Pan-Seared Flank Steak with Mustard-Chive Butter

Let’s call this the year of topping our steaks with super-flavorful compound butters, like this mustardy chive number here.  It takes a good steak to a great steak and a great steak to restaurant-quality level.This method of pan-searing steak makes this a year-round recipe, and produces a beautifully brown crust across the entire steak. Cutting the flank steak into four equal pieces ensures you can fit the meat into the skillet and conveniently portions that large, uneven piece of meat into individual steak servings.

Because flank steak is a tougher, more fibrous cut of meat, it’s absolutely crucial you slice it into thin slices (even thinner than the photos here) and against the grain.  I always get myself confused about the grain, but it’s especially easy to find in flank steak because it’s so prominent. In the photo below, you can see the large grain of the meat running horizontally; just cut across that to shorten the muscle fibers and it will produce a juicy, tender piece of meat.

I saw this made one Saturday morning on America’s Test Kitchen and had to try it immediately. Here’s a link to the original (paywall alert).

You could also throw use the same method of preparing the steaks and throw this on the grill if you really want to take advantage of summer grilling.  No one would be mad about that either…

I’ll take my steak anyway I can get it…except well-done.

[tasty-recipe id=”36864″]