Monday, June 14, 2010

Thai Red Curry Beef in Grilled Flank Steak Form

This red curry flank steak recipe represents a departure from my usual game plan regarding marinating meat for the grill.

I norm
ally don't try to make the meat taste like something specific, rather just use whatever vinegar is nearby, some garlic, herbs, and whatever spices strike my fancy at that moment.

This time I actually had an idea. I love Thai food, and in particular red curry beef. If you've never had this amazing dish, it's basically chunks of beef
stew meat cooked slowly in a spicy, aromatic red curry sauce until fork tender. It's clearly one of the top 50 recipes in the history of the world.So, inspired by this classic Thai recipe, I decided to see if the same sort of flavors could be turned into some sort of marinade for flank steak. I'm so glad I did. The results knocked my socks off.

I made a point to use only ingredients found in your typical higher-end grocery store (like Whole Foods). I really hope you make the effort to find these items, since there really aren’t suitable substitutions.
One note about doneness – as I mention in the video, I like to cook the flank steak to about 132 on the grill which goes up another 5 or so degrees while it rests. This will give you something between medium rare and medium. Rare flank steak is very chewy, and I believe cooking it closer to medium gives a much better texture to the meat.Having said that, it may look like the meat is a little rarer than that in the video. That's because I started cutting from the thick end, which is going to be rarer – but as you slice towards the thinner end, it will turn medium, and you'll even get a few slice of medium well towards the end.

For this reason flank steak is a perfect choice for a group, since the same piece of meat will provide a range of different doneness'. So, go find those not-so-exotic Asian ingredients and give this delicious beef flank steak recipe a try. Enjoy!




Ingredients:
1 whole beef flank steak, trimmed
3 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
3-4 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon red curry powder
1/2 teaspoon red curry paste

View the complete recipe

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Am excited to try this. I had never tried flank steak before I met you but am now a big fan... of you and the flank steak! :D

rosemary said...

May I ask if there is a problem with well done grilled steak? I always hear everyone talking about rare and medium rare.

Chef John said...

nothing's wrong with it... if you like really dry, tough meat! ;-)

Unknown said...

Okay, What's the difference between the curry powder and the curry paste (other than the obvious physical powder/paste thing)?

Unknown said...

Okay, what's the difference between Red Curry powder and Red Curry paste (other than the whole powder/paste thing)?

tonkaslim said...

What would you serve with this? We are in a cole slaw/corn on the cob rut with bbq.

Chef John said...

Any side works with this. I'dd check the Side Dish category in the sidebar and see what looks good.

Chef John said...

that is the difference. and some ingredients, too. too many to list here. Check the labels next time you are in the store to compare.

tonkaslim said...

OMG, this was delicious. We nearly wept. I minced up a couple leaves of basil and tossed it right in the marinade.

Our flank steak was very lean, so I'll share my secret for barbecuing low fat meats: place a strip of raw bacon on the back of the grill. As if cooks it will create billows of smoke that flavor the meat. Works great with skinless chicken breasts, fish and lean beef.

Anonymous said...

Chef John, I have a Over-sized basil plant and I need a recipe to use a good amount, any suggestions

GPLongwood said...

Hey Chef John,

Can you recommend a good side veggie for this dish? Preferably one I can grill as well?

BTW- I'm excited for your opportunity to join the Food Network show, you belong on there.

Chef John said...

I would do grilled zucchini. enjoy!

Unknown said...

Tried this tonight. It was another winner! DH gave 2 thumbs up and asked for it to go into the general menu rotation ... Woot! Not only tasty but easy as well. Thanks!

Steveo said...

All I have to say is WOW... this recipe has instantly become a favorite of ours! We used it with a lbs of pork rib eye chops and it RAWWWKED!

Well done Chef... and thanks for the great recipe!

PS - our grill is broken, so we used a George Foreman Grill! *ducks and runs*

Chef John said...

Well done! I've got no problem with the GFG!

wooden bed frames said...

This is so nice! Love the color of the meat in the inside. So pink! Thanks.

Michael Pang said...

Thank you I just made it! Btw, why are you not supposed to cut it along the grain? What's the reason for that?

Lucy said...

Cutting along the grain will result in a tough product. Flank steak is from a more exercised body part of the cattle, so the muscle grain is very tough to chew unless it's cut fine or be cooked for an extended time. Your guests probably will not like a super chewy steak.

Chef John said...

Yes! That's why I always tell them to slice AGAINST the grain! :)

Lucy said...

Chef John! This recipe is awesome! I used your marinade for my theme meal project and a lot of people liked it! The curry flavor is not overwhelming, but it's there. I also added a Thai coconut-curry sauce, kinda like the original Thai beef/chicken curry sauce, which works exceptionally well with the steak.

Unknown said...

It's been 3 years since you posted this recipe. I made it last night for 4th of July dinner. The family was blown away. Everyone agreed, "I'd rather have this than a filet mignon anytime." Back to grocery store for an encore performance today.

Thanks for your blog. It's now my go-to for everything.

Cliff and Sherri said...

AMAZING!!! I like this better than any of the skirt steak I have tried. Love the flavor!! I didn't have red curry powder, so I left it out and it was still amazing! I have tried many many dishes of yours, and this one, I think, is my favorite grilled recipe! (although I do love the Beef Satay and the Turkish Chicken- it is like picking which kid you like best- I guess, the one around now!) Great Job! This one goes in my "Family Recipes" book, with proper credit given to you, of course :)