Flank Steak, Southern Style

A southern steak, eh? Indeed. However, despite my love of U.S. southern cooking, this isn't from there. This flank steak comes courtesy of the Southern Hemisphere. I've blended south Asian with South American, and the result is great.

1 Flank Steak, 2-3 pounds
1/3 Cup Light Soy Sauce
1/3 Cup Water
1/3 Cup Mirin
1/4 Cup Ketchup, try to use ketchup without High Fructose Corn Syrup!
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Hot Thai Peppers, seeded and diced

Combine everything. Marinate steak for 8-24 hours. Remove from marinade, pat dry. Take to the grill.

Now, here's the South American part. Instead of cooking over coal, I used whole wood mesquite wood chunks. Working this way allows for a combination of direct high heat grilling and smoke. Start the wood as you would your charcoal. The chunks will be ready in about fifteen minutes (time saver!). You want the smoke to still be fairly heavy, but the chunks to be burning hot. Oh, you might want to warn the neighbors, too. This style, while producing great flavor, will also make it smell like you have a camp site in your yard. Make sure you have a good amount of space, and a lot of ventilation. Might want to keep a bucket of water handy, too!

Cook for 5-6 minutes per side. You want the outside caramelized, the inside nice and pink. Let rest for 10 minutes, then carve against the grain.

Your fire will still be going pretty strong. Use it to grill some pineapple, or, even better, make some smores. I mean, if your already making the neighborhood smell like a bonfire, better put it to good use!