Flank Steak

Nadine Brunswick of St. Augustine, Fla., wrote in search of a recipe for stuffed flank steak. She said she had a delicious recipe for it that came from a small cookbook put out by Pepperidge Farm some 30 years ago. Unfortunately, she lent the book to someone, and it was never returned. She contacted Pepperidge Farm, but it had no record of the recipe. Donna Swanson from Olney sent in a recipe for a stuffed flank steak that she came across on Newman's Own brand website (www.newmansown.com)

Most every home cook has a particular approach to the weeknight meal. Some of us are really into doing ahead. Slow cookers are their thing. On the other hand, unless we're whipping up goodies for a dinner party, others of us can't bear the thoughts of starting supper in the wee hours of the workaday morning so it'll be ready at dinner time. (And we certainly don't want to deal with it the night before.) Indeed, the only challenge we're willing to take on in the morning is figuring out what to remove from the freezer to thaw for later.

One of my favorite meals during this season is a beef entree and a glass of a good red wine. Nothing leaves me as well satisfied as a simple piece of broiled beef and a California red.Among the choices for broiling, I prefer flank steak to the classic T-bone or sirloin. It's easy to cook, doesn't have a lot of fat to trim or wasted bone, and takes the flavor of a marinade very well.In the recipe below, flank steak is marinated in a mixture of garlic, soy sauce, honey and red wine that brings out the meat's sweet-smoky taste.

Nadine Brunswick of St. Augustine, Fla., wrote in search of a recipe for stuffed flank steak. She said she had a delicious recipe for it that came from a small cookbook put out by Pepperidge Farm some 30 years ago. Unfortunately, she lent the book to someone, and it was never returned. She contacted Pepperidge Farm, but it had no record of the recipe. Donna Swanson from Olney sent in a recipe for a stuffed flank steak that she came across on Newman's Own brand website (www.newmansown.com)

...TC Flank steak, pounded thin, is one of the most economical and versatile meats you can use. In this recipe, for Michelle Husam of Milton, Pa., it is wrapped around a hot and spicy filling. The recipe is from Kathi Gunther of Baltimore.Mexican Flank SteakServes six to eight.1 1/2 pounds flank steak1/2 cup chopped onion1/2 cup chopped celery1/2 cup chopped zucchini1/2 cup chopped red or green pepper1/2 cup sliced mushroomsbutter2 cups chunky salsa or taco sauce, about, dividedHeat oven to 350 degrees.

Flank steak is lean, flavorful, and fast and easy to cook. Because it is lean, it should be cooked with care: It is at its most moist and flavorful served medium rare. Regardless of how you cook it, flank steak should be cut across the grain into very thin strips before serving. While the ingredients list for this recipe may be long, the time it takes to prepare this dish is very short. PAN-SEARED FLANK STEAK WITH THAI DRESSING Serves 4 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons water 1/8 teaspoon Asian chile paste (or to taste)

Don't you crave the savory taste, the firm texture and the satisfied feeling you get when you eat a piece of beef? Of course you do. It's time to indulge again. What you'll be pleased to know is that the beef available today is a leaner animal than what you ate 20 years ago. The meat not only has less interior fat, but it has more fat trimmed off the edges, making for a lower-calorie, lower-fat and lower-cholesterol product than in the past. But for sheer pleasure you'll want to choose beef for its flavor as well as its health profile.

Skirt steak makes me think of France and plenty of pommes frites, or the American West with a kiss of mesquite, but I never thought of skirt steak, or any beef for that matter, in connection with Puerto Rico. But there I was during a recent trip, eating skirt steak and loving it. Perhaps it was the relative tenderness of the beef, or perhaps it was the sofrito, a savory blend of pureed peppers, onions, cilantro and garlic used in the Caribbean as a seasoning base or marinade. This medley of flavors brought out a delectable smokiness in the beef.

As spring matures, I seek the jubilant flavors and bril- liant colors of Latin America. Though a warming dish of lamb stew certainly has its place on a brisk day, sometimes the very opposite of comfort food hits the spot more precisely. Flank steak, here rubbed with spices and marinated briefly before a run under the broiler, is my favorite steak. Its big-beef flavor more than makes up for the finicky necessity of slicing it at a 45-degree angle across the grain (which renders the flank toothsome and succulent)

Anita Charles of Greensboro, N.C., was looking for a marinade recipe for flank steak that contained orange juice, garlic and possibly soy sauce. Donald Van Ostrand from Sykesville sent in a recipe that he first used on tuna but that he says works equally well for grilled flank steak, pork tenderloin or chicken. Now that grilling season has arrived, this seemed like a recipe worth trying. I tested his marinade on a 2-pound piece of flank steak, since that was what Anita Charles was looking for, and it gave the meat a wonderful flavor.

Anita Charles of Greensboro, N.C., was looking for a marinade recipe for flank steak that contained orange juice, garlic and possibly soy sauce. Donald Van Ostrand from Sykesville sent in a recipe that he first used on tuna but that he says works equally well for grilled flank steak, pork tenderloin or chicken. Now that grilling season has arrived, this seemed like a recipe worth trying. I tested his marinade on a 2-pound piece of flank steak, since that was what Anita Charles was looking for, and it gave the meat a wonderful flavor.

Tough times don't have to mean tough meat. No matter what the Dow Jones says, you can have your steak and eat it, too. Budget-busted home cooks are learning what creative chefs have known for a while: Inexpensive cuts of beef such as skirt, flat-iron and flank steaks can be "super tender and super juicy." That's the verdict of David Derewicz, general manager of the Prime Rib, who served a flat-iron steak with fresh horseradish for $23.95 during the recent Restaurant Week promotion in Baltimore to what he said was a very receptive audience.

Flank steak is lean, flavorful, and fast and easy to cook. Because it is lean, it should be cooked with care: It is at its most moist and flavorful served medium rare. Regardless of how you cook it, flank steak should be cut across the grain into very thin strips before serving. While the ingredients list for this recipe may be long, the time it takes to prepare this dish is very short. PAN-SEARED FLANK STEAK WITH THAI DRESSING Serves 4 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons water 1/8 teaspoon Asian chile paste (or to taste)

As spring matures, I seek the jubilant flavors and bril- liant colors of Latin America. Though a warming dish of lamb stew certainly has its place on a brisk day, sometimes the very opposite of comfort food hits the spot more precisely. Flank steak, here rubbed with spices and marinated briefly before a run under the broiler, is my favorite steak. Its big-beef flavor more than makes up for the finicky necessity of slicing it at a 45-degree angle across the grain (which renders the flank toothsome and succulent)

Faithful readers, and those who have been to dinner at my house, know that I am not an accomplished cook. And I don't bake at all. I am working hard to get better at both, but it is hard to overcome years of Hot Pockets and Spaghetti-O's. My children have had the same impact on my culinary skills that they have had on my nerves. But, if pressed, I would have to say that there are five things that I can cook very well. As a matter of fact, I am known to excel at these five recipes. When friends have pot-luck suppers, I am always instructed to bring one of them.

Skirt steak makes me think of France and plenty of pommes frites, or the American West with a kiss of mesquite, but I never thought of skirt steak, or any beef for that matter, in connection with Puerto Rico. But there I was during a recent trip, eating skirt steak and loving it. Perhaps it was the relative tenderness of the beef, or perhaps it was the sofrito, a savory blend of pureed peppers, onions, cilantro and garlic used in the Caribbean as a seasoning base or marinade. This medley of flavors brought out a delectable smokiness in the beef.

Moms really get stereotyped. When it's Father's Day, Dad gets a choice of steak, lobster or ribs -- robust, delicious, finger-licking foods. But Mom? What is she served on Mother's Day? Delicate little creature that she is, she gets tiny little morsels of food -- a shrimp cocktail, a single chocolate-dipped strawberry. Presumably these offerings reflect the genteel woman's sensitive nature. Nonsense. Women have appetites that are just as robust as those of most men. Moms deserve a satisfying meal on their day. Give up on the cream-cheese-frosted sandwich loaf.

To embellish a meal of romance on the day designed for love, consider this effortless menu masquerading as a culinary feat. Arty and appealing roulade rounds are a tasty use of vegetables with the always popular steak. The trick for instant tenderness is to have the butcher run the steak through his tenderizer machine and this takes only a minute. (Otherwise, your flank steak could well be stringy and tough.)Simple fresh steamed green beans add a bright touch as the vegetable and can be fanned out on the plate for an attractive presentation.

Each day of the week offers a menu aimed at a different aspect of meal planning. There's a family meal, a kids' menu, a heat-and-eat meal that recycles leftovers, a budget meal that employs a cost-cutting strategy, a meatless or "less meat" dish, an express meal that requires little or no preparation, and an entertaining meal that's quick. SUNDAY / Family Make Marinated Flank Steak and Corn Relish for the family meal today. Serve with oven-baked potato wedges and fresh stir-fried kale.

This seems to be a year when many people have rediscovered the pleasures of cooking at home again. We have selected 12 of the year's best recipes culled from more than 700 published in The Sun this past year. Thanks to contributions from local celebrity chefs, columnists and home cooks, we were able to compile a list of recipes that are easy and quick to prepare yet somewhat more than just ordinary. All are proven winners. Asian Grilled-Beef Salad This recipe was one of the favorites from the summer series on ethnic grillings.