Any steak lover will give this Italian Stuffed Flank Steak a big thumbs up! The steak is marinated to tenderize and lock in the amazing flavors, and then it’s rolled in an unbelievably delicious walnut pesto filling with prosciutto, roasted bell peppers and provolone cheese.
Italian Stuffed Flank Steak
This meal will impress anyone, not only by the incredible taste, but that It actually looks like it came out of a gourmet restaurant as well. Serve this at any family gathering, or dinner party and you are sure to have some really satisfied and full people leaving the table raving just how good this was.
This stuffed steak is bursting with lots of flavors, from the delicious marinade, yummy walnut pesto and all the wonderful Italian ingredients like prosciutto and provolone. While this may look somewhat complicated, I assure you, it’s not!
Why You Should Make This Stuffed Flank Steak
ECONOMICAL. This cut of steak is an economical piece of meat when compared with other steak varieties. Also, this meal would typically be served in a higher-end restaurant that would charge a lot. Get the gourmet meal without the gourmet price.
DECADENT. Not only does this taste great but it really does look impressive and expensive. This flank steak recipe is not only perfect for a special occasion but it’s great for a weeknight or Sunday supper.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Walnut Pesto
- Walnuts – You’ll need some walnuts or pecans for this pesto. You can also use other nuts such as pine nuts which is what is traditionally used when making pesto.
- Garlic – You’ll need some fresh smashed garlic for some great flavor.
- Cheese – Grated parmesan cheese which is a typical ingredient for pesto. I recommend grating your own Parmesan cheese this way you know there are no added preservatives.
- Basil – You’ll need some fresh basil for this pesto. Dried just won’t work.
- Oil – Olive oil to bind everything together.
- Salt/Pepper – Salt and pepper to taste to bring out all these wonderful flavors.
Marinade
- Oil – Some great olive oil.
- Vinegar – I use red wine vinegar but you can also try balsamic vinegar.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic for some great flavor.
- Salt/Pepper – A little salt and pepper to bring out all these wonderful flavors.
- Parsley – Some fresh parsley for a little bright green color.
Flank Steak
- Flank steak – You’ll need a good sized flank steak about 1½ to 2 pounds. Substitute with skirt steak.
- Prosciutto – Nice thin slices of prosciutto are used to layer on the steak.
- Peppers – I like to use roasted red peppers in a jar. You can also roast your own red peppers if you prefer, just make sure they are soft enough.
- Cheese -I’ve used the sliced provolone cheese as it’s easier to layer on the steak.
- Salt/Pepper – Salt and pepper to taste.
- Oil – You’ll need a bit of olive oil to sear the steak in.
How To Make Italian Stuffed Flank Steak
Butterfly The Steak.
Using a boning knife or a sharp knife, slice the meat horizontally on the long side of the steak, but do not cut all the way through, leave about ½ inch uncut. You want the steak to open like a book. Make sure the top half is the same thickness as the bottom half. Open up the steak so that it’s flat. Use a meat mallet to pound down the steak to a uniform thickness about ½ inch in thickness or thinner, if needed.
Marinade The Steak
You’ll first need to make the marinade. Add all the marinade ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butterflied steak to the bowl and toss it around in the marinade to coat it all around. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 2 hours.
Make The Walnut Pesto
First, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a food processor add all the pesto ingredients and pulse a few times, don’t over process as you don’t want a smooth consistency. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed.
Fill And Roll
Remove the steak from the marinade; reserve marinade. Place the steak flat on a cutting board. Spread the pesto evenly over the steak, leaving about ½ inch free on all sides of the meat.
Layer the steak with prosciutto slices, followed by roasted peppers, then provolone cheese slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll up the steak jellyroll style. The grain of the steak should run on the length of the roll. Tie the roll with kitchen twine or string, every 2 inches. Brush with remaining marinade.
Sear And Roast
Add the olive oil to an oven safe skillet or pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the steak roll and sear quickly on all sides until brown.
Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and roast for around 30 to 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F when tested with an instant read meat thermometer.
Rest, Slice And Serve
Remove the skillet from the oven and let the steak rest for 10 minutes. Remove the twine and cut into slices. Serve with your favorite sides.
How Do You Roll A Flank Steak?
You roll up a flank steak with the stuffing inside like a jelly roll, and tie it up with kitchen twine or string.
What Is The Difference Between Flank And Skirt Steak?
Flank steak tends to be broader and flatter than skirt steak, with bright red coloring. Flank is also leaner cut than skirt with really obvious long muscle fibers running through it. It has the same rich beefy flavor as the skirt and takes to a marinade just as well.
Does Flank Steak Get More Tender The Longer You Cook It?
Slow cooking is a great way to cook your flanks for several dishes. Slow cooking makes the beef much more tender than other methods. However, for this recipe, because we marinated the beef and also cut it thin, the flank steak will be tender and you’ll want to cook it to 130°F.
How Do I know When My Flank Steak Is Cooked?
With this type of stuffed steak it’s hard to judge just by looking at the roll when it’s cooked to your desired temperature, which is why it’s always best to use a meat thermometer. Here is a guide you can go by based on how you like your steak. Keep in mind that the roll will be cooked more around the ends of the roll versus the center. The roll will also to continue to cook after you pull it out of the oven so this is when you want to take it out.
| Rare | 120°F (49°C) | will come up to 125°F (52°C) |
| Medium – Rare | 130°F (54°C) | will come up to 135°F (57°C) |
| Medium | 140°F (60°C) | will come up to 145°F (63°C) |
| Medium – Well | 145°F (63°C) | will come up to 150°F (66°C) |
| Well Done | 155°F (68°C) | will come up to 160°F (71°C) |
Expert Tips
- Make sure your knife is sharp to get a good clean even cut in your steak.
- When you flatten the steak, don’t make it too thin, it may rip. Only pound it if it’s not thin enough, mine was already about ½ inch in thickness so there was no need to pound it.
- Use your favorite cheese, other cheeses that would be great would be Swiss cheese or Havarti.
- Don’t skip the searing part for that delicious brown crust. A cast iron skillet is best for a good sear.
- Best and safest way to determine when your roll is cooked is to use a meat thermometer.
Leftovers
Store any leftover stuffed flanks steak slices in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
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Italian Stuffed Flank Steak
Ingredients
Marinade
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper freshly ground
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
Walnut Pesto
- ½ cup walnuts
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 ounces fresh basil
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Flank Steak
- 1½ pounds flank steak
- 6 slices prosciutto
- 2 roasted red peppers
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Prep the steak. Using a boning knife, slice the meat horizontally on the long side of the steak, but do not cut all the way through, leave about ½ inch uncut. You want the steak to open like a book. Make sure the top half is the same thickness as the bottom half. Open up the steak so that it's flat. Use a meat mallet to pound down the steak to a uniform thickness about ½ inch in thickness or thinner.
- Make the marinade and marinate the steak. Add all the marinade ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butterflied steak to the bowl and toss it around in the marinade to coat it all around. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 2 hours.
- Prep the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the walnut pesto. In a food processor add all the pesto ingredients and pulse a few times, don’t over process as you don’t want a smooth consistency. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed.
- Assemble the steak. Remove the steak from the marinade; reserve marinade. Place the steak flat on a cutting board. Spread the pesto evenly over the steak, leaving about ½ inch free on all sides of the meat. Layer the steak with prosciutto slices, followed by roasted peppers, then provolone cheese slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll up the steak jellyroll style. The grain of the steak should run on the length of the roll. Tie the roll with kitchen twine or string, every 2 inches.
- Sear the steak. Add the olive oil to an oven safe skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the steak roll and sear quickly on all sides until brown.
- Roast the roll. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until the interior of the meat registers at 130°F when tested with an instant read meat thermometer.
- Rest the meat and slice. Remove the skillet from the oven and let the steak rest for 10 minutes. Remove the string from the roll and cut into slices.
Recipe Notes
- Make sure your knife is sharp to get a good clean even cut in your steak.
- When you flatten the steak, don’t make it too thin, it may rip. Only pound it if it’s not thin enough, mine was already about ½ inch in thickness so there was no need to pound it.
- Use your favorite cheese, other cheeses that would be great would be Swiss cheese or Havarti.
- Don’t skip the searing part for that delicious brown crust. A cast iron skillet is best for a good sear.
- Best and safest way to determine when your roll is cooked is to use a meat thermometer.
What sauce would you serve with this steak
I don’t think you actually need any sauce for this because of the filling in the flank steak.
I made this with skirt steak and it cam out great. Making again with flank steak. I have a question. Recipe says to reserve the marinade but then doesn;t discuss serving it with the finished product or making gravy etc…When I seared the skirt steak it released a lot of fluid which I did not drain before putting in the oven to cook. Will see what happens with the flank steak tonight
My question is how do you pound the meat slices while they are still intact with the steak?
I’m not sure I understand your question, but first you have to butterfly the steak as instructed and if after you butterflied it, the steak is still thicker than 1/2 inch then you need to use a meat mallet to pound it until it’s thinner. The way I usually do it is place a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap over the steak and pound it with the meat mallet working from the center out until it’s about 1/4 – 1/2 inch in thickness.