Over-cooked the bavette steak again? Don’t worry we have come up with remarkable and easy recipes to cook and grill a flank steak along with a few tips to prevent you from overcooking it. Originally belonging to the category of French cuisines, the specified steak stands out among others due to its extreme tenderness and juicy texture.
However, don’t be misled by this, as the meat used in the process contains one of the toughest muscle fibers that are hard to break. Thus, it must be cooked with exceptional care, accuracy, and attention to retain rich flavor along with a savory crust. To know more about the methods of grilling and cooking a bavette steak, keep reading the article below.
Bavette Steak
What is Bavette Steak?
Bavette steak, also called the Flank steak, is a cuisine that originated from France. It is highly rich in flavors and offers remarkable tenderness. This leads to better chewiness and the juicy nature of the meat. The meat for preparing the flank steak is obtained from the abdominal area of the cow. Thus, it is long and flat as compared to others of its type.
[ads]Cutting a bavette steak can be considered as an art that has been mastered by the butcher’s and can never be obtained by modern machines. Thus, the cut is often known as the butcher’s cut to highlight the importance of pasture-raised cows and well-trained butchers in this regard. Since the beef is obtained from completely organic cows, it is tough in nature and requires marination before cooking to prevent rawness and hard texture.
Bavette Steak French Recipe
As mentioned earlier, the bavette steak was first introduced in France, and thus, the country retains the most authentic recipe for it. Due to extreme toughness, the majority of the experts recommend braising or marinating the meat beforehand to achieve a perfect tender and juicy outcome. Marinating it for an hour or more keeps the beef moist and leads to the production of the best flank steak.
The recipe provided by French chefs involves searing the steak alongside coating it with required seasonings such as black pepper and sea salt. This helps bring out the juiciness of the abdominal meat. Then, it is followed by cooking for at least 15 minutes (for both sides). Thereby leading to medium-rare doneness. Exceeding more than 20 minutes might lead to over-cooking, which can affect the actual taste of the steak.
Bavette Steak Grill Recipe
Bavette Steak Marinade
Bavette steak marinade is a renowned cuisine that involves the use of honey, garlic, and soy sauce to grill the flank steak. This helps bring out the sweet and salty taste at the same time and is well-regarded by most food critics. However, preparing it might not be that easy. At least, I didn’t feel that way in the beginning. Thus, in order to relieve you from troubles, we have come up with a relatively simple recipe that is included below.
[ads]Ingredients
- Minced garlic (2 cloves)
- Soy sauce (1/3 cup)
- Ground black pepper (1/2 teaspoon)
- Virgin olive oil (1/3 cup)
- Red wine vinegar (2 tablespoons)
- Honey (1/2 teaspoon)
- Flank steak (2 lb.)
Method
- Mix soy sauce, honey, garlic, black pepper, and other marinade ingredients in a bowl and place the steak in it.
- Make sure to coat the steak with the solution on both sides. Then, place it in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 hours for proper absorption of the ingredients into the meat.
- Afterward, preheat the bavette steak grill before placing the beef on it. It should be hot enough to hold for a second or more.
- Once you have heated the grill, bring out the steak and remove the excessive marinade.
- Then, place the bavette steak on the grill. Oil it lightly to prevent the steak from sticking to the grill surface.
- Keep turning the beef to prevent it from burning. At the same time, keep sprinkling salt and other seasonings to increase the flavor of the meat.
- Salt also helps in the formation of savory crust on the surface of the steak and improves its taste.
- We recommend placing the steak on the hotter side of the grip to smear it, as the flank steak is tough in nature. After some time (2 to 5 minutes), you can shift it towards the cooler side to prevent burning.
- You can use a thermometer to identify whether the steak has been grilled properly. The thermometer readings are 120 degrees Fahrenheit for rare, 125 degrees for medium-rare, and 130 degrees for medium grilled steak.
- Another traditional method of identifying the doneness of the flank steak involves testing it with hand. Place your fingertips on the steak. If it feels squishy, that means it is rare. Cook it a bit more to reach the medium rarity.
- After the desired doneness has been achieved, remove it from the grill and place it on the board. Remember, it will still keep grilling even when removed from the grill due to high temperature.
- So, be extremely careful to prevent over-cooking.
- After it has been placed on the board, use aluminum foil to cover it and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Bavette Steak Tips
- There are some tips that you must remember while preparing a flank steak. Most important among which include slicing it.
- It is advised to always cut the steak in the direction which supports that breakage of muscle fibers to decrease the toughness and improve its tenderness. Otherwise, it might be quite tough to eat.
- The muscle fibers are known as the grain of the meat and must be used in a diagonal position to ensure that the newly formed pieces are wide in shape.
- Similarly, I prefer using longer and sharper knives to slice the steak; you can choose the one you feel comfortable with to achieve a preferable outcome.
Bavette Steak How to Cook the Best One
The Internet is filled with thousands of recipes for cooking a flank steak. However, it often becomes difficult to discern suitable recipes for beginners that can help them prepare the best bavette steak without overcooking it. So, we have come up with two relatively simpler methods to cook it within minutes with the basic ingredients. So, you do not need to run to the supermarket to purchase additional ingredients.
Required Ingredients
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Butter
- Tallow or duck fat
- Flank steak (2 lb.)
Method One
- Before beginning the procedure, make sure you have properly dried the steak and have placed it at room temperature.
- Then, you should sprinkle salt and black pepper on the beef to enhance the flavor.
- Afterward, coat the steak with a thin layer of butter or duck fat, depending on availability.
- Preheat the pan and place the coated stake in it. Let it cook for some time and turn it when a golden crust is formed.
- Let the golden crust form on both sides, and then cook each side for 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame.
- It will result in rare doneness.
- Then, you can take it out or let it cook depending on the type of doneness you require.
Method Two
- It is the most followed and easiest method of cooking a flank steak.
- Begin by coating the beef with the help of black pepper and sea salt.
- Then preheat the pan and add butter along with the tallow in the pan. The tallow can also be replaced by duck fat and prevents the butter from burning inside the pan.
- Once the butter has started producing a burning smell, add the meat to it.
- Let it cook for 3 to 7 minutes on each side to achieve medium-rare doneness. You can also increase or decrease the time depending on your preferences.
- Then, take out the steak on the board.
- Remember, the steak will keep cooking even when the flame is turned off due to the high temperature. So, you should prevent it from overcooking when the heat is on.
FAQ’s
What is the best way to cook bavette steak?
The best method to cook a bavette steak involves the use of black pepper, sea salt, butter, and tallow. You can start by coating the beef with the above-mentioned seasoning. Afterward, add tallow and butter inside a preheated pan until it begins smoking. Then, add the slice inside the pan. Let it sit for 3 to 7 minutes on each side, and you are good to go.
How to best cook bavette steak?
Cooking a bavette steak might not be a difficult task, but it requires great skill and attention to cook the perfect one. Slight negligence might lead to rawness or overcooking. We recommend pre-heating the pan before adding the butter for best results. If you want to prevent the butter from burning, it is advised to add tallow as well. Then, add the meat coated with black pepper and sea salt to it and let it cook until the desired doneness is achieved.
How to cook bavette steak?
There are various methods to cook bavette steak. However, the most preferred one involves the introduction of coated beef into the melted butter. This adds required tenderness to the steak and brings out its juicy flavor. Then, you can let it cook until the desired doneness is achieved. Most people prefer medium-rare doneness for best results.
How long does it take to grill bavette steak?
The time required for cooking a bavette steak varies among different recipes. It is also dependent on individual preferences. Some people prefer rare doneness while others might choose medium one. However, the grilling time should not exceed over 10 minutes in any case. For best results, most individuals recommend grilling each side for 3 to 7 minutes.
Is a Bavette steak tender?
Yes, bavette steak is extremely tender and juicy in nature. This brings out the best flavor and chewiness of the meat. When cooked at rare or medium-rare settings, it offers outstanding richness in flavor and is admired by a wide variety of consumers.
What is the best cut of steak?
Bavette steak cut is also referred to as butcher’s cut. This type of French steak is taken from the abdominal region of a cow. The meat in this area is mostly flat and long and requires remarkable precision to achieve the desired cut. Also, while eating, it is advised to cut it against the direction of muscle fibers to increase the chewiness.
Is bavette steak the same as skirt steak?
No, bavette steak and skirt steak are not the same. However, they are often confused together due to their extreme resemblance. Bavette steak is tender in nature and is obtained from the abdominal region of a cow. In contrast, the latter is famous for its rich flavor and not tenderness.
[ads]Wrapping Up
Maintaining its crown for the delicious French cuisine, bavette steak involves the use of honey, garlic, soy sauce, pepper, butter, and oil to offer enhanced flavor and remarkable tenderness. Depending on the desired doneness, the marinated beef can be cooked for 3 to 7 minutes on medium flame to ensure the originality and authenticity of the cuisine.
Furthermore, it must be sliced in a diagonal position, opposite to the location of muscle fibers, to improve the chewiness. This is carried out to break the bonds between muscle fibers that decrease the toughness of the cow’s abdominal meat and make it suitable for eating for people of different ages.