Marinating? Learn to love flank steaks

The flank is a long, flat and fibrous muscle, so it needs to be either seared and served moderately rare or braised until tender. Either way, carving this steak into thin slices across the grain at a 45 degree angle makes for a more pleasant bite.

The flank is thin and boneless (with almost no waste), so it’s a perfect candidate for marinades, which will penetrate well.

This ginger-soy marinated flank steak can be grilled and enjoyed on its own or turned into this Asian-inspired sandwich by surrounding it with crunchy toasts, sweet and spicy mayo and a generous handful of peppery, fresh watercress.

Marinate the steak in the morning for a quick and delicious supper from the grill.

GINGER-SOY MARINATED

FLANK STEAK SANDWICHES

Start to finish: 30 minutes (plus 2 to 24 hours marinating time)

Servings: 4

For the marinade:

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce, or more to taste

4 scallions, ends trimmed and thinly sliced

1 1/4 pounds flank steak

For the sandwich spread:

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce

For the sandwiches:

Eight 3/4-inch-thick slices crusty country-style bread

1 tablespoon extra-virgin oil

3 cups loosely packed watercress or arugula

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, brown sugar and soy sauce until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the oil, ginger, chili-garlic sauce and scallions.

Place the steak in a shallow glass dish. Add the marinade and turn to coat the meat well on both sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours, turning once.

Heat a gas grill to medium-high or light a charcoal fire.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, honey and chili-garlic sauce. Set aside.

Brush both sides of the bread slices lightly with olive oil.

Grill the steak until the underside is well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the steak over and grill about 4 minutes longer for medium-rare. While the steak is grilling, place the bread slices around it to toast, about 1 minute per side.

Let the steak stand for 5 minutes, then cut it across the grain into thin slices. Spread a thin layer of the chili-garlic mayonnaise on each toasted bread slice. Arrange the steak over 4 of the slices. Top with watercress or arugula and the remaining bread slices.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 520 calories; 174 calories from fat; 19 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 58 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrate; 37 g protein; 2 g fiber; 780 mg sodium.