World's Greatest Flank Steak
Why this is the GREATEST FLANK STEAK YOU WILL EVER EAT: Coming from a man that typically eats 4+ lbs of steak every day, I've perfected this prepping process in a way that is:
- Unparalleled in flavor and texture
- Simple and practical
- As cost-effective as possible
In fact, I never order steak when eating out because no restaurant can top the flavor and satisfaction of this dining experience. I predict you will be the same if you prep like I teach.
Eat steak and live longer! Steak is a SUPERFOOD. In fact, there are 6 crucial nutrients abundant in steak that are either not found in plants at all or are very difficult to source apart from meat:(1)
- Carnosine - a potent anti-aging molecule.
- Carnitine - energy metabolism, improvement of male fertility, helps, with anemia associated with kidney dysfunction. Often supplemented as a natural fat burner due to its ability to help the body use fat for fuel.
- Creatine - strength and cognitive health.
- Taurine - reduces anxiety (in animal studies). Powerful antioxidant. Inhibits glycation: the unfortunate process responsible for many complications in diabetes, aging, and other diseases.
- Zinc - learning capacity, emotional health, healthy libido and fertility in males.
- Vitamin B12 - aids in prevention of neurodegenerative conditions, depression, and anemia. This is why those who abstain from meat always have to supplement B-vitamins. Essentially the B vitamins in the steak will boost your mood--also, who doesn't smile when eating a juicy, rare steak??
How to source your meat: Find a local butcher, cattle rancher, or a family member that raises cattle so you can purchase a large amount of steak that you can be sure is grass-fed. Buying an entire cow is a worthwhile investment because you get the liver, the heart, the tongue.... These are among some of the most nutrient-dense foods you can possibly give your body.
The importance of grass-fed: Your health is not the place to cut corners financially. If you had a private jet, you would not fill it up with automobile gasoline. Treat your body like a private jet and it'll return the favor by looking just as good. Your body needs the Omega 3's that are abundant grass-fed meat. Grain-fed meat is disproportionately higher in Omega 6's and contains significantly less nutrients than grass-fed.
Does it have to be flank steak specifically? Of course not; this is the same process that I use for skirt steak, NY steak, and any other lean cuts of steaks in my Classic Carnivore Diet.
Before you begin: This preparation process is rather messy. Little meat pieces and grains of salt will likely project from your work area, so I recommend wearing an old shirt and give yourself plenty of space on the counter.
Prepping instructions:
- Cover the steaks liberally with Celtic sea salt on all sides to brine them. Kosher sea salt is traditionally used to dry-brine red meat, however, it lacks the nutrients in Celtic sea salt and I have found Celtic sea salt to be not less satisfactory in flavor. PRO TIP: Use the COARSE Celtic sea salt, because when you tenderize it, the chunky salt grains will be pounded into the steak itself where they will embed themselves into the meat and saturate the oh-so-delicious flavor even further.
- IMPORTANT: Tenderize the steaks with a meat tenderizer and SHOW NO MERCY. Beat it hard because if you are going to eat it rare, this will ensure it is really dead! Tenderizing the meat makes all the difference in the world. A properly tenderized steak will be 1/2 of its original height and cover about 2x the area of the steak before it is tenderized. This will make an incomparably pleasant dining experience in which you will be able to cut it with a fork and chew and savor every bite, without getting it stuck in your teeth or having to over-chew. Your workout should be hard. Your steak should not.
- Place all of the steaks into large meal prep containers that are well-sealed and refrigerate them. You can freeze the steaks you will not eat within the next 3-4 days.
Cooking instructions:
- Weigh out the prepared steak you intend to cook and heat a cast iron skillet to high.
- Once the skillet is hot, add ghee butter or bone marrow (see bone broth meal prep instructions for how to obtain this bone marrow) and let it melt on the pan. Please note that bone marrow is not the most stable cooking fat so it will pop and splatter a bit like frying in bacon grease or coconut oil but the flavor is so worth it the cleanup!
- Using tongs, place the steak on the skillet and cook for about 45 seconds. I don't set the timer; I just watch it until it starts to smoke a little and then I know it's got a little bit of a burnt crisp to it but it's not too burnt.
- Press the steak hard with an iron pressing handle as it is cooking. The pressure ensures an even texture on the side being cooked.
- After the first side is cooked, grab the steak with tongs and flip it and repeat the process on the other side.
The result: a steak that is evenly cooked on both sides and 100% blue rare in the middle. Rare steak is easier for your body to digest and without question the most enjoyable way to prepare it. If you like your steak well-done, I kindly suggest making chicken or beef jerky.
Few things hurt my heart more than hearing the words "make mine well-done please." These are the people that don't get invited back to our house for dinner. End rant.
Feel free to email me with any questions and tag me on your social media posts. I'd love to see how your steak turns out!
Colt
(1) The Carnivore Diet, by Shawn Baker, p.69-71