Grilled Flank Steak with Summer Vegetables
Submitted by periperi
Grilled flank steak marinated in lemon and garlic, served with grilled zucchini, fresh basil tomatoes, and toasted Italian bread. A complete summer meal off the grill.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
10 minREADY
40 minEverything hits the grill at once: lemon-garlic marinated flank steak, sliced zucchini, and thick slabs of Italian bread. Three minutes per side and dinner is plated. Meanwhile, sliced tomatoes sit to the side dressed in olive oil and minced fresh basil, raw and bright.
Flank steak loves a quick, hot grill. It’s lean and thin enough to cook to medium-rare in six minutes total. The lemon juice and garlic marinade tenderizes the surface and adds a sharp, savory crust when the sugars caramelize against the hot grates.
Slice the steak thin and against the grain. Flank is a muscular cut with long, visible fibers. Cutting across those fibers shortens them and makes each slice tender instead of chewy.
Pro Tips
- Marinate only 15 minutes. The lemon juice is acidic enough to start breaking down the meat’s surface. Too long and the outside turns mushy while the inside stays raw.
- Slice zucchini lengthwise, ¼ inch thick. Thin lengthwise planks grill without falling through the grates and cook in the same time as the steak.
- Brush the bread with the leftover marinade before grilling. It picks up the garlic and lemon flavor and toasts into a crisp, golden base for the meat juices.
- Spoon the carving board juices over the meat and bread when plating. Those juices are pure concentrated flavor.
Variations
- Chimichurri finish: Skip the basil tomatoes and top the sliced steak with a fresh chimichurri sauce for an Argentine-style plate.
- Add grilled peppers: Throw halved bell peppers on the grill alongside the zucchini for more color and sweetness.
- Balsamic tomatoes: Drizzle the tomato slices with aged balsamic vinegar instead of plain olive oil for a sweet, tangy twist.
Ingredients
Directions
PREPARATION: Squeze 2½ tablespoons lemon juice into a large, shallow dish.
Peel and mince the garlic, and add it to the lemon juice with 5 tablespoons of the olive oil.
Add the flank steak to the dish, turn once in the marinade, and set aside for 15 minutes.
Mince the basil.
Thinly slice the tomatoes and put them in a flat dish with the remaining olive oil.
Sprinkle the tomatoes with the basil and salt and pepper; set aside.
Trim and cut the zucchini lengthwise into ¼ inch thick slices.
COOKING AND SERVING: Heat the grill.
Season the meat with salt and pepper and place on the grill.
Brush the zucchini and the bread with the remaining meat marinade and place on grill.
Grill the meat, zucchini and bread for 3 minutes.
Turn, and grill for 3 minutes more, until the meat is medium-rare, zucchini is crisp-tender, and bread is toasted.
Slice the meat thinly across the grain.
Arrange the meat, zucchini, bread, and tomato slices on individual serving plates.
Spoon any meat juices (from the carving board) over the meat and bread.
Serve immediately.
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