Grilled Asian Flank Steak with Slaw [Kirby- Homegrrl Guest Blog]

I absolutely love food and I absolutely love my friends! Sharing recipes is one of the coolest ways to combine these two awesome relationships! When Kirby told me she knew exactly what recipe she wanted to share, I was very intrigued. We have swapped dozens of recipes and tips over the years and always learn so much from each other! She told me that this was her husband's favorite and immediately I was hooked! Our husbands are also best friends and for almost all their lives shared similar eating habits. So, a recipe that had a guy hooked on leftovers [mine used to be super picky about eating leftovers, too], is one I cannot wait to try! & hello? Asian flavors?! Yes, please!! This sounds delicious and I cannot wait to try it! Let us know if YOU do!

I love Asian food as much as any other good little Japanese girl, but this dish is on regular rotation for a reason!  Not only is it cheap and SUPER easy to make, but my husband loves it for leftovers, and getting him to eat leftovers is an accomplishment in itself. I happen to like just about anything cold (going back to my "starving, so-broke-I'll-eat-anything days"), but my husband works outside all day and can't microwave his lunch.  This is one of just a handful of recipes I have that he will eat cold!! I happened to stumble upon this recipe one day while thumbing through the Arizona Republic newspaper. To give proper credit, it can be originally found on Epicurious.  Below is the original recipe, with healthy modifications that I have made in parenthesis. Enjoy!!

Your goal after reading this recipe!

K's GRILLED ASIAN FLANK STEAK WITH SLAW

Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use regular, but you can use low sodium if you prefer)
5 Tbsp. Vegetable oil (I substitute 3 Tbsp of EVOO)
5 tsp. Peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove (to save time, I use the minced garlic in the jar)
1-1/2 lb. Flank steak (I use thin cut Sirloin Tip Steak or another similar cut - sometimes this is on sale for around $3.50 a package!!)
3 Tbsp. Sugar (I use 2 packets of Truvia sweetener)
3 Tbsp. Seasoned rice vinegar
2 red jalapenos, seeded, thinly sliced
5 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
3/4 cup chopped green onions
2 green scallions, cut into 1 in. Pieces

Instructions:
1. Mix soy sauce, oil, 3 tsp ginger, one scallion, and garlic in a gallon-sized plastic bag. Add flank steak, seal the bag and turn to coat.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, flipping occasionally. 

2. Stir sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. 

3. Add jalapenos and remaining 2 tsp. ginger. 

4. Place cabbage and 1/2 c. green onions in medium bowl.  Pour vinegar mixture over and toss to coat.  Let stand while grilling steak. 

5. Grill steak until cooked to desired doneness, anywhere between 3-6 minutes on each side.

(BEWARE: this steak cooks QUICK, and can be tough if over cooked.). Transfer steak to work surface, and allow to rest for 10 minutes, then thinly slice against the grain.

6. Toss the slaw again to evenly coat with the vinegar mixture. 

I like to serve it as a "rice bowl", starting with rice (substitute brown rice if you prefer), then the slaw, topped with the steak and some green onions for garnish.

NOTES:
1. If you are unfamiliar with ginger, consider reducing the amount of ginger on the recipe until you know for sure that you like it. It can be a very powerful flavor even in small doses.  I peel mine with a vegetable peeler, and then grate it using a lemon zester. 
2. I have found scallions to be non-existent at my regular grocery store, so I usually skip them...use extra green onions if you want.
3.  Only slice the top half of the cabbage head - the white, thick parts at the bottom are hard and can be bitter tasting.
4.  I have also never been able to find red jalapenos at the grocery store, so I use Anaheim Red Peppers, or for a spicier version, regular jalapenos (the slaw will just not be as colorful).