Flank at 70 degrees: Stir-fry · 331

The grain should run clearly in one direction, and the silverskin should already be trimmed away. Sear the outside hard, then always cut at a right angle to the grain. Cutting with the grain ruins it. Abdominal muscle with a coarse but remarkably consistent grain. That consistency is the whole trick: slice it thinly against the grain and a tough cut becomes dramatically tender.

Colour, sinew, where the fat sits, and thickness are what you check before you pay. Ask for the thickness that matches “Stir-fry.” Use 70 degrees and 70 when you cook. Salt after you know the job. Do not play with undercooked meat. Cook Flank to 70 degrees and serve it as “Stir-fry.” The other figure to watch is 70. Do not time a hard-working muscle like a thin steak. Colour before heat is not doneness. Whole-muscle flank is usually ungraded at retail; grain direction matters more than the stamp.

Cook Flank to 70 degrees and serve it as “Stir-fry.” The other figure to watch is 70. Do not time a hard-working muscle like a thin steak. Colour before heat is not doneness. Whole-muscle flank is usually ungraded at retail; grain direction matters more than the stamp. A cut’s grain comes from how much the muscle worked. Flank needs heat through to 70 degrees before “Stir-fry” makes sense. 70 is a stage of that heat, not a luxury score. The same cut becomes a stew, a grill, or a braise, so a steak minute does not cover a pot. Thick connective tissue wants time, not a hard sear alone. This is not medical advice.