Flanken (Short Ribs) with Red Miso

Found the original version of this recipe at Epicurious.  I changed the recipe slightly (but you know me already, I always do :) ).  It does not really need a long bath in the marinade, so you can come home from work and toss everything in a freezer bag (you will be tempted to use a food storage bag, but they tend to be thinner and more likely to spring a leak from when you accidentally jab it with a sharp bone edge).  The time it takes for you to change into something more sloppy comfortable is enough.

Start up the rice, preheat the broiler, then (TIP ALERT!) rip off some aluminum foil about 1 1/2 times the length of your rimmed baking sheet.  Wad up the foil loosely, then carefully unwad, leaving all those hills and valleys for the grease to collect in, then lay the meat gently (don't wanna squash those hills!) on the baking sheet.  Check out the photos on the top and bottom of this post.  See all the yucky burnt marinade?  You'll thank me later when you don't have to scrub a broiler pan.  It's just a short no-soak clean up of the grease that manages to get underneath the foil.

I've made this recipe with both flanken and skirt steak, and my favorite way is whichever cut of meat I happen to have.  But lately, the price of skirt steak has gone through the roof, while flanken is merely exorbitant, so I've been making it more and more with the flanken.  The cut I used tonight was called "chuck flanken" (sounds more like the name of a butcher.  Or a gangster), which is why you don't see any short ribs sticking out.

Be sure to use reduced-sodium soy sauce because the red miso, a thick oriental soy bean paste, is way salty.  I found the red miso in the refrigerated section of the health food aisle of my local supermarket.  As long as it is kept refrigerated it keeps almost forever.  White miso is also available, but I haven't tried it yet.  If you purchase some of the white, please let me know how it tastes.


Flanken with Red Miso
Adapted from Epicurious 
Serves 4

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. dark brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 tsp. of jarred minced garlic in oil)
2 tsp. sesame seeds
1 Tbs. red miso
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
4 flanken steaks (short ribs)
 rice, enough to serve your family

Preheat the broiler.  Mix the first 6 ingredients together in a freezer bag.  Place the flanken in the bag, then carefully squeeze out the air and seal.  Place on a plate on the counter for 15 minutes.  If you prefer, marinate for 2 hours in the fridge, removing the bag from said fridge about 15 minutes before broiling. 

Open the bag and carefully pour off and discard the marinade.  Remove flanken and place in a single layer on a broiler pan or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.  Avoid letting the pieces touch.

Broil a few inches from the flame about 4-5 minutes (watch and remove from broiler early if flanken starts to burn).   Turn flanken over and broil a foot from the flame another 5-10 minutes, or until cooked to your preference.

 Serve with rice and veggie of your choice (broccoli works very nicely).