Pellet Smoker Cooking: Flank Steaks for Sandwiches and One for Supper

Jul 16 2015

Last week end Brad from Beer & Wine Depot offered me a frozen pack of beef he thought was Round Tip Steaks. At $2.00 a pound I said sure. It weighed 5.75 pounds. When I got it thawed out there were 5 pieces and it looks like flank steak to me. I searched and there is a heel of round that looks like what they could be. It is one muscle though since there were thin membranes on both sides. Either way they should be cooked on a gas or charcoal grill. Brad said he did a pack and sliced it thin and it was tough but had good flavor.

I can’t handle grilling 5 flank steaks at one time so I decided to roll the 4 and save one for tonight’s supper on the grill. I sprinkled all with some Adolf’s tenderizer yesterday and placed in a covered Dutch oven and in the fridge. They were in about 12 hours when I poured a bottle of Italian dressing over and made sure all were covered then back in the fridge for about 10 more hours.

This morning I drained them in a colander and wiped some. I made two rolls from the four; tied with butchers twine. The rolls and the one for tonight went on a wire rack in a roaster pan and in the fridge about 10:00 AM. I cleaned up my Traeger and put new foil on the drip pan.

I heated up the smoker at 180 deg. and placed the two beef rolls on. I thought about searing them first but I just added some smoked paprika to the top for a little color. I did not want them to go past 132 deg. IT. After a half hour I started to ease up the temp until I had 250 deg. at grill level. At about an hour in I put a meat probe in the smaller one. It took about 1 ½ hours for the smaller one and another 10 minutes for the other one.

I tented them with foil and when cooled I wrapped good in plastic wrap and in the fridge. I will slice them up thin on my slicer in the morning. I am using some for Italian beef in the crockpot tomorrow and freeze the rest.

About two hours before cooking I added some salt to the one and back in the fridge. My side was a heart of romaine sliced in half and grilled then added a slice of tomato and some Champagne dressing.

I heated my Weber spirit to medium heat about 400 deg. I followed a Weber recipe that called for 8 minutes on each side for flank steak. Near the end I added the romaine and then some Ciabata buns with butter and garlic to toast. I let the steak rest for 5 minutes.

I sliced the steak on an angle and about as thin as I could and served. The wife and I both liked the steak but it was a little dry and tough. It was a good medium so 8 minutes was too long. A few pieces I got the thinnest were tender.

One of the steaks and the tenderizer