The magazine supplement in today's paper has a recipe using flank steak (London Broil) that sounds good. Guy Fieri's Bloody Mary Flank Steak 4 to 8 servings Prepare ahead 1 cup tomato juice (V-8 preferable) 1/2 cup vodka 1 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp. hot sauce 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. celery seed 1 Tbsp prepared horseradish 4 Tbsp. olive oil 1 lb. flank steak In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients except the flank steak. Pour half of the marinade into a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag and add the flank steak. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 24. Pour the remaining marinade into a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste. Preheat grill to high or heat a skillet over high heat. Remove the flank steak from the marinade and wipe off excess with paper towels. Grill or pan-sear both sides, then lower the heat to medium and cook to medium rare, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let the steak rest, covered with foil, for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut the steak on the bias, against the grain, and serve with the reduced marinade. If desired, garnish with cut celery stalks and leaves and grilled tomatoes. Here is a link that might be useful: Guy Fieri's Bloody Mary Flank Steak

That is a good link. Especially the last paragraph as 'note:' I've added 'london grill' to my spring grilling because of the leftovers. I use a thick sirloin and got cocky and botched a couple by over-cooking. (the first try was so good) Scoring in a diamond pattern on both sides before marinade is such a good trick i found. I have since learned to pay attention to internal temp. Not called 'london broil' anymore, at least not here. I just look for a good thick sirloin that has a bit of marble in it. I should give flank a try. Though it is a winter favorite for a Vietnamese dish. Wanted something thick for the grill.

linnea56 - use caution when cleaning anything with an enamel finish. It is basically a polyurethane plastic held in resin or something, and will scratch or melt with abrasion and/or chemicals. Here's what I would do for your stove: First, wipe it with a wet paper towel for any loose stuff. Then, use a grease cutting solution (like Dawn dish washing detergent/water 50/50, or Simple Green) on a cloth laid over the gunky spots. Wait 15 minutes to an hour. Use a wet nylon sponge or "no-scratch" sponge to work as much gunk off as you can. Wipe well with a wet paper towel and dry. You can also lay a paper towel down moistened with 50/50 vinegar before you attack the burned on stuff more but DO NOT mix it with anything else and rinse with water before and after you do. For the hardest to remove spots, I suggest using Bon-Ami (it's like Comet, Zud, or Bar Keepers Friend cleanser but will not scratch like that stuff does) with a damp paper towel, second choice would be the cleansers made for glass stove tops - a mild abrasive that may scratch a little. Always rinse and wipe dry. A slow gentle touch and some elbow grease is preferable to an attack. Last choice for stubborn stuff: My husband is a cabinet maker and occasionally uses a tool like a fat razor blade, called a (wood) cabinet scraper, honed to razor sharpness, to take the top layer of burned on gunk off my glass stove top. I have used it for a thick layer of gunk on my black enameled stove top, but you have to be very careful to not get it directly on the enamel. A single edged razor blade also works, and easier to find, to be used only if it is brand new and used on just a few places, then use a new one used for more scraping on the next bunch of gunk. It will scratch and could cut you so a light touch, a little layer at a time, never down to the surface itself, and patience is necessary. Follow up with the Bon-Ami for the last layer of gunk. You might consider not cooking on high heat on gas stoves. For one thing it is not good for your pans and for another it will not get your food cooked quicker, but just burned quicker. If you use cast iron pans, it can take the high heat, but down a notch for cooking is better for flavor retention and less spatter. If you get a lot of spatters while cooking, use a splatter screen and then wipe up with a dry paper towel then with a Dawn solution while it is still liquid on the stove top. If it dries on the hot stove top, it makes gunk. Your husband's fear of self-cleaning is baseless, but a consideration is the cost of the energy/gas used to clean it at up to 700 degrees F. I use the no-fume spray ("Easy-Off" brand) all the time and in 10 years have only used the self-cleaning function once (mine is electric though so gas may be different) and it does not harm electrical connections, otherwise the manufacturers would not be able to sell so many ovens over the last umpty-ump years with this feature and still be able to offer a guarantee. The no-fume spray has a light clean scent, takes only a couple of hours in a completely cold oven, and works like a charm (I do it before I go to bed and clean up later). You just remove the residual softened gunk with lots of wads of damp paper towels (I wear latex gloves). A second application sometimes is necessary. I put a note on my calendar to remind me to do it once a month, whether or not I've been baking/roasting/broiling a little or a lot. Takes 2 minutes to spray and 5 minutes to wipe out. BTW Bon-Ami is the only cleanser that will not remove the porcelain/ceramic/granite/enamel/stainless steel/plastic shiny finish on your sinks, tubs, toilets, and faucets, and also refrigerators/freezers, dishwashers, microwave, toaster, painted walls, vinyl floors, plastic light switches, etc., etc., etc. And, BTW, "Magic Eraser" is so abrasive that it will take the "no-fingerprint" pattern off your refrigerator. For whitening stains and sanitizing (not for faucets), I use Clorox Clean Up. I don't have any affiliations with any manufacturer of anything, I just learned what works for me. Nancy

The only recipe that I use flank steak for is a local favorite in the large Cuban community that we have here in Tampa. There are so many wonderful Cuban recipes that are usually a little different than, say, Miami. We have generations of Italian, Cuban, and Spanish melded here and each has added their influence to the recipes. Ropa Vieja 1 lg. green bell pepper 1 lg. onion, peeled and cut in half 1 bay leaf 10 black peppercorns 6 tbsp. olive oil 2 lg. cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 med. Spanish onion, cut in half and thinly sliced 1 med. green bell pepper, seeded and cut in thin strips 1 med. red bell pepper, seeded and cut in thin strips 1 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. black pepper 1 c. tomato sauce 1/4 c. red wine 1 c. beef broth 2 tsp. salt, or to taste 10 cherry tomatoes cut in half for garnishing 1 bunch fresh Italian parsley for garnishing Place beef in a large kettle with the seeded green pepper, onion, bay leaf, and black peppercorns. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat until meat is tender. Remove meat from the kettle and allow to cool. Reserve cooking liquid. Shred the beef into fine strips and set aside. Heat oil in a 12 inch sauteuse or deep skillet. Add garlic and sauté until slightly golden. Add the onion slices, the red and green pepper strips, oregano, and bay leaf, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, wine, beef stock, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the shredded beef and mix well. Cook for about 5 minutes. Garnish with the cherry tomatoes and with fresh parsley. Serve accompanied by white rice and black beans or any other rice and bean combination