A Life, Lived: BBQ Stuffed Flank Steak

June 07, 2007

BBQ Stuffed Flank Steak

Paul made this amazing dish on Saturday - it was the perfect thing after a hectic day of painting and chores. We discovered that it was even better served the next day when the flavours had 'ripened'.

This flavor-packed steak is reminiscent of braciole, an Italian-American favorite in which steak, often flank steak, is butterflied or thinly sliced, rolled around a savory bread crumb, meat and cheese filling, and then braised. In this grilled version, the rolled steak is wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked over indirect heat, which allows the meat to tenderize and simmer in its own juices while absorbing the smokiness of the slow-burning coals. You can butterfly the meat yourself, or ask the butcher to do it.

He served it with leftover rice and grilled vegetables.

1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese
1/3 cup chopped salami, preferably Genoa
3 Tbs. coarsely chopped toasted pine nuts
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 anchovy fillets, mashed
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
1 flank steak, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 lb.
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. olive oil

In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, salami, pine nuts, garlic, anchovies, parsley and oregano and mix well.

To butterfly the steak, lay it flat on a work surface. Using a long-bladed knife, cut it horizontally almost in half lengthwise, taking care not to cut all the way through or to make holes in the meat. Open the meat to lie flat on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil that is at least 3 inches larger on all sides than the meat.

Season the meat, top and bottom, with salt and pepper. Brush the side of the meat that will be grilled with the oil, then place it, oiled side down, on the foil. Distribute the stuffing evenly on the opened side of the butterflied steak, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Using the foil as an aid, roll up the steak jelly-roll fashion. Completely wrap the rolled steak in the foil, twisting the ends and tying the roll with kitchen string if necessary. Let the meat stand for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 4 hours. If refrigerated, remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect grilling over medium heat.

Place the foil-wrapped meat on the grill away from the coals of a charcoal grill or away from the heat elements of a gas grill. Cover the grill and cook, turning the meat 4 or 5 times, until it is very tender when pierced with a fork, about 2 hours total.

Let the meat rest in the foil for 15 minutes. Unwrap the meat and cut crosswise into slices no more than 1/2 inch thick. Arrange on a platter and pour any accumulated juices in the foil over the slices. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma, Essentials of Grilling, by Denis Kelly, Melanie Barnard, Barbara Grunes & Michael McLaughlin (Oxmoor House, 2003).