You could say Mark Bittman and me go way back. How to Cook Everything, perhaps his most popular cookbook, was given to me as a gift in college. It was my first "real" cookbook. The recipes are, for the most part, pretty basic. Since then, I've learned how to do more complicated things in the kitchen. But, even today, I still find myself going back to it pretty often. Why? Because sometimes basic is all you need! 

Take this recipe for grilled marinated flank steak, for instance. Flank steak, if you're not familiar with the cut, is usually fairly lean, with a good bit of chew. The flavor is decidedly beefy, which means strongly flavored marinades play well with the cut. It also lends itself to a very simple preparation, which makes Bittman's marinade recipe one of my go-to flank steak marinades. 

And if nothing else, this marinade is a combination of strong, assertive flavors. You start out of with a couple of healthy squeezes of fresh lime juice. Added to that are a couple swigs of fish sauce, which imparts a pungent but pleasant aroma to the marinade. Finally, some fresh grated ginger and minced garlic is thrown in to round out the marinade. 

Then, a half hour later, you're ready to grill the flank steak. The results are simple, aromatic, and most importantly, tasty!

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

First, combine all the seasonings in a shallow bowl or platter. 

Marinate the steak for at least 30 minutes. If marinating time is longer than an hour, refrigerate. 

Near the end of the marinating time, start a charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler; make it very hot.

Remove the meat from the marinade and dry well with paper towels. 

Grill or broil the steak about 4 inches from the heat source for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until nicely browned. Rotate the meat to get nice cross-hatch marks.

Move the meat to a cooler part of the grill (or lower the broiling rack) and cook for another 2 minutes per side. 

Check for doneness by touch, with a thin-bladed knife, or with an instant read thermometer. Rare to medium rare is about 125 degrees. 

Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into thin slices, across the grain, using a sharp carving knife.

Serve and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce or fish sauce (nuoc mam or mam pla)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon peeled or minced or grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 flank steak, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds

Recipe courtesy of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.