Grilling season is in full swing, and I am definitely taking advantage! What’s better than walking outside and getting a whiff of that distinct smell that comes from food cooking on a grill? Except that it makes me hungry! You’ll most definitely be full and happy after making and eating this Grilled Beef Flank Steak and Tomato Kabobs recipe. It doesn’t take long to make, and using the grill to cook everything keeps the mess out of your kitchen!
In my humble opinion, beef flank steak is an under-used cut of meat! It has SO MUCH FLAVOR and can be made in so many ways. From fajitas to appetizer kabobs you won’t be disappointed if you choose to use flank steak. In this recipe, Grilled Beef Flank Steak and Tomato Kabobs, I am keeping it simple, because it seems that meal prep time is cut short even as the days get longer. I know it’s because we’re outside more, and without realizing it, dinnertime has snuck up on me! Does this happen to anyone else?
One thing I love about flank steak is that is requires a marinade. Of course, you can make it without a marinade, but you’ll be much happier if you take a little time to marinate the meat. The reason I love this bit about flank steak is because it forces me to make dinner early in the day, making the meat flavor-packed and ready to grill when we’re at the “it’s later than I realized”¦how could we have been outside this long?” phase and we’re all on the verge of being hangry. In other words, I have very little work when it’s actually time to get dinner on the table.
Marinating the flank steak not only makes it more tender, as is one major reason to marinate meat in the first place, it also adds more flavor to this already flavorful meat. The marinade I am using on this flank steak uses fresh ginger, which has natural tenderizing properties. There are just a few other ingredients in the marinade, one of which is cayenne pepper. I go for a milder version because of the little mouths I get to feed at my house, but if you like things spicy, add a bit more than I call for.
One other step that flank steak benefits from is “scoring”. This simply means to make shallow cuts in a diamond pattern across the top and bottom of the meat. It takes just a minute or two and helps make the meat more tender because it cuts through some of the tough connective tissue in the meat. Sorry if that was more info than you needed (or wanted!) but I like to explain the “why” of certain seemingly unnecessary steps so you don’t think I’m trying to make your life more difficult for no reason! To see how simple this is, be sure to watch the video at the top of this post!
I believe the grilled flank steak is plenty flavorful on its own (especially when you take a bite of the grilled tomatoes with a bite of meat) that it doesn’t need a sauce, however, topping the meat and tomatoes with my Cilantro Pesto makes it all taste even better. It takes the meal over the top. Or, serve it with this Lemon-Pepper Parsley Pesto if you prefer.
If you’ve got plans to barbecue over Memorial Day weekend, I’d suggest adding this Grilled Beef Flank Steak and Tomato Kabobs recipe to your menu. You won’t be disappointed!
How-To Photos:
Marinade ingredients
Mixed marinade
I like to use a shallow baking dish to marinade flank steak. Choose one that is almost the same size as your flank steak so the meat is soaked more fully in the marinade.
I found the most beautiful heirloom cherry tomatoes when I made this. They varied in size, so I arranged them according to size on the skewers so they would grill more evenly.
The steak takes only 14 to 17 minutes to grill over medium heat or coals.
Finished steak and tomatoes. The Cilantro Pesto on top adds a lot of flavor but isn’t required – the meat and tomatoes taste so good on their own!
- 1 beef flank steak (1 ¾ to 2 pounds total)
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 16 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Cilantro Pesto (optional)
- Score both sides of flank steak by making shallow cuts across the steak in a 1-inch diamond pattern. Place steak in a shallow 2-quart baking dish. For marinade, in a small bowl combine onion, 3 tablespoons olive oil, the vinegar, ginger, salt, cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Pour over steak. Flip steak twice to coat both sides. Cover steak; marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours.
- Meanwhile, toss tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Thread tomatoes evenly onto 6, 10 to 12-inch skewers*, leaving about ¼-inch between tomatoes. If the tomatoes are of different sizes, arrange tomatoes according to size on the skewers so they grill evenly.
- For a charcoal or gas grill, remove steak from marinade (discard leftover marinade) and place on grill rack directly over medium coals or heat. Grill (covered if using a gas grill) for 14 to 17 minutes or until steak is to desired doneness (I suggest 145°F to 150°F for flank steak for medium-rare to medium doneness), turning once halfway through grilling.
- Transfer steak to a shallow pan. Cover with foil; let rest for 5 minutes. While steak is resting, place tomato kabobs on grill rack directly over medium coals or heat. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes or until tomatoes are softened and lightly browned, turning once or twice.
- Transfer steak to a cutting board (reserve any juices in pan). Thinly slice steak across the grain; transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with reserved juices collected during resting step. Add tomato kabobs to platter. If desired, serve with Cilantro Pesto.
- *If using wooden skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
- 6 servings
- 265 cals, 29 g pro, 4 g carb, 14 g fat, 82 mg cholesterol, 4 g sat fat, 1 g fiber, 273 mg sodium
