Flank Steak with Garlic Wine Sauce
Flank steak seared hot and finished with a pan sauce of red wine, garlic, scallions, and mounted butter. Classic steakhouse technique in about 30 minutes at home.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minFlank steak is a cut built for searing hot and slicing thin, and this recipe leans on both. The meat goes into a dry, smoking-hot skillet (no fat) so the surface blackens fast into a proper crust before the interior has time to overcook. After that first hard sear, a knob of butter goes in and the heat drops for the finish.
The pan sauce is where it earns its keep. Scallions and red wine hit the fond left from the steak, garlic puree whisks in, and everything reduces to a syrupy glaze. Off-heat, a final swirl of soft butter mounts the sauce: glossy, rich, clinging to the meat instead of running across the plate.
Flank steak must be sliced against the grain into thin strips, or it will chew like a shoe leather. The grain runs in long parallel lines across the cut, so cut perpendicular to those lines.
Pro Tips
- Rest the steak 5 to 7 minutes before slicing so the juices redistribute. Pour any accumulated juices right back into the sauce.
- Medium-rare is the sweet spot. Pull at 130°F (54°C) internal; flank gets tough fast when cooked past medium.
- Use a decent drinking-quality red wine. Cheap “cooking wine” makes harsh, muddy sauces.
- Don’t let the final butter boil. Swirl it in off the heat so it thickens the sauce instead of breaking it.
Variations
- Swap scallions for shallot for a sweeter, more classic French bistro angle.
- Add a sprig of fresh thyme or rosemary to the reducing wine for herbal depth.
- Finish with a spoonful of Dijon mustard for a sharper, tangier pan sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Sprinkle flank steak with salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a wide heavy skillet. Do not add fat. When hot, cook seasoned steak until seared and well browned on each side (about 1 minute per side). Reduce heat and add 2 tablespoon butter. Cook 3 to 5 minutes on each side. For best results, the meat should be quite rare. Remove the meat from the pan and keep warm. Pour off the fat in the skillet and add the scallions and red wine. Bring to a boil and whisk in the garlic puree. Boil until the wine is reduced by half, thickened, and syrupy. As it boils, scrape up the browned bits in the skillet with a wooden spoon. Stir in the meat juices that have accumulated unter the flank steak. Boil for 1 or 2 seconds more. Remove from the heat. Gently swirl in the 2 tablespoon soften butter so that it incorporates into the wine. Quickly slice the meat, against the grain, into thin strips. Arrange the slices on a hot platter, pour sauce down the center of them and serve at once.
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