Miso Glazed Flank Steak

With the weather that we had around here this past weekend, summer is certainly just around the corner. That will mean an increase in grilling and the preparation of Mrs. BA's favorite meal, flank steak. While her marinade is the popular go-to prep for the steak, I stumbled across this recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini.

Miso Glazed Flank Steak

• 1 tablespoon miso (a paste of fermented soy, barley and/or rice)
• 1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (I use a low sodium tamari)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• shichimi tōgarashi (or other type of ground chili pepper, with or without added spices), to taste
• a small section of fresh turmeric or ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 2 slices flank steak (bavette in French), about 260 grams (9 ounces) total

In a medium bowl, whisk together the miso, mirin, soy sauce, oil, tōgarashi, and turmeric to form a paste. Add the meat, stir and flip to coat well on all sides. Cover and leave to marinate at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice during that time. (You could prepare this in advance and marinate the meat for a few hours; keep the bowl in the fridge then and take it out 20 minutes before cooking.)

Place a lightly greased skillet or grill pan over high heat. When it is very hot, add the steaks to the pan and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes without disturbing. Flip the meat, brush it with what's left of the marinade*, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on the other side. (Depending on the thickness of the steaks and the hotness of your stove, this will produce rare to medium-rare meat; adjust the cooking time to the desired doneness).

Transfer the steaks to a plate or cutting board, cover with foil to keep warm, and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. Serve with a salad of mâche, or slice into crosswise strips to eat with chopsticks over Japanese rice.

* For food safety reasons, most recipes instruct that the marinade in which meat has been marinating be cooked, but this is meat so fresh I would feel comfortable eating it raw, and very little marinade is left in the bowl, so I don't feel it's necessary to cook it off. If you prefer to be on the super-safe side, skip the brushing step.