Bobby's Balsamic-Marinated Flank Steak

This recipe comes from one of our favorites, Bobby Flay. (We just call him Bobby). It's in his cookbook we have,Bobby Flay's Boy Gets Grill, on page 215. You'll just have to believe me when I say I didn't even have to look that page number up. That, my friends, is how good this steak is.

Some people are afraid of flank steak, or, like my dad, hadn't had a good flank steak until we cooked this up. Honestly I think a lot of people just overcook it. Don't be afraid of a rarer steak--this steak is best on the medium rare side, or even rarer than that. Trust me. You will not be disappointed.

Here we go:

Serves 4; can be doubled for 6 to 8 (no need to double the marinade)

½ cup balsamic vinegar

¾ cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped rosemary leaves

1 (1 ½- to 1 ¾-pound) beef flank steak

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Whisk together the vinegar, the oil, the garlic and rosemary in a large dish (or use a thick, sealable plastic bag). Add the steak and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours, turning every 2 hours.

2. Heat your grill to high.

3. Remove the steak from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred and crusty, 4 to 5 minutes. (do not close lid on grill unless it is cold and/or windy) Turn steak over, reduce the heat to medium or move to a cooler part of the grill, and grill until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes more. *(If your steak is larger, grill for an extra 1 to 2 minutes per side, but be careful not to overcook).

4. Remove the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into ½ inch thick slices against the grain of the meat.

Serve immediately with slices of grilled crusty bread and a salad. We usually just have steak, to be completely honest. We're beef people, after all.