This dry rub has a different flavor profile than for all previous flank steaks. It has a lot of celery seed and fennel seed, what shows most is red chile flakes, and black pepper, ground up in a heavy stone crusher.
There is no salt. That would pull meat-moisture to the surface from within to sear off and I do not want that. Salt is held off for after cooking. Unless it were actually brined or the dry rub prepared so far in advance that it behaves as a full-on saturation of brine. That is, draw moisture to the surface, dissolve salt, damage cells by dragging salt into the meat creating more open exchange, achieve equalization of salt concentration between surface and internal meat-moisture. This is not that. This is an abundance of spices allowed to mingle and penetrate somewhat, and be there right on the surface as crust on the flank steak that tends to fall off and as a ribbon of flavor for each individual slice. You decide how much flavor coating to put on.
The cast-iron grill pan stays hot. I can hear it sizzling, and it will keep sizzling for too long. I want cooking to stop and for meat-resting to start so the flank steak is transferred to a cutting board, the tin foil with it, and rested away from the pan.
This is a wonderful tasting and wonderfully simple dinner. A real winner.
The flank steak cooks so quickly it's amazing. Only a few minutes each side at high smoky heat.
I wish I hadn't goofed on the whole thing. It should rest, say, five or ten minutes. Exhausted, I fell asleep and then slept hard uninterrupted and this steak rested covered for eight hours.
I guess I wasn't that hungry. I woke up still not hungry. Not one bit. Hours elapsed until finally getting to this, a full thirteen hours later. The prepared plate shown is microwaved for 2.5 minutes so there is no red meat showing and the whole thing is incredibly delicious. I wish I had forced myself earlier. Now that I have, I want more right now.
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