pepper

1 Tbsp       Fresh Herbs, chopped  (parsley or cilantro or rosemary)            


How to prepare Grilled Flank Steak

A pan filled with meat and vegetables next to a fork and ginger.

Step 1

Place all of the marinade ingredients into a bowl and blend. Place the flank steak into a pan and cover with the marinade, invert so the meat is completely covered.

Let sit at ambient temperature (maybe 60-70 °F) for 20-60 minutes.


While the steak is marinating, prepare the compound butter by blending all of the ingredients together. Place into a bowl or roll into a log (in parchment or plastic wrap) and refrigerate.

Slice off a piece and place onto the steak after cooking to add flavor and moisture.

 

Step 2

Heat the grill to medium high; scrub the grill and then gently oil to avoid sticking. The coals should not be smoking or have flames when you grill the meat, you should grill on red hot coals. You can add dried herbs or small pieces of wood to create a smoke/grilled flavor if you like.

A large piece of meat is cooking on a grill.

Step 3

Season the flank steak with salt and place onto the grill (tongs are great for this) in a hot area above the coals. Grill for 3 minutes and then carefully lift the meat and rotate to create cross hatch marks. Place back onto the grill and cook for 2 more minutes. Invert and repeat. Basically continue cooking to reach the desired temperature you enjoy for your meat.

A grilled steak on a white plate with butter on top

Step 4

It's important to let the meat rest for a few minutes so the juices redistribute into the muscles....  I like to top the steak with seasoned butter (compound butter) to add some additional flavor and mouthfeel. Slice against the grain thinly and enjoy. 

Gazpacho & Summer Tomatoes

By Tom Griffiths • September 4, 2026
Chef Tom's Cooking Class Minute: Week 6 Gazpacho & Summer Tomatoes

Summer Corn: Soup, Grill, Roast or Fritters?

By Tom Griffiths • September 4, 2026
Chef Tom's Cooking Class Minute: Week 5 Summer Corn: Soup, Grill, Roast or Fritters? 

Summer Eggplant

By Tom Griffiths • September 4, 2026
Chef Tom's Cooking Class Minute: Week 4 Cooking Summer Eggplant

Cooking Spare Ribs

By Tom Griffiths • August 11, 2026
Chef Tom's Cooking Class Minute: Week 3 Cooking Pork Spare Ribs

Beginners recipe: Pork Spare Ribs

By Tom Griffiths • August 8, 2026
Years ago I traveled around the south for a few weeks researching some of the amazing foods of each region. In Charleston, I was introduced to a local pig farmer, Tank Jackson who manages Holy City Hogs. Tank and his wife raise heritage breed pigs and distribute the pigs around the country. He offers on-site cooking whole pig roasts, primal cuts and sausages, and I believe he produces the best pork in the country.

Seafood; Griddled Swordfish Steak

By Tom Griffiths • August 8, 2026
Years ago, while working as a chef in a busy continental restaurant, we featured grilled, fresh swordfish on the menu—finished with a generous spoonful of herbed compound butter and capers. It was popular and delicious. One afternoon, a seafood purveyor stopped by with a sample of frozen swordfish steaks, fully thawed and ready for evaluation. Curious, we grilled it side by side with the “fresh” swordfish we had been serving—fish we believed to be of high quality. The result was surprising. The frozen swordfish was superior—firmer, cleaner in flavor, and more consistent in texture. In contrast, our “fresh” fish, likely several days out of the water, lacked the same integrity. It was a defining moment and an important reminder: in many cases, properly handled and quickly frozen seafood can offer better quality than fish labeled as fresh. For chefs, understanding sourcing and handling is just as critical as technique—especially with a product as prized as swordfish.

Cooking Rice: creating the socarrat

By Tom Griffiths • August 8, 2026
Chef Tom's Cooking Class Minute: Week 2 Cooking Rice: creating socarrat—

The Biggest Mistake People Make When Cooking Scallops

By Tom Griffiths • August 6, 2026
Chef Tom's Cooking Class Minute: Week 1 The Biggest Mistake People Make When Cooking Scallops 

Eggplant Caponata

By Tom Griffiths • July 27, 2026
The name "caponata" itself has a fascinating origin story. One popular theory suggests it derives from capone, the Sicilian word for mahi-mahi. Historically, wealthy Sicilian aristocrats enjoyed a sweet-and-sour fish dish. Because seafood was too expensive for the working class, local home cooks substituted fish with affordable, meaty eggplant. Over time, this creative peasant food evolved into the beloved antipasto we celebrate today, often rounded out with celery, olives, and capers.

Children's lunches cooked by Chefs

By Tom Griffiths • July 23, 2026
From Talk to Action: A Chef’s Challenge for School Lunches