What To Keep In Mind For A Perfectly Butterflied Flank Steak

If you like really meaty steaks, then you can't go wrong with eating some delicious flank steak, just one of the cuts of steaks that deserve more attention. These beefy-flavored steaks are typically sold weighing about two pounds, making them one of the thicker steaks to carve up and enjoy. One of the best ways to eat flank steak is by butterflying the meat, which can transform the steak into a more enjoyable dish. But there are certain things that you need to do in order to butterfly a flank steak just right.

Butterflying is essentially cutting into the steak through the middle to create two thinner halves of meat that open up like a book. When you butterfly flank steak, you can then fill it up with tasty ingredients to roll into a delicious meal or leave it open to enjoy a thinner cut of the steak. Butterflying a flank steak perfectly requires using the best kitchen tools to cut it open properly, and using the proper technique.

You'll want to use a fillet knife or a boning knife (which also works best to quarter a chicken) to cut into your flank steak sharply and evenly. Position your flank steak on a cutting board with the meat grain running perpendicular to your body. Use your knife to slice into the side of the steak horizontally all the way from one end of the meat to the other end of the meat. You're essentially creating a slit that runs the full horizontal length of the meat. Use your free hand to keep the flank steak steady on your cutting board as you slice through the meat.

Pull the top half of the steak back, and use your knife to slice away the top half from the bottom half. However, be very careful that you do not puncture either half of the meat and create rips or tears. Keep the knife parallel to your cutting board as you separate the two halves of meat. Finally, cut into the meat until you can separate both flaps of meat like opening a book, meaning that you should cut just enough to leave your steak a spine or hinge that's going in the same direction of the meat grain. Once your flank steak is butterflied and seasoned, then you can fill it with delicious ingredients and roll it up before finally cooking it. But there's a technique to perfectly roll your butterflied flank steak as well.

Once your butterflied flank steak is layered with all of your preferred delicious ingredients, take one of the long ends of the steak and roll it up like a rug. To make sure that you have rolled the meat properly, check to see if the meat grain runs the full length of the roll. If it does, you have rolled the meat up correctly. Now it's time to tie the steak to secure the roll before you cook it.

Use butcher's knife twine to tie tight knots throughout the roll. There should be about two or three inches between each tied twine on the roll. With your butterflied flank steak securely rolled, now it's time to cook your meat dish to perfection. Since you have learned the technique to perfectly butterfly flank steak, you can also try to make butterflied pork tenderloin.