Rolled flank steak

Stuffing flank steaks is such a great idea.  It’s a rather cheap piece of meat, so you are not spending a fortune on a snazzy cut of meat.  The possibilities are endless for what flavors you can add.  We have done pancetta and cheese before as well as tomato, basil and mozzarella.  For our big family cook out, we decided to use spinach, carrots and cheese.  This can also be a good way to use up some of the produce in your fridge…

You will need:
2 lb flank steak
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
large handful fresh spinach
1 cup shredded carrots
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt & pepper
olive oil
butchers twine

Lay your flanks steak, striated side up, on your cutting board.  Using a very sharp boning knife, trim off any access fat.  Butterfly cut the steak so that it opens up like a book.  Try to cut evenly in the center, and leave one of the long sides attached.  Salt and pepper both sides and rub on a few tablespoons of olive oil.  You can put in a plastic bag in the fridge until you are ready to stuff and roll the steak.


Lay the steak out on your cutting board.  Lay on the spinach, cheese, carrots and garlic in an even layer across the steak, leaving about 1/2 inch steak on all sides.  Add more salt and pepper to season.  With either a second set of hands readily available or 6 pieces of pre-cut butcher’s twine, tightly roll the steak, tucking in the filling as needed.  Tie several pieces of butcher’s twine along the meat to keep everything in place.

stuffing in place

tightly roll the steak

tie on several pieces of butcher's twine

ready for the grill

You can either grill the meat or cook it in a skillet in your oven:
For grilling – Turn your grill on medium-high and let sit with lid down til the temperature reaches 400°.  Spray the grates with grilling Pam, and place your meat over the direct heat.  Sear on all sides, about 2 mintes each turn (brown, sear marks, not charred).  Turn center burners down to medium while keeping side burners on high, check the temperature.  If it’s not at the desired temperature yet, keep grilling and test again in 2 to 3 minutes.

For skillet cooking –  Preheat your oven to 400°.  Brown all sides of the meat in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, takes about 5 minutes.  Place the skillet in the middle rack of the oven for 5 minutes, then use your thermometer to check the internal temperature.  If it’s not at the desired temperature yet, place back in oven and test again in 2 to 3 minutes.

**When you check the temperature of the meat, make sure you are inserting the thermometer into the center of the meat.  For medium-rare, internal temperature should be 120° (for medium 130°) right when you take the meat out, then let sit for 10 minutes.

Time: 30 minutes prep time + 15 minutes cook time
Serves: 4 people