Beef flank steak: the family Sunday recipe

Beef flank steak is typically the cut of meat that's underestimated… until the day you cook it properly. The first time I cooked it, I was looking for a simple, comforting dish that would fill the kitchen with a wonderful aroma without requiring hours of attention.

The result: tender meat, a fragrant, light brown jus, and vegetables infused with the flavor of the beef. It's the kind of dish that instantly evokes a Sunday dinner, even on a weeknight.

My version is quite classic: you sear the meat to develop flavor, then sweat some aromatic vegetables (onion, carrot, leek), then add stock and let it simmer. The little detail that makes all the difference is properly deglazing the pan juices: that's where the flavor is. And at the end of cooking, I like to reduce the sauce slightly so it coats the back of a spoon.

On the plate, it's a balanced and easy-to-prepare dish: good protein, plenty of vegetables, and a flavorful broth. Plus, carrots, leeks, and onions naturally add a touch of sweetness and a real roundness to the dish.

You can easily make it your own: add more or less mustard when serving, a little more pepper, or a touch of gherkin on the side if you like that bistro feel. But the basic recipe remains the same: flank steak, casserole dish, gentle simmering, and reasonable patience.

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Beef flank

Recipe by Nathalie Laplace

5.0 based on 1 vote(s)

Type of dish: main courseKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: average

Parts

4

parts

Preparation time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

515

kcal

Total time

55

minutes

A flank steak, seared and then gently simmered with carrots, leeks, and onions, like a good family meal. The meat becomes meltingly tender and the broth transforms into a fragrant sauce, perfect with steamed potatoes.

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Ingredients

• 800g ) of beef flank steak (in one or two pieces

• 2 carrots (approx. 200g)

• 1 leek (approx. 180g)

• 2 yellow onions (approx. 220g)

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 tablespoon of neutral oil (sunflower or grapeseed)

• 20g of butter

• 15 cl of dry white wine

• 50 cl of beef broth

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 thyme branches

• 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns

• 1 teaspoon of coarse salt (adjust as needed)

• 1 tablespoon of mustard (for serving, optional but very classic)

• Fresh parsley (optional, to finish)

Preparation steps

• Prepare the vegetables: peel the carrots and cut them into chunks. Slice the onions. Wash the leek and slice it into rounds (mainly keeping the white and tender green parts). Crush the garlic with the flat of a knife.
• Dry the flank steak with paper towels. Lightly salt one side (you will adjust at the end of cooking).
• Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the oil and butter. When it's foaming nicely, add the flank steak and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side to achieve a good color. The goal: brown, not burn.
• Remove the meat to a plate. In the same pot, add onions, carrots, and leek. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally: they should soften and begin to brown slightly.
• Return the meat to the pot. Add the garlic, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns.
• Deglaze with the white wine: pour it in all at once and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen all the flavorful bits. Let it reduce for 2 minutes.
• Add the beef broth. The liquid should come halfway up the meat (add a little water if needed). Cover and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes. If it boils vigorously, reduce the heat: a gentle simmer makes the meat more tender.
• Check for doneness: the flank steak should be very tender. Taste the juices and adjust the salt. If you prefer a thicker sauce, remove the meat from the pan for 2 minutes and reduce the sauce uncovered.
• Slice the flank steak against the grain. Serve with the vegetables, drizzle with the juices. Add a spoonful of mustard and a little parsley if you have some.

📊 Nutritional Information

1 serving (approx. 360g)

* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance

📝 Notes

If you have any juice and vegetables left over, keep them: the next day, they make a golden base for cooking rice or pasta, or for reheating steamed potatoes directly in it.

💡 Chef's Tips

For truly delicious meat, always slice the flank against the grain. And keep an eye on the intensity: a gentle simmer (not a boil) makes all the difference to the texture.

🔄 Variations

• Bistro version: serve with pickles and strong mustard, plus a handful of steamed potatoes.
• For a stronger version: replace the white wine with 10cl of red wine and 5cl of water, keeping the same stock.

Nathalie Laplace

Food writer for the Simple & Bon website. Passionate about healthy cooking and especially salads, slow-cooked or oven-baked recipes.