Bavette Steak is a quick, easy French cooking method for juicy, tender flank steak beautifully seared and full of flavor.
Whether it’s Ribeye Steak in Chimichurri or Steak Diane, a perfectly cooked Steak Dinner and a delicious sauce are a gourmet dinner that you can easily recreate at home, no reservations required.
Sabrina’s Bavette Steak Recipe
Bavette Steak is a way to turn flank steak, a budget-friendly cut of beef that is often overlooked, into a flavorful restaurant-worthy dinner. While you do need to plan ahead to marinate this steak for a few hours, once you start cooking it, it goes from pan to table in about 20 minutes. Serve with steakhouse favorites like Roasted Potatoes, Creamed Spinach, and green beans. On busy weekdays, quickly throw it in the steak marinade before work and by the time you get home, it’s perfectly tenderized and ready to cook. I’ve got tips below on how I pick the best cut of meat, so don’t forget to check them out.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 pounds flank steak
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Horseradish Cream Cheese:
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 2 tablespoons parsley , minced
Instructions
- To a large bowl or zip lock bag, add steak, vinegar, oil, kosher salt, garlic powder and black pepper, and mix well.
- Refrigerate, covered if using a bowl, for 4 hours or overnight.
- Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet on high heat.
- Sear the steak for 5 minutes on each side before resting 10 minutes.
- Slice thinly against the grain to serve.
Horseradish Cream Sauce:
- In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, horseradish and parsley until blended.
- Serve over steak.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
When buying a Bavette Steak at the butcher or grocery store, there are a few things I like to look for. You will more often see this labeled as flank steak, flap steak, or even flap meat. Look for a good amount of marbling, which is the small flecks of fat that run through the meat. Choose a steak with a bright red color, that’s firm to the touch, with a fresh “beefy” smell, that’s rectangular-shaped around 1-1.5 inches thick and 8-12 inches long.
Table of contents
Can this be made ahead of time?
This can be marinated ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before cooking. It can also be cooked and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before reheating and serving. However, for best results, it is best to serve immediately after cooking because reheating can dry out the meat.
How to Store
- Store: Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container with any natural juices. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 1-2 minutes per side, until warmed through. It can also be enjoyed cold.
- Freeze: Store in a freezer-safe bag or sealed container and freeze for up to 3 months. It is best to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Frequent Questions
To slice, look for the direction of the muscle fibers in the meat and slice perpendicular to them. This is called slicing against the grain. This helps to make the meat more tender and easier to chew.
Hanger steak, skirt steak, tri-tip steak, or flat iron steak can all be used as a substitute for flank steak in this French preparation. Keep in mind, they will have slightly different texture and flavor, and some may cook sooner than others depending on the thickness.
You want Bavette Steak to reach an internal temperature of 125 degrees (rare) to 145 degrees (medium). Do not overcook or cook past medium because it will keep cooking as it rests. It’s best to cook it a little under what your desired doneness is and rest the meat for 10 minutes.
Ideally you want to marinate for 4-12 hours for the best texture and flavor. If you marinate for less than 4 hours, the flavors won’t have enough time to fully penetrate. However, marinating for too long can cause the meat to become mushy, so do not exceed 24 hours.
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