Another Flank Steak Heard From

Considering that we are animals technically classified as omnivores, it’s startling how narrow the range of things we eat really is.

I’m not talking about insects and lichens here, or even offal or obscure types of fish. I’m talking about perfectly respectable parts of perfectly respectable animals that, for one reason or another, rarely find their way to our dinner tables.

In the meat market the other day I found lamb flank steak. In 25 years of cooking, I don’t think I’d ever heard of anyone selling lamb flank steak. I guess I knew lambs must have flank steaks--I mean, it just makes sense--but I never paid much mind to where they might be going.

Yet there they were, in one of those cellophane-wrapped, white foam trays, eight flank steaks, each wrapped in a little bundle. My first thought was, “Where have you been all my life?” My second: “Wouldn’t these be great stuffed?”

The answer to the first question, it turns out, is “ground meat.” Though flank steak is a great cut of meat--lean and flavorful at the same time--apparently there’s not enough demand to make it worth selling on its own. So it’s mixed in with miscellaneous trimmings and ground up.

That’s not surprising. When it comes to lamb, it seems markets carry only legs and chops, with an occasional thin-sliced shoulder or shank. So where are the loins? Why can’t you get a meaty, square-cut shoulder roast, something really worth stewing?

These are difficult questions to answer, but when it comes to the one about stuffing lamb flank steaks, the answer is easy: Yes.

Generally speaking, there are two ways of stuffing meat. You can take advantage of a naturally occurring or manufactured opening, as in stuffed chicken or veal breast, or you can roll flattened pieces of meat around the stuffing.

These are famous among frugal cooks as a great way to use up odd little bits of meat. They are usually called by some fanciful name in order to disguise their humble origins. That’s why veal “birds” have nothing to do with poultry and beef “olives” don’t grow on trees.

Almost any cut of meat that can be flattened to a thickness of 1/4 inch or so will work. That’s no problem for lamb flank steaks, which are a natural for stuffing, being only about 1/2 inch thick. So small are they that eight of them weigh less than a pound.

To flatten them, cover each flank steak with plastic wrap, then pound it gently with either a meat mallet (the flat side, not the “tenderizing” one) or a rolling pin.

You want to use enough force that the meat spreads, but if you rip the plastic wrap (which prevents the meat from sticking to the mallet), you’re hitting too hard. When you pound the meat, you want to give it a glancing blow, starting in the center and moving to the edges. The goal is not to smash the meat but to spread it. It’s easier to do than to describe.

Because flank steak has such a rich flavor, I wanted a stuffing that would stand up and be noticed without being overpowering. A combination of peppery greens and pungent cheese is one possibility. I can also see wrapping the flank steak around sauteed red and yellow bell peppers, maybe seasoning the inside with a little cumin.

However you stuff it, include a little bit of cheese (maybe a fresh goat cheese with the peppers?) to bind the filling and just enough bread crumbs to make a stiff mass. The bread crumbs will absorb juices from the meat and make a delicious soft center.

Because the meat is so thin, it doesn’t take long to braise. It’s done when you can pierce the meat easily with a sharp knife. Be careful not to overcook it because the meat is also very lean and will dry out just as quickly as it cooks.

It’s likely that you will have to ask your butcher to order these little flank steaks, but it is worth the effort. And if enough people request them, the steaks will become more of a staple item.

Then we can go to work on the rest of the lamb. And after that, who knows?

Lamb Flank Steak Stuffed With Bitter Greens

Active Work Time: 60 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

This makes a kind of stew that is wonderful served over rice or with mashed potatoes. I prefer the mustard greens frequently labeled as “Texas,” because they seem to be a little more peppery than the others. You can also use dandelion greens or even rapini, though both of these are tougher and should be blanched before sauteing. If you absolutely can’t find lamb flank steaks, try thinly slicing a pork loin and then pounding that out.

1 pound mustard greens

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 ounce Pecorino Romano, grated

Salt

1 pound lamb flank steaks

2 tablespoons flour

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups dry red wine

1/2 pound mushrooms, quartered

Black pepper

1/4 cup minced parsley

* Wash mustard greens thoroughly under cold running water and cut away tough stems. Chop coarsely.

* Combine garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet and place over medium heat. Cook until garlic turns translucent, about 3 minutes. Add greens and cook, stirring. First water clinging to greens will evaporate, then greens will give up their internal liquid. After about 10 minutes, that will evaporate too. Stir frequently to keep garlic from scorching.

* When liquid has evaporated, combine greens, bread crumbs and cheese in work bowl of food processor and pulse 4 or 5 times to chop. Mixture should form sticky mass. Do not overprocess to puree. Taste and adjust salt to taste, remembering that Pecorino is naturally salty.

* Place 1 slice of flank steak on work surface and cover with plastic wrap. Using meat pounder or rolling pin, pound slice to roughly 1/4-inch thickness. Do this by striking middle of meat with glancing blows that spread to edges. Occasionally change position of meat 90 degrees to make sure meat spreads out evenly in all directions. Plastic wrap will keep meat from sticking to pounder. Meat should be light pink when thin enough. Repeat using all flank steak.

* Cut each slice into roughly 3-by-3-inch sections. Place about 1/2 tablespoon of greens mixture in center of each slice and roll up. Fasten closed with toothpick. Place on plate and sprinkle with flour. Toss to dust well.

* Heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in skillet large enough to hold all lamb pieces in 1 layer. When oil is quite hot, add lamb pieces and brown well on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.

* When browned, remove lamb pieces and drain all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add celery and cook, scraping bottom of pan to get up as many browned bits as possible. After 5 minutes, add carrots and cook 5 minutes more. Finally, add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

* Stir tomato paste into wine and add to pan. Return lamb pieces to pan, reduce heat to medium-low, cover tightly and cook 15 minutes. Turn pieces, add mushrooms, cover again and cook until lamb is tender enough to pierce easily with sharp knife, about 10 minutes more.

* Season vegetables to taste with salt and generous grinding of black pepper and sprinkle with parsley.

4 servings. Each serving contains: 490 calories; 421 mg sodium; 61 mg cholesterol; 21 grams fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 28 grams protein; 2.52 grams fiber;