Easy Bavette Steak, also known as flank steak, is a favorite butchers cut of beef. In this post I include instructions for cooking beef bavette on the grill and the stovetop. Both result in perfect slices of juicy, flavorful steak every time.
Steak bavette is one of the lesser know steak cuts, but those in the know love it as this is a juicy steak with bags of flavor. I've opted for grilled bavette as grilling adds an extra level of flavor. But it also tastes great cooked in a searing hot cast-iron skillet.
Bavette is a french name but its also often called butcher's cut as it's a cut of meat favored by butchers for its rich flavor. To help tenderize the beef I like to marinade the steak in oil and red wine vinegar, which also adds to the flavor of the meat once cooked.
Bavette is a lot less expensive than some of the more familiar steak cuts, like sirloin, ribeye or filet mignon. Once sliced, bavette steak will go a long way! Making bavette a great option for feeding a family.
Why You'll Love This Easy Bavette Steak Recipe
- Steak bavette is a juicy beef cut, packed full of meaty flavor.
- Contains only 3 ingredients, along with some seasoning.
- This is one of the cheaper cuts of steak, so it's a cost effective option, and one steak goes a long way.
- Try some of my other favorite beef based recipes too:
Easy Bavette Steak Ingredients
Find the full list and quantities in the recipe card below.
Beef - I have used bavette steak (flank steak), but hanger steak would work well in this recipe too.
Vinegar - I've used red wine vinegar, but you could swap this with white wine or sherry vinegar.
Olive Oil - use a good quality olive oil, but not extra virgin olive oil which has a lower burn temperature, and is unsuitable for cooking at high temperatures.
Seasoning - I've seasoned the beef with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
How to Make Steak Bavette - Step-By-Step
Find the full printable recipe below.
Place the bavette steak in a shallow dish, take a fork and carefully stab the steak all over many times. Turn and stab the other side many times too.
Mix the olive oil and red wine vinegar together in a small bowl. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper then pour the marinade over the steak and leave for at least 2 hours but ideally overnight.
When you are ready to cook your steak take it out of the fridge ½ an hour before to let it come towards room temperature.
Light the grill and heat to high (around 450ºC/225ºC if using a gas grill). Or get a skillet or heavy frying pan ready if cooking on the stove. It should be smoking hot.
Take the steak out of the dish and wipe off any excess marinate. Season the steak again with sea salt and pepper then place the steak on the grill or into the pan.
Cook for half the suggested cooking time on the first side, flip with tongs and cook for the remaining time on the second side. Don't move the steak about except for when you are turning it to make sure you get a nice sear. Suggested cooking times are provided below.
When cooked as desired, take the steak off the heat, move to a plate and tent with foil. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing the steak on a cutting board thinly against the grain and serve!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is bavette steak?
Bavette steak, also known by different names as flank steak or flap steak, is a richly flavored cut of beef. This is a cheaper steak cut that comes from the area just below the sirloin.
How to cook bavette steak
I either cook steak in a searingly hot skillet, or grill it at a high temperature. Cook the steak quickly at a high temperature, until cooked as you like it.
Is Bavette a good cut of steak?
Whilst bavette is not as well known as other cuts of meat like new york strip, or prime rib, don't let this put you off. It has a great beefy flavor and is utterly delicious. Also bavette is a lot less expensive than other prime steak cuts.
What is the best way to cook bavette steak?
I have grilled it here but it is a very versatile piece of meat and you can cook it just as well in a hot skillet on the stove-top.
How do you cook flank steak so it's not chewy?
The trick to avoiding chewy steak, is not to overcook it. Cooked to anything over medium and the meat will start to become tough and chewy.
What is the best way to cook bavette steak so it's tender?
When it comes to cooking tender steak I recommend using the fork method! The results are amazing and produce the perfect bavette steak every time.
To tenderize the steak, take a fork and stab the steak all over many times, on both sides. As well as tenderizing the steak, at also helps to get the marinade right into the steak. The acidic vinegar in the marinade will also help to tenderize the meat.
Finally, when cutting the steak, ensure you cut across the grain, which breaks up the muscle fibers and gives you tender slices of steak.
What is the best way to slice Bavette Steak?
Cut the steak into thin slices around half an inch thick - this helps to further tenderize it. On a chopping board slice it carefully against the grain carefully on a using a very sharp carving knife.
What does it mean to cut steak against the grain?
When you cut against the grain, it means you are cutting across the long muscle fibers, breaking them down, rather than cutting along them along the fibers which will leave the meat chewy.
How long should you cook a bavette for?
As with all steak, desired doneness depends on how long you cook it depends on how large and thick the steak is.
For a 1-1½" steak cooked on a gas grill, frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat:
- Rare: 8 to 10 minutes
- Medium-rare steak: 7 to 12 minutes
- Medium: 8-13 minutes
- Medium-well: 10-15 minutes
How do you know when bavette steak is done?
When cooking steak I use a meat thermometer and when ready the steak should have an internal temperature of 130°F.
Rest your Bavette steak for 5-10 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil.
The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
Variations & Substitutions for Steak Bavette
- Swap the bavette steak for hanger steak which is a similar, cost effective cut of beef.
- If you can find wagyu beef locally, wagyu bavette steak is a great option as it has great marbling and lots of beefy flavor.
- I've used red wine vinegar in the marinade, but red wine or sherry vinegar would be great substitutes.
- I've seasoned the beef with salt and pepper, but you can add a whole variety of different spices, like cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin or smoked paprika.
Tips & Tricks For Making Beef Bavette
My method for tenderizing the meat is not always well known but it really works! If you'd rather not use the fork method you can use a more traditional method like bashing the meat with a tenderizer.
The longer you are able to marinade the steak for, the better the flavor and the more tender it will be.
Always rest steak once it's cooked. Tent with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving. This allows the meat fibers to relax and leads to more tender meat.
A meat probe thermometer is the best way of ensuring the beef is cooked to the right temperature in the middle.
Always take time to properly season steak with salt and pepper, this will make all the difference to the finished dish.
How To Serve Easy Bavette Steak
This dish can be served with a whole variety of veggie sides. If I have the grill on anyway I like to serve it with my Charred Corn, or my Charred Broccolini with Lemon and Chili.
For great salad sides try something like my Beet & Yogurt Salad, or my Roasted Summer Squash with Goat Cheese.
My Horseradish Aioli is a quick and easy sauce, that can be prepared in minutes and tastes great with beef.
How To Reheat Bavette Steak
As with all steaks, bavette steak is best served freshly cooked, when it is moist, tender and juicy.
If you want to warm it up, do so in a skillet on the stove and only warm through, otherwise the steak will overcook and become tough and chewy.
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More Easy Recipe Ideas
Printable Recipe
Easy Bavette Steak (Flank Steak)
Ingredients
- 2 lb Bavette/Flank Steak
- ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Instructions
- Place the bavette steak in a shallow dish.
- Take a fork and carefully stab the steak all over many times. Turn and stab the other side many times too. This is very effective to tenderize the meat. It also helps the marinade really get into the steak.
- Mix the olive oil and red wine vinegar together in a small bowl. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper.
- Pour the marinade over the steak and leave for at least 2 hours but ideally overnight.
- When you are ready to cook your steak take it out of the fridge ½ an hour before to let it come towards room temperature.
- Light the grill and heat to high (around 450ºC/225ºC if using a gas grill). Or get a skillet or heavy frying pan ready if cooking on the stove. It should be smoking hot.
- Take the steak out of the dish and wipe off any excess marinate. Season the steak again with sea salt and pepper.
- Place the steak on the grill or in pan. See the notes below for suggested cooking times.
- Cook for half the time on the first side, flip with tongs and cook for the remaining time on the second side. Don't move the steak about except for when you are turning it.
- When cooked as desired, take the steak off the heat, move to a plate and tent with foil.
- Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing the steak thinly against the grain.
- Serve!
Notes
- Rare: 8 to 10 minutes
- Medium-rare: 7 to 12 minutes
- Medium: 8-13 minutes
- Medium-well: 10-15 minutes
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