Few things in life are as stunning as a grilled flank steak that has been brushed with beer barbecue sauce and is gleaming and smokey. Any beer will do, but if at all possible, go for something stronger. This sauce truly pops thanks to the background bitterness of the beer.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 15 mins |
| Additional Time: | 8 hrs |
| Total Time: | 8 hrs 25 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup molasses
- ⅓ cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup strong beer
- 1 (1 1/2-pound) trimmed beef flank steak
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pour ketchup, molasses, and white vinegar in a bowl; add white sugar, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, allspice, and cinnamon. Whisk until sauce is smooth. Pour in beer.
- Place flank steak into a non-reactive container; pour sauce over meat. Poke at least 100 holes per side in the flank steak using 2 forks.
- Cover container with plastic wrap and marinate beef 8 to 12 hours (up to overnight).
- Remove flank steak from marinade and pat the meat dry with paper towels. Pour leftover marinade into a saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes to make a basting sauce.
- Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate. Season flank steak with salt and black pepper.
- Grill flank steak for 2 1/2 minutes; turn meat around on grate to a 45-degree angle to make diamond grill marks; grill for 2 1/2 more minutes. Repeat on second side, turning meat 45 degrees after 2 1/2 minutes and grilling 2 1/2 more minutes.
- Flip steak to original side and paint meat with sauce. Continue to grill until sauce has glazed onto the meat, about 30 seconds. Turn meat over and brush other side with sauce. Sauce will burn if cooked too long. Repeat 1 more time, brushing and glazing sauce onto meat for about 30 seconds on each side. An instant-read meat thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of the flank steak, should read 125 degrees F (52 degrees C).
- Transfer steak to a platter and let rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing lengthwise down the center; cut each half across the grain into slices about 3/8 inch thick. Drizzle slices with more sauce to serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 282 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 30 g |
| Cholesterol | 37 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 21 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Sodium | 965 mg |
| Sugars | 21 g |
| Fat | 7 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I used tritip instead of a beef flank, marinated for 12 hours, and it came out so well! I’m going to pair it with some potatoes and asparagus this time.
We did not care for the flavor of this meat. I think the molasses, cinnamon and allspice were the culprits for the unpleasant (in our opinion) taste. I will not be keeping this recipe in my collection.
I made this a second time and it is even better than before. I used Modelo Negra for the beer and added everything else the recipe calls for, then poked a bunch of holes with 2 forks and marinated overnight (about 20 hours). The steak turned out amazing with a savory sweet flavor.
Yum! Whole family liked. Forking it so much with the marinade really helps tenderize this cut as well as make it tasty. I used a bottled bbq sauce plus all the seasonings and a strong tan ale. Marinated about 5-6 hours. Grilled over high propane grill 5 min each side per Chef John instruction. Turned out perfect.
I used apple cider vinegar rather than red wine vinegar. I marinated it for 8 hours and it was delicious!!! Good flavor and almost fork tender! Will definitely do again!
I made no changes to the recipe and my wife and I loved it!
I made this exactly as the recipe stated except I used a 2 lb. flank steak and thought this was amazing. The marinade/basting sauce was really flavorful. I was worried after reading reviews that it might be too sweet or have a weird flavor but it was great. I used Guinness and marinated overnight. I will definitely be making this again.
Made this sauce as written but it was much more bitter than expected and ruined the taste of the steak.
I put this together for steak tips on the grill. yummy! I used Jack Abbey smoke and dagger beer. This was awesome, thank you for sharing.
Did not have cumin – still great flavors. To be redone. Also served the suggestion for sauce i.e. sour cream, honey, mustard
I’m used to flank steak being rolled with things like bacon with hollandaise and tarragon as its sauce. This was okay. But no more using flank steak when you can use a London broil! Again, the leftovers, not used to it!
Followed directions exactly for Fathers Day dinner. I thought it sounded different and interesting. Did not like the results a lot. I don’t know if it was the cinnamon or the all spice, or what, but the finished product brought out a resounding ‘meh’ from the family. Looked beautiful and was perfectly done, but the flavor was not for me. I would not make this again.
This was fairly easy to make and I thought it would be a typical bbq flavor, but was pleasantly surprised with the beer addition. Comparisons between this marinade and another home made teriyaki marinade, at a party, all the guests were stating they liked THIS marinade best! I will make it again!
This was really good.
I don’t like the sauce and flavour but appreciate the method for marinating and grilling. Will try with a different sauce.
Followed the recipe without the cinnamon, allspice, and cumin per the reviews. Unfortunately, it was not hit. The meat was quite sweet with the beer and the molasses running the flavor show and taking over the meat. If you like a sweetness in your meats this might work for you but, if not, then find another recipe. The methodology was spot on so the meat was very tender but the deep sweet flavor profile was not for us.
Made as written and is very tasty and tender. I used Guinness beer and on a gas grill it took quite a bit longer than 5 minutes per side but it turned out perfect. You can really taste the cinnamon and allspice and it was definitely edible but kinda weird so I might leave those out next time or maybe just the cinnamon…but there will be a next time!
This is delicious! My entire family of six…ranging in age from nine to age seventy…loved it. I prepared it exactly as Chef John’s receipe suggested…used an instant read thermometer to test for internal temperature, let it rest ten minutes before slicing and the steaks were perfect.
Didn’t need to use the cinnamon, allspice and the cumin. I used Guinness and black strap molasses and marinated the Flank Steak overnight and it was fantastic!
I had a flank steak that needed used up, so I made this recipe on a whim. We really enjoyed this, my husband kept going back for more. I didn’t have any strong beer on hand, just a Bud, so that’s what I used and it was just fine. This was a nice change of pace from my usual flank steak preparation.
This was very well liked by my family and was not a lot of trouble to make. I like the idea of boiling the marinade to use as a basting sauce instead of just pouring all that flavour down the drain. Thanks!