Flank Steak…in a Crockpot?
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The other day I didn’t want to fuss over dinner. I wanted to do something quick and easy with a flank steak. I threw it in the crockpot with some Tex-Mex-inspired ingredients and hoped it would make something serviceable to put over rice and beans, topped with Tex-Mex fixins. I worried the whole day the beef would come out stringy and tough.
The flavor was fine. What took me aback was the texture.
I’ve never thought of flank steak as a fatty cut of meat, so I was shocked by how incredibly juicy and tender it was when it came out of the crockpot. Twice I’ve cooked the cut in the slow cooker and twice I’ve been awed by the texture. Now I know that when I’m feeling lazy, just throwing a flank steak in the crockpot is a great use of a great cut of meat.
Martha Stewart has a recipe for Ropa Vieja in her new slow cooker cookbook. Me? I threw the steak in there with some soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, and other Asian-inspired goodies and let some baby bok choy cook in the juices in the last 45 minutes. I served it over rice–a complete meal in a bowl. Wonderful.