Marinade for Flank Steak

This flank steak marinade blends soy sauce, sherry, Chinese oyster sauce, honey, crystallized ginger, and garlic into a sweet-savory soak that transforms a lean, tough cut into something you actually want to eat.

Oyster sauce is the ingredient that separates this from a basic soy-and-garlic marinade. It adds a briny, concentrated umami depth that soy sauce alone can’t deliver. Combined with the honey and sherry, it caramelizes into a sticky, lacquered crust on the grill.

Crystallized ginger is an interesting choice here. It dissolves slowly during the overnight soak, releasing a sweeter, more mellow ginger flavor than fresh ginger would. The sugar coating on the candied ginger also contributes to that caramelized exterior.

Pro Tips

• Marinate overnight. Flank steak is dense and fibrous, so it needs the full soak time for the flavors to penetrate.
• Grill over medium-low heat, about 8 minutes per side. High heat chars the honey and sugar before the interior cooks through.
• Slice thin, against the grain, like roast beef. Cutting with the grain makes flank steak chewy no matter how well it’s marinated.
• Pat the steak lightly dry before grilling. Excess marinade on the surface will steam instead of sear.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of sesame oil for a toasted, nutty note.
• Use rice wine or mirin in place of sherry for a more traditionally Asian profile.
• Stir in a teaspoon of sriracha or sambal oelek for some heat.