Teriyaki Flank Steak

 Sunday I was searching for something different, and found this recipe for flank steak (link to original recipe).  I did some minor changes, and I cannot tell you how delicious this one is.  I don't know who said it, but they eluded to the saying that recipes are merely guidelines.  I find that many of my recipes evolve from some other enterprising soul, and I merely add my personal preferences to the mix.  That's what really makes cooking so satisfying and progressive.  Nobody has a patent on a recipe (to my knowledge, which I wouldn't take to a bank), and everyone just continues to put they're personal twist on it in hopes that others will enjoy it and continue the tradition of improvisation.  Grandmothers have been passing on family recipes for generations, and we can thank God that patent trolls haven't managed to corner this market (yet).  You take from the Asian, add some Caribbean and combine some hamburger (kidding) and unique spices. Anyway to complete this meal, just add a baked potato, salad and some garlic bread, and the skies will part, I promise.  Without the hot pepper oil (my addition), you will still have a teriyaki sauce you can't buy anywhere, but the addition of the pepper oil, gives this a unique flavor and just a tad of heat.  Here is the authors condensed recipe with my changes added.  Sorry for not having a link to their site, because the author did a great job of putting this together. When I find the link I will give the credit.  I hope you try it, and if you do, let me know what you think.  BTW, the grill is the best way to prepare this dish.  Now in the original authors words (with a few minor adjustments and additions) Bon Appétit

Teriyaki Flank Steak Recipe

You can either pan-fry or grill this steak, either way you'll want to sear it on very high heat. If pan frying, I recommend using a large cast iron frying pan or griddle pan.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup mirin rice wine
• 1/3 cup sake
• 1/3 cup soy sauce (if cooking gluten-free, use gluten-free soy sauce)
•  or Sweet Soy Sauce and eliminate sugar (what I do TG)
•  1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp Chiu Chow chili oil (my addition, I love this stuff. TG) 
• 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger(plus a few thin slices as you see fit)
• 1 1/2 to 2 lb flank steak or skirt steak
• Olive oil or grape-seed oil

Method

1 Combine the mirin, sake, soy sauce, sugar, and grated ginger in a large, shallow bowl. Place the steak in the marinade and let marinate for at least an hour, and up to 48 hours. If marinating for more than an hour, keep chilled until an hour before you plan to cook.

2 When ready to cook, remove steak from marinade, reserving the marinade. Place steak on a plate and set aside. Place marinade in a saucepan, add a couple teaspoons of the sweet soy sauce and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, or until the marinade has reduced to a thin glaze, becoming your teriyaki sauce.

Please note that if you are concerned by the idea of reusing the marinade after raw steak has been sitting in it, you will be boiling the heck out of this marinade, killing anything that may have decided to grow in it during the marinating process. Also steak isn't the same as chicken. People eat steak raw (beef carpaccio). Salmonella is not a problem with steak; it is with chicken. If you are still concerned, make twice as much marinade, and reserve half to boil down to make the sauce, using the other half as a marinade.

 3 If grilling the steak, prepare your grill for high, direct heat. If pan frying, heat a large cast iron pan on high heat. If grilling oil the grill grates. Pat dry the steak. Rub a little olive oil or grape-seed oil all over it. Place the steak on the hot grill or pan. Sear for 3-5 minutes on one side, or until the side is well browned, and turn the steak over and sear the other side. Baste the steak with teriyaki sauce. When the steak is well seared on both sides, remove from the heat and let rest for 10-15 minutes.

4 Notice the direction of the grain of the steak. It should like like striations in the muscle fibers of the steak. Slice the steak in half, following the grain of the steak so that you are slicing along the grain. (This will make it easier to make cuts across the grain.) Then make thin slices (1/4-inch) against the grain and on a slight diagonal. Slicing this way will break up the muscle fibers, making this naturally tough cut of meat quite tender.

If there are juices that run out of the steak as you cut it, add the juices to the teriyaki sauce. There's lots of goodness in the steak "jus" that you don't want to waste.

Arrange on a serving plate and pour the remaining teriyaki sauce over it.

Serves 4.