Smoked flank steaks

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg flank steak
• 125 ml orange juice
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ tsp oregano, dried
• 1 tsp sea salt, coarse
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 3 handfuls of smoking chips (hickory wood)

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 45 minutes

prepared in hickory smoke

Before we get started: You don’t necessarily need an expensive smoker to smoke. A grill with a lid will also do the trick. You usually need two zones for smoking. If you’re using a gas grill, you should make sure you have a device with at least two individually adjustable burners. I personally use a gas grill with three burners. You can also smoke with a charcoal grill. You should place the embers in one half and an aluminum tray of water in the other. Since my grill doesn’t have a built-in smoker box, I bought an optional one that attaches to one of the burners. With a charcoal grill, you don’t need an additional smoker box; you can place the chips directly on the embers. Smoking requires a high degree of instinct (especially with a charcoal grill) and self-confidence. If possible, you shouldn’t open the lid during the smoking process, as otherwise all the smoke can escape and the result won’t be as good. For the marinade, we place all ingredients (except the meat and the smoking chips) in a tall container and chop everything with a Multiquick. About 2-3 hours before preparation, we generously coat the flank steaks with the marinade and let the meat absorb the marinade in the refrigerator. We soak the smoking chips in water for at least 30 minutes before use. We heat the grill to 260-280°C and then clean the grate. We then grill the flank steaks over direct heat, for about 2 minutes on each side. We only turn the meat once! We then turn off the burners under the meat or place the meat over the bowl of water and coat the steaks again with the marinade. We then place the drained smoking chips in the smoking box or in the embers of the grill and close the lid – shortly afterwards, it will start to smoke. Now make sure the grill doesn’t get hotter than 140-160°C. After about 30 minutes, the meat should have a medium to strong smoky flavor. The meat is now done. Depending on the thickness, the meat should be medium-rare to medium. If you want the meat to be more cooked, you can grill it again at medium and direct heat until the desired degree of doneness is reached.