I really can’t say enough about flap steak and the beefy flavor that goes with it. In a recent blog titled “Who Gives A Flap?”, we highlighted another version with a delicious Mojo Marinade and an accompaniment of Chimichurri Salsa. I’m often confused by people’s comments on how tough flap steak can be. Every time we’ve ever grilled it, it came out very tender. You just have to make sure you slice it against the grain.
This blog features a super-easy, super-tasty bold combination of soy sauce, balsamic, and maple syrup that works its magic on the meat quickly, so it only needs to marinate for as long as it takes to get your grill fired up. But, we wanted a more pronounced flavor and let our meat get happy in the sauce for nearly seven hours. (Steaks can marinate anywhere from 15 minutes to eight hours.)
We hadn’t planned our Sunday evening meal ahead of time but knew we had some leftover flap steaks in the freezer. Out they came to thaw, prompting Russ to quickly Google a marinade and he found this one on Epicurious.com. If you prefer a tang as opposed to sweet (which normally we do), substitute Worcestershire sauce instead of maple syrup.
We decided to go ahead with the sweeter version this time around. Thanks to Wendy, a past coworker of mine, we used some pure Vermont maple syrup she gifted us, which I think makes a huge difference from the cheaper store-bought stuff.
One reviewer gave this tip: Make extra marinade, and after you take the steak out of it put it into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then brush a few layers on the steak about halfway through grill time to the end. It’ll caramelize up and make a nice glaze.
And what goes better with steak than a good baked potato? How about a baked potato with avocado butter? We had some leftover from a recent dinner of Grilled Chili-Garlic Flank Steak with Avocado Butter, and the chef/author Ronne Day suggested using leftovers with chicken, fish or, yes, baked potatoes. Great idea!
In the end, although we liked this soy version, we both agreed that we preferred the Mojo Marinade’s flavor profile better. But everyone’s tastes are different, so go ahead and give them both a try.
Grilled Marinated Sirloin Flap Steaks
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 pounds sirloin flap steaks
Directions
- Blend soy sauce, vinegar, syrup, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth. Toss steaks with mixture. Marinate at room temperature about 15 minutes (or in refrigerator up to 8 hours.)
- Prepare a grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (high heat for gas); or a gas grill.
- Discard marinade and pat steaks as dry as possible.
- Oil grill rack, then grill steaks, covered only if using a gas grill, turning occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes total for medium-rare. Let rest on a plate, uncovered, 5-10 minutes.
Along with some leftover roasted Brussels sprouts and baked potatoes with avocado butter, our simple salads made of Bibb lettuce, heirloom tomato and avocado slices were a perfect side.
Accounting for Taste 