Asian Beef Skewers (or Whole Flank Steak)
Yield: 4-6 main dish servings, more if serving as a hors d'oeuvres
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60ml) soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) sherry (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon (7g) honey
- 2 green onions, chopped (can use 1 if large)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (could substitute 1 teaspoon dry)
- 1½ pounds flank, skirt, hanger, or flatiron steak
- Skewers, if using (if they are wooden, soak for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning)
Instructions
- Make the marinade: In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sherry, honey, green onions, garlic, and ginger.
- If making skewers: Slice the steak across the grain into ¼-inch slices. Helpful hint: Freezing the steak for 15-20 minutes will firm the meat slightly, making it much easier to slice. (Set a timer, as it's easy to forget and fully freeze it!)
- Marinate: Place the slices in a 1-gallon, resealable plastic bag or a bowl. If marinating a whole steak, you may use a bag or rectangular baking dish that fits the steak without too much extra room. Pour the hoisin sauce mixture over the meat, and toss to evenly coat. Seal the bag or cover the bowl or baking dish. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Flip the steak or stir the meat once or twice during the marinating process to ensure all areas are well coated.
- When ready to cook: For most even cooking, let a whole steak sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or up to an hour, before grilling. For skewers, thread the sliced steak onto the soaked skewers. I reserve the marinade for basting; when finished cooking, discard any leftover that has not been cooked. Skewering Tips: I like to "ribbon" the meat; see photos for visual. For appetizers, a short skewer with one strip of beef may suffice, although you can use a longer stick and thread several pieces of meat, which is what I do for entree portions. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
- Grill: Over high heat, grill skewers for 2-3 minutes per side, or to your desired doneness, basting after flipping. For a whole steak, grill for 5-8 minutes per side, depending on thickness, for medium rare. Baste after the first flip and reduce the heat to medium-high or medium if your grill runs hot and the steak begins to char. Tips on doneness: Leaner cuts of beef will be more tender if cooked to medium rare, which is 130℉-135℉ for beef. Use a quick-read thermometer, and pull off the grill when the temperature is in the 125℉-130℉ range, as carryover cooking will raise the temp by about 5°.) Rest a whole steak for 5-10 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute. Then, slice thinly across the grain. I find that these skewers will be tender when cooked to medium, so I don't worry so much about temperature or color inside, but simply rely on the specified time and remove from the grill when nicely caramelized.
Notes
- Sherry is used to tenderize the meat in this recipe in lieu of harder-to-find rice wine, which is a staple in Chinese cooking. I recommend regular sherry as opposed to cooking sherry, but if you don’t have sherry, you may substitute rice vinegar. I have tried this and the flavor of the finished product is pretty close.
- Hoisin sauce is a thick, reddish-brown sauce that is sweet, spicy, and widely used in Chinese cooking. It can be found in the Asian or international aisle of most large supermarkets as well as in Asian markets. Gluten-free varieties are available, if needed.
- Safety tip: Stop basting while the meat still has some time to cook. You want to be sure the marinade, which was in contact with the meat when raw, is fully cooked.
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