Papaya-Marinated Grilled Flank Steak

FLUFFSTER's Note:

Flank steak is not one of the most tender cuts of meat. I've tossed enough of the away! The papaya itself not only lends it's flavor to the meat, it actually has an enzyme that tenderizes the meat. Give it a try. You will need to marinate the flank over-night, so make your plans a little ahead for this reason. This is great with a crisp romaine and cherry tomato salad with chunky bleu cheese, and a great wine. If you leave the meat on the cutting board,ve sure to thoroughly wash the board. Another option, which I do, is to have a hard plastic cutting board, which can be sanitized. The marinating time varies, as you may not want to choose the overnight method. I have not included the overnight method.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 papaya , very ripe
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 3 large garlic cloves , minced
• 2 lbs flank steaks

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the papayas, soy sauce, and garlic.
2. Using the back of a fork, smash the papaya until it forms a chunky paste.
3. Remove 1/2 cup of the marinade and refrigerate.
4. Add the flank steak and a generous amount of salt and pepper to the remaining marinade and refrigerate overnight, turning once.
5. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Remove any excess marinade from the steak and discard. Grill each side of the steak for 5-7 minutes for medium rare. Allow to sit for 10 minutes on a cutting board, then slice against the grain into 1/2-inch slices.
6. Serve with the reserved marinade.

Reviews

[John Comeau]

the steaks i'm buying are so tough i don't think anything will really tenderize them, but this marinade went a long way. besides outstanding flavor, it only takes me about one minute to chew each bite compared to maybe 5 minutes with a different marinade i tried yesterday. it did a great job on some rabbit meat also. i used Bragg Liquid Aminos instead of regular soy sauce; less salty and a little more healthy.

[Abby Girl]

If I could rate this any higher, I would. It was excellent!!! I marinated the flank for 7 hours and it came out really, really tender. Blew me away. Hubby is still talking about it!! As soy sauce can be really salty, I did cut it down with some water, but that was the only changes I made. I plan on trying this on other cuts of meats. It would be criminal offense not to try this recipe! Fluffster, thank you for the contribution!!!