This Cheddar-Pecan Rolled Flank Steak bakes in the oven for a great Fall meal.
Treating Friends to Cheddar Pecan Rolled Flank Steak
As I did some menu planning for out-of-town guests, I took pity on our dear friend Bill. While Bill didn’t directly volunteer his food preferences, his wife Donna (and also our dear friend) did offer some input on his behalf.
When I asked, “how does Bill feel about fish?” She said, “Bill says fish just tastes like fish.” OK, I guess that makes sense, right? Donna also said that chicken is one of her favorites. With that in mind, I selected Chicken Marsala for dinner one night. Yet I also wanted to prepare something that Bill might enjoy. That sent me flipping through a favorite cookbook where I rediscovered this Cheddar-Pecan Rolled Flank Steak recipe.
Easy Recipe That Will Build Biceps!
This is actually a pretty easy recipe. You do, however, need to pound the flank steak fairly thin so it will cook properly once it’s rolled and tied. Being the wimpy-armed cook that I am, this took me a little while. In fact, I started to wonder if my neighbors thought I was building something, what with all of the pounding! But once that’s done, you whip up the pineapple/herb marinade and let the steak soak up the flavorful goodness overnight. A pineapple marinade might not sound like an obvious pairing with beef, but I assure you this combination is really quite delicious.
The Stuffing is the Good Stuff!
Of course, it is the stuffing that is the real star in this recipe. Both the taste of the savory cheese and pecan-laced stuffing and the presentation of the sliced beef roll surrounding it, delivers a nice wow factor. The couple of times I’ve served this dish, it’s been for dinner parties with friends. I do think it would be a great option for a family dinner as well with the kids and grand kids. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Cheddar-Pecan Rolled Flank Steak
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 c. chopped onions preferably sweet onion
- 2 c. pineapple juice
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves crushed
- 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. beef flank steak
Stuffing
- 1 1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs
- 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 c. chopped pecans
- 1/4 c. chopped onion preferably sweet onion
- 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
Other Items
- kitchen string
- heavy duty aluminum foil
Instructions
Marinade
- In medium bowl, stir together all marinade ingredients except steak. Lay flank steak flat and cover with plastic wrap (this keeps the meat from tearing.) With smooth side of a mallet, pound steak to 1/3″ – 1/4″ thickness. Note – this takes awhile if you start with fairly thick steak. It is important, however, to get it fairly thin so it will cook through. After pounding, place steak into plastic food bag. Pour marinade into bag and seal tightly. Place bag in 13 x 9″ pan and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning twice.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove steak from marinade, reserving marinade. Pour marinade into small saucepan and bring to boil. Turn down and let simmer for 5 minutes, than turn off heat and strain marinade.
- In medium bowl, combine all stuffing ingredients. Place stuffing over entire surface of steak; pressing slightly. Tightly roll up long edge of steak, jelly roll fashion. Tie with string in multiple places to secure filling inside roll (I used about 5 pieces of string.) Line 13 x 9 baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Place steak in prepared pan. Baste with cooked marinade.
- Bake for 50-75 minutes, basting every 15 minutes, or internal temperature reaches desired level. Note: Rare temperature = 140 degrees, Medium temperature = 160 degrees, Well = 170 degrees. Let rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10-15 minutes. This allows the stuffing to to set up and stay in place when sliced. Baste with marinade, then slice, serve and enjoy!
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