Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

grilled flank steak with spicy watermelon salad

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Vickie Parks
Renton, WA

This is so good! The marinade gets a boost of heat from sambal oelek, an Indonesian chili paste, and it's flavored with honey, ginger and assorted spices that meld together and flavor the flank steak quite nicely. Don't pass on the watermelon salad, as it's meant to be a refreshing introduction after indulging in the spicy flank steak. Just be sure to keep the watermelon chilled until just before adding it to the salad, so it's as refreshing as possible. Sambal Oelek can be found online, but it's also available in most Asian markets or the Asian aisle of larger chain-type grocery stores.

(1 rating)
yield 4 to 6 (prep time includes minimal marinating time)
prep time 4 Hr 30 Min
cook time 20 Min
method Grill

Ingredients For grilled flank steak with spicy watermelon salad

  • FLANK STEAK MARINADE
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp
    fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp
    grapeseedoil or olive oil
  • 2 clove
    garlic, pressed
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp
    sambal oelek or hot chili paste (use sparingingly, it packs some heat and can sneak up on you)
  • 1/2 tsp
    fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1/2 tsp
    honey
  • 1 1/2 lb
    flank steak (or beef for london broil)
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    black pepper
  • PEPPER-WATERMELON SALAD
  • 1/4 c
    hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)
  • 1/4 c
    grapeseed oil or olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp
    seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 1/4 tsp
    honey
  • 4 md
    bell peppers, assorted colors, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 2 Tbsp
    red jalapeno chili peppers, minced
  • 2 c
    seedless watermon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, thoroughly chilled

How To Make grilled flank steak with spicy watermelon salad

  • 1
    Flank Steak Marinade: Whisk all ingredients except flank steak in 13x9-inch baking dish. Add steak; turn to coat. Cover and let marinate at room temperature 2 hours, turning occasionally. Alternatively, cover and chill in refrigerator at least 4 hours or up to 1 day. Bring steak to room temperature, and season with sea salt and pepper before grilling.
  • 2
    For Pepper-Watermelon Salad: Whisk hot chili sauce, oil, vinegar, and honey in small bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper. Place peppers and chiles in large bowl. Toss with 6 tablespoons dressing. Let marinate 2 hours at room temperature. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and salad separately and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.
  • 3
    To Grill: Prepare barbecue grill (high heat). Grill flank steak with some marinade still clinging until cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for rare. Transfer to work surface; let rest 10 minutes. Thinly slice steak against grain; transfer to platter. Drizzle with some of remaining dressing from salad.
  • 4
    To Serve: Toss chilled watermelon into pepper salad. Serve flank steak and salad with remaining dressing alongside.
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