How to Cut Flank Steak with Step-by-Step Instructions

Flank steak, also known as London broil, is a long, flat piece of beef that extends from the lower ribs to the rump. As one of the leanest cuts of meat, it is also one of the toughest. This means it must be tenderized via prep, marinades, and slow cooking to achieve a desirable texture.

How to best cut flank steak

You’ve marinated and grilled your flank steak. It’s almost time to eat, but first, you need to slice your meat. Here’s how to slice flank steak, step-by-step:

1. Prepare a clean cutting board and ready a sharp chef’s knife. 
2. Place your cooked flank steak on the cutting board.
3. Identify the direction of the grain. Position the meat so that you will be cutting against the grain.
4. Slice the flank steak into pieces about 1/8in to 1/4in thick.
5. Slice flank steak at a slight angle to yield wider pieces of meat for a better presentation.

Cutting against the grain

No matter the cooking method, flank steak should always be cut against the grain. 

Trying to figure out how to cut flank steak against the grain? It will help to take a look at the anatomy of the cow for a moment and consider the composition of the muscle. The flank is essentially the abdominal muscles of the cow. These muscles get a lot of use, which results in tough strings of lean muscle fiber.

Grain refers to the direction the muscle fibers are aligned in parallel. So to cut against the grain is to cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers. Cutting against the grain separates the muscle fibers more effectively, resulting in a more tender piece of meat. Going with the grain will result in tough and chewy cuts that you want to avoid. 

How to cut flank steak for stir fry

Flank steak is an ideal cut of beef for stir fry. To prepare beef stir fry, you’ll need to cut the flank steak into small pieces while it is raw. You’ll still want to cut across the grain, but not initially. Here’s how:

1. Identify the grain of the flank steak. 
2. Position the steak on your cutting board so that you will cut the steak with the grain.
3. Cut the flank steak, going with the grain, into strips that are about 2in wide. 
4. Once the flank steak is all cut into wide strips, prepare to cut each strip one at a time.
5. Cut each individual strip against the grain into pieces about 1/4in wide. 
6. Continue cutting each strip in this manner until completion.

Now your flank steak pieces are ready for marinating. Preparing your flank steak in this manner will produce many bite-sized pieces, perfect for quick cooking in a wok or hot skillet. 

Flank steak tips and tricks

Flank steak is easy to overcook, resulting in a chewy and barely palatable piece of meat. To make sure the piece of flank steak that you are cutting into is cooked just right, the following tips and tricks will come in handy.

Marinating flank steak

Marinating flank steak is recommended. As a lean cut of beef, flank steak lacks a lot of the fat that makes other cuts of beef so flavorful. Marinating imparts more flavor and moisture to compensate for the lack of natural fat. In addition, marinating also helps tenderize tougher cuts of steak like flank.

Some time soaking in salt and acid, such as red wine vinegar, helps to break down the proteins and soften the texture. Flank steak is thin, so it soaks up marinade fairly quickly. Don’t marinate flank steak in acid for more than 30 minutes. Too much time in an acidic marinade will result in a tough and rubbery texture.

Cooking methods

If you aren’t cutting your flank steak into strips before cooking, you’ll be cooking the flank whole. There are a few different cooking methods for flank, which are either hot and fast, or slow and low temperature. Below is a cook rundown of the best options:

• Searing: Cook flank steak in a skillet on medium-high heat, about 6 to 8 minutes on each side.
• Grilling: Grill flank steak on a very hot grill (400°-450°F) for 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
• Sous vide: Use a sous vide machine to cook flank steak at 145°F for 1 to 2 hours.
• Slow cooker: Cook flank steak in a slow cooker on the low setting for 4 to 5 hours.

Exact times and temperatures vary depending on the thickness of the flank steak you are cooking. Whatever method you use to cook your flank steak, you’ll want to cook to an internal temperature of 145°. To make sure flank steak is cooked to temperature, it is best to use a meat thermometer.

Rest after cooking

Before you start cutting your flank steak, it is important to let it rest a few minutes after removing it from the grill or skillet. The meat will continue to cook after being removed. That means you should remove the meat from the grill when the internal temperature is 5°F below your desired level of doneness. For flank steak, that should be about 135°-140°F. After the flank steak has rested about 3 to 5 minutes, it should be ready to cut.

The perfect flank steak

Flank steak is one of the most versatile and budget-friendly cuts of beef there is. With a little practice, you will cook flank steak perfectly every time. Remember, the most important part of preparing the best flank steak: always cut against the grain. Let Instacart pick up the perfect cut of flank steak for tonight’s steak dinner.

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