Grilled Flank Steak with Parsley Chimichurri

Start with the right size and a flexible schedule

Choose one plain, unseasoned flank steak weighing 1½ pounds, approximately 1 inch thick at its substantial center. The recipe serves four alongside vegetables, potatoes or another side. Its thinner ends may cook faster than the middle, so a single time estimate cannot describe every part.

Allow about 45 minutes: 20 minutes for preparation and grill preheating, roughly 20 minutes for cooking, and five minutes for resting. These are planning estimates. The Beef Checkoff’s marinated flank recipe uses a similarly sized cut and gives 16–21 minutes over medium heat on a preheated gas grill; our non-marinated version still needs thermometer checks rather than a promised finish time.

• Understand steak cuts before shopping

Sources: Beef Checkoff — Southwest Marinated Beef Flank Steak with Grilled Peppers (industry timing and slicing guidance)

Keep the chimichurri for the table

Le Creuset’s published flank recipe pairs grilled beef with an uncooked herb-and-vinegar sauce. Our parsley-led formula uses dried oregano and red pepper flakes for a short ingredient list. Chop the parsley finely by hand so the sauce retains texture; stir again before serving because the oil can separate.

Taste the sauce with a clean spoon before handling the steak. Keep it covered in the refrigerator until serving and use a separate spoon at the table. It is a finishing sauce, not a marinade or a raw-meat basting liquid. The vinegar is for flavor; this is not a shelf-stable preserve.

Sources: Le Creuset — Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri (cookware manufacturer’s technique) · FoodSafety.gov — 4 Steps to Food Safety

Check temperature before chasing grill marks

Insert the thermometer from the side to reach the center of the thickest section, avoiding large fat pockets. Start checking before the estimated cooking window ends. If the outside is darkening while the center remains below 145°F, move to a cooler grill area and continue cooking.

USDA home guidance calls for at least 145°F before removal and at least three minutes of rest. The five-minute rest in this recipe exceeds that minimum. Do not remove the steak early on the assumption that carryover heat will deliver the required temperature.

• Check steak temperature without cutting

Sources: FoodSafety.gov — Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures · FoodSafety.gov — 4 Steps to Food Safety

Identify the grain before you cook

Look for the long, parallel muscle fibers while the raw steak is easy to inspect. After cooking and resting, turn the steak so your knife crosses those lines rather than following them. Cut slices about ¼ inch thick. Both the Beef Checkoff and Le Creuset direct cooks to slice flank across the grain.

Serve the slices on a platter with a little sauce, then pass the rest separately. For four plates, divide the sliced meat before adding sides so the first servings do not take all the thick center pieces. If your flank has a noticeably tapered end, distribute those slices too.

Sources: Beef Checkoff — Southwest Marinated Beef Flank Steak with Grilled Peppers (industry timing and slicing guidance) · Le Creuset — Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri (cookware manufacturer’s technique)

Store the cooked beef promptly

Refrigerate leftover steak in a shallow container within two hours, or within one hour if exposed to temperatures above 90°F. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below. FoodSafety.gov lists 3–4 days for refrigerated cooked meat; reheat leftovers to 165°F.

Make the sauce for this meal and discard unused sauce afterward rather than treating this fresh garlic-and-oil mixture as a pantry condiment. Keep clean serving utensils separate from those used for raw beef.

• Plan seasoning without doubling the salt

Sources: FoodSafety.gov — 4 Steps to Food Safety · FoodSafety.gov — Cold Food Storage Chart · FoodSafety.gov — Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures

Recipe

Serves: 4 servings

Prep time

20m

Cook time

20m

Total time

45m

Ingredients

• 1 plain flank steak, 1½ pounds, approximately 1 inch thick at the center, fully thawed and refrigerated
• 5 grams kosher salt for the steak
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon canola oil for the steak
• 1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, washed and dried, then finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 gram kosher salt for the sauce

Method

1. Combine the chopped parsley, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, oregano, pepper flakes and 1 gram salt in a clean bowl. Cover and refrigerate while cooking the steak. Keep this sauce separate from raw beef.
2. Preheat a gas grill to medium heat following its manufacturer’s directions, with a cooler area available. Pat the steak dry without rinsing, note the direction of its grain, then coat with the canola oil, 5 grams salt and black pepper. Wash hands and clean raw-meat preparation surfaces.
3. Place the steak on the preheated grill and close the lid. Turn after about five minutes, then turn occasionally as cooking continues. Begin checking the thickest center from the side after about 12 minutes of total cooking; check earlier if the steak is thinner than specified.
4. Continue cooking and checking until the center reaches at least 145°F before removal. Allow roughly 16–21 minutes total on the grill for planning, but use the measured temperature to decide. If the surface darkens too quickly, move to the cooler area, close the lid and keep checking.
5. Transfer with clean utensils to a clean board and rest five minutes. Slice about ¼ inch thick across the grain. Stir the chilled sauce, spoon some over the sliced beef and serve the remainder separately.
6. Refrigerate leftover beef promptly using the storage guidance above. Discard unused sauce after the meal.