flank you very much

Living in an apartment can be frustrating for many reasons, but one sore spot for me is the lack of a grill and a place to use it.

We went to the beach last week and the house in which we stayed had a grill that we were really excited to fire up. Our finest meal from the tiny but effective piece of equipment consisted of some marinated flank steak and asparagus. The asparagus was good, but the steak obviously stole the show--it was juicy and tender and smoky, and the marinade had infiltrated every pore. It was a huge hunk of meat for two people, but it turned into two very tasty sandwiches the next day.

My dear beau braved biting bugs and oppressive heat to man the grill, and as it turns out, I like having him make food for me. This just solidified what I already suspected--we need a grill and we need one soon!

Magically Marinated Grilled Flank Steak
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dry white wine, optional
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (1-1/2 to 2 pound) London broil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:
Mix all marinade ingredients together.
Place your steak in a zippered bag or a shallow pan.
Add the marinade and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Remove meat from the marinade, discarded the marinade, and pat the meat dry; season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Preheat a grill and on an oiled rack set about 3 inches over glowing coals.
Grill the meat, turning once, 9 to 10 minutes on each side, or until it registers 125 to 130 degrees F on a meat thermometer for medium-rare.
Transfer meat to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.
Cut meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices.