Vietnamese Style Flank Steak

Most mornings start with French-pressed coffee, four sun salutations, and the Apple news app. I cuddle up on my lounge chair with blankets to sip and read before I get ready for the day. It is a new morning routine I started after moving into my new apartment... In the beginning, it was to help me get out of bed and take a step away from depression and anxiety. Now, I do it most mornings because it feels right.

Earlier this week, I came across an article on New York state's gun control law hearing at the Supreme Court. Basically, the case challenges the state's law restricting guns outside of homes. Is it Constitutional to require a license so an individual can exercise their rights under the Second Amendment? While this is a great legal question, it also made me wonder about humanity.

The article made me doleful. There are those among us who believe and see more evil than good in our fellow humans. To feel the need to carry a deadly weapon at all times must be awful. I know what it feels like to live in fear. I have a temporary restraining order on my ex-partner with a hearing set for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order in February. The judge granted a long continuation since my ex-partner exercised his Fifth Amendment to not incriminate himself before his pending criminal domestic violence case in January. 

I know what it feels like to know that someone is capable of killing me... The threats of harm are not imagined, but real. I have seen and experienced evil, but I haven't reached the point of carrying my kitchen knife outside of the apartment. Yes, the kitchen knife since that is the deadliest weapon I own.

The wounds are still fresh, so I do get frightened and paranoid at times... A little over two months since I first got an Emergency Protective Order. Since then, I've had some sort of protective order to keep me safe. I've slept with a chair jamming the door knob to feel safe, but I haven't slept with the kitchen knife.

While my trust in people has certainly taken a hit, I still believe there is more good than evil among us. I believe civility and humanity outweigh the lawlessness and cruelties in our society. It is profoundly sad that some of us are so engulfed in fear and mistrust of others that they see deadly weapons as solutions even if the threat is presumed without actuality. 

I've written about our Constitutional rights here and on another recent blog... Exercising our individual rights should never be taken for granted, but I am glad that we don't need to quote a Constitution to cook and enjoy food! At last, I can share one of my favorite recipes. 

Zesty with a delicate balance of savory and sweetness, this Vietnamese Style Flank Steak is my "the" steak recipe. While I love a perfectly cooked medium-rare filet mignon, this flank steak packs in flavor. Typically served with spicy soba noodles and salad, it also marries deliciously with jasmine rice and cucumber salad.

INGREDIENTS
two pounds of flank steak
a half cup of fish sauce
three limes with peels and cut in quarters
four garlic cloves, sliced
a half cup of dark brown sugar, packed
one jalapeño, sliced

In a baking dish, add fish sauce and dark brown sugar. Mix until the sugar dissolves. Place flank steak in the baking dish without folding it. Squeeze lime juice over the flank steak, and then place squeezed limes in the baking dish along with its peels, garlic, and jalapeño. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour to no more than 24 hours.


My sweet spot is 6 hours. While working from home, I prepare the flank steak during lunch for that day's dinner. Take it out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you are ready to cook.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet, and then lay the flank steak over the cooling rack. Roast for 6 minutes and flip the steak over. Roast for another 6 minutes and then turn off the oven. Leave it in the oven for two to four minutes before taking it out of the oven. Remove from the cooling rack and place the flank steak on a cutting board. Let it cool for 5 minutes before slicing the flank steak to serve. Bon Appétit!

Got leftover flank steaks? That means taco time! These Vietnamese Style Flank Steak make delicious tacos with yellow corn tortillas, sautéed shallots, and salsa. Of course, some guacamole won't hurt!

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