Best Spicy Cuban Flank Steak Recipes

GRILLED CUBAN FLANK STEAK

Steps:

• Combine marinade ingredients. Put flank steak into a ziploc bag and pour marinade in, seal bag, and marinate all day in refrigerator. (You can marinate up to 24 hours if desired.)
• Take meat out of refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before grilling.
• Oil the grill with a paper towel dipped in olive oil, then preheat gas or charcoal barbecue grill to medium-high (you can only keep your hand there for a few seconds.)
• Grill meat to desired doneness, approximately 4-5 minutes per side for rare to medium rare or 6 minutes for medium. I wouldn't cook flank steak more than medium or it will be tough.
• Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your flank steak, the best way to judge the doneness is to use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link), cooking to 140-145 for medium rare or 155-160 for medium. (The meat in the photo was cooked about 5 minutes per side.
• Remove meat from grill and let rest about 5 minutes. (You can cover with foil to keep it warm if needed.)
• Slice across the grain and serve hot, with slices of fresh lime to squeeze on the meat.

ROPA VIEJA ROULADE

Steps:

• Prepare an outdoor grill for direct and indirect grilling. (If your grill has a thermometer, aim to keep the temperature at about 350 degrees F throughout grilling.) Cook the poblano and bell peppers on the grill, turning occasionally, until completely charred on the outside, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a plate to steam for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grill the onions until golden and soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Peel the poblano and bell peppers and remove and discard the stems and skins. Cut the flesh into 1/2-inch strips and set aside. (Keep the poblano strips separate from bell pepper strips.)
• Set the steak on a cutting board. Using a long thin knife and starting at the thin, narrow end of the steak, slice it in half horizontally leaving 2 inches of the meat uncut at the wide end of the steak so the pieces stay attached. Open it up like a book so you have one long piece. Pound the steak with a meat mallet to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch.
• Arrange the steak flat on a work surface with a long side facing you. Combine the cilantro, tomato paste, oil, cumin, oregano, scallions and 2 teaspoons salt in a bowl. Spread the paste all over the top of the steak. Working in three batches, arrange vertical stripes of the poblanos, bell peppers, onions, and olives on the steak until the steak is covered, leaving 2 inches empty at each end.
• Roll up the steak like a jelly roll, starting at one of the short ends. Tie the steak closed around the circumference with butcher's twine at 2-inch intervals. Tie one more piece of twine lengthwise around the steak.
• Put the steak on the direct heat side of the grill and cook, turning, to brown all 4 sides, about 2 minutes per side. Move the steak to the indirect heat side of the grill, cover and cook, turning occasionally, until the center of the steak registers 115 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 25 to 30 minutes for a steak that is well-done on the outside and medium-rare in the center. (Test frequently; the time will vary based on the temperature of your grill.) Let the steak rest about 10 minutes.
• Untie the steak and cut it into 6 thick slices.

HOT 'N' SPICY FLANK STEAK

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first 12 ingredients. Pour 1/3 cup marinade into a shallow dish; add steak and turn to coat. Cover; refrigerate for 1-3 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting., Lightly coat the grill rack. Grill steak, uncovered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°), basting frequently with remaining marinade. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Thinly slice steak across the grain.

CUBAN MARINATED STEAK

Steps:

• Place cumin seeds into a small skillet over medium heat; stir constantly until seeds turn dark brown and smell toasted, about 1 minute. Immediately pour seeds into a bowl to stop the cooking. Mix cumin seeds with orange juice, vegetable oil, steak seasoning, lime juice, and oregano in a bowl.
• Place steaks into a large resealable plastic bag, pour orange juice marinade over the meat, and squeeze out air. Seal bag and turn it over several times to coat meat with marinade. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or longer for extra flavor.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove steaks from marinade, shaking off any excess. Discard used marinade. Grill steaks on the preheated grill until seared on the outsides and still slightly pink in the centers, 6 to 8 minutes per side. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted sideways into the center of the thickest steak should read 145 degrees F (65 degrees C). Let steaks rest for 3 minutes before slicing.

ULTIMATE ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Pat the beef dry and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Heat a little oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Once very hot add the beef and brown generously on all sides. Transfer the beef to a plate. (Do not discard the drippings and blackened bits in the pot, they are key to the flavor.)
• Add the sliced vegetables to the pot and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until caramelized. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute. Add the white wine and bring it to a rapid boil, deglazing the bottom of the pan (scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan).
• Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Return the roast to the pot along with the pieces of carrots and celery. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 3-4 hours or until the beef is fork tender and falls apart easily. Discard the celery, carrots and bay leaves.
• Transfer the beef to a plate and shred it. Return the shredded beef to the pot.
• Stir in the olives, roasted red peppers, capers and pimientos. Simmer uncovered to thicken the sauce for 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.

SWEET AND SPICY GRILLED FLANK STEAK

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse together scallion, ginger, jalapeño, garlic, sugar, lime zest and juice, and sriracha. With the motor running, pour in oil until smooth.
• Season steak with salt. Place in a large bowl and pour marinade over meat. Turn to coat well with the mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• When you are ready to cook the steak, heat the grill to medium-high heat, or heat the broiler with the rack set 4 inches from the heat source. Transfer meat to the grill and cook, covered, until it reaches the desired doneness (about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare), or broil until charred and done to taste, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.

SPICY FLANK STEAK

Steps:

• In a large resealable plastic bag, mix the paprika, coriander, cumin, garlic salt, and pepper. Place steak in the bag, and shake to coat. Allow to sit 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven broiler. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Arrange steak on the baking sheet, and broil 5 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness. Serve with Ranch dressing for dipping.

SLOW-COOKER CUBAN FLANK STEAK

Steps:

• Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, place onion and peppers. Top with beef. Sprinkle with chili powder, oregano, garlic and salt. Drizzle with lime juice. Add broth.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.
• About 20 minutes before serving, cook rice as directed on package.
• Remove beef from cooker; place on cutting board. Shred beef with 2 forks; return to cooker and mix well. Stir in black beans. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook about 15 minutes longer or until thoroughly heated. Serve beef and sauce over rice.

BISTEC ENCEBOLLADO (CUBAN STEAK AND ONIONS)

Steps:

• Combine salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle over steak slices on all sides to season. Transfer steak to a resealable plastic bag and add sliced onions, vinegar, and onion powder. Move steaks around to combine with the marinating ingredients. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add steak and onion mixture; cook and stir until steak is browned and onions are soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the skillet and keep warm.
• Add beef broth, sofrito, and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat until garlic is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add steak and onions back to the skillet, cover, and simmer over low heat until onions and steak are cooked through, about 15 minutes.