For many, having a good steak dinner is usually reserved for special occasions. A good piece of steak is tender, juicy, meaty and packed full of flavor. Paired with the right side dishes, a piece of good quality steak is elegant, comforting and satisfying.

I am sure we are all quite familiar with the top cuts, also known as, the primal cuts of beef. These cuts, including, rib eye, sirloin, tenderloin, and T-bone are all extremely good cuts of meat. However, they can also be quite expensive. And with a price tag that is so high, many home cooks are afraid to cook them. I used to only eat steak in fancy restaurants and I enjoyed every minute of those meals.

With all these various cuts and with beef always being quite expensive, it is worth knowing the different cuts of beef.

However, to create a special steak dinner at home without breaking the bank is also very doable. To use a more affordable cut of meat, all we have to do is spend a little more time to prepare the meat in advance, marinating them to break down the tough tissues, and you’ll be able to enjoy a good beefy piece of meat just the same.

One of my favourite subprimal cuts (less pricy cut) is the flank steak. This cut definitely not as fancy but it cooks just as quickly and gives you the same big flavor as any of the primal cuts. Flank steaks are great for casual weeknight dinners alongside with a simple salad or roasted vegetables. If you have any leftovers, they are awesome for steak sandwiches the next day!

So where is this flank steak from? The flank is located at the bottom side of the cow, below the ribs. It is quite wide but thin, which makes it great for dinner parties as well as they cook quick and you can slice them up thinly to serve a crowd.

The best way to cook flank steak is to grill them over high heat in a skillet or even stir-fry. But since it is a fairly tough and chewy cut, marinating it is essential. My go-to way with this is to soak the flank steak in a bath of red wine with some fresh herbs, garlic and salt and pepper. I like to marinate the flank steak for at least an hour, but it will hold up to even 24 hours.Get the steak marinating in the fridge before you go to bed or work and all you have to do when you get home is cook it over high heat in a skillet! Another trick to make sure your flank steak is not chewy is to slice it against the grain. All cuts of steak will have muscle fibres running throughout, it just depends on the density of those fibres. By cutting across the grain, you are further breaking down these fibres to ensure a less chewy texture.

Want to know how this is done? Click here to see my latest video on How to Cook Flank Steak.