Colombian Baked Flank Steak (Sobrebarriga Al Horno)
Even though this is a food blog with many Colombian recipes, every now and then I have to post recipes that I don’t like very much but that are highly requested. One of those recipes is this oven baked flank steak, which people love in Colombia but that I don’t make at home very often, mainly because it comes out really dry. Just being honest.
I have had it at other places, many of them being Colombian restaurants, and I still don’t think much of it. And the thing is, this type of meat comes out best when you grill it or when you make it in a delicious sauce, the way Colombian flank steak with creole sauce is made, which is one of my favorite recipes. Otherwise, it usually comes out dry, even though you can add more beer while it’s roasting in the oven to add moisture.
But that doesn’t mean that it tastes bad. The fact that the marinade is made with a good amount of beer, the flavor of the steak is delicious. And not only that, the beer itself helps tenderize this cut of beef which tends to be really tough, and that’s the main reason I still make it at home from time to time.
¡Buen provecho!
Colombian Baked Flank Steak (Sobrebarriga Al Horno)
Ingredients
- 2½ lb flank steak
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp dry thyme (optional)
- 1 white onion (chopped in big chunks)
- 2-3 garlic cloves (I smash them to bring out the flavor)
- 2 green onions (chopped in long pieces)
- 1 bottle (12 oz beer, any kind)
- Water (enough for cooking the steak)
- Bread crumbs
Instructions
- Season steak on both sides with salt, pepper and thyme to taste.
- Place white onion, garlic and green onion in a glass baking dish or a large glass container. Place the steak over the bed of onions and then pour the beer over it. Cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight. (I also turn it over halfway through marinating to make sure both sides of the steak are covered with the beer).
- The next day cut the steak into 4-5 portions and place it in a pressure cooker. Discard the liquid of the marinade and place the onions and garlic in the pot. cover the steak with enough water. Close the pressure cooker, bring to pressure over high heat, then lower to low to medium-low heat and cook for about 1½ hour. If using a regular pot, bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to low to medium-low and cook for about 3 hours or until the beef is tender.
- Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC)
- Place the cooked steak in a baking dish. Season with a little bit more salt and place bread crumbs on top of each piece of steak. The amount of bread crumbs depends on each person's taste. You can also pour more beer into the baking dish to add more more moisture to the beef. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the bread crumbs are a bit golden brown. You can serve it with a side of salted potatoes and a Colombian simple salad
