Get Your Tailgate On With These Marinated Flank Steak Sandwiches

Football season is upon us, and with that comes a seemingly inevitable, animal urge to tailgate and eat lots of meat—simultaneously. Being a successful tailgater (and a successful meat-eater) starts with having the right equipment. Our cooking vessel of choice for this job is the Napoleon TravelQ 285. It's lightweight and portable, designed to fold up small, wheel around easily, and go from compact to all set up and ready to grill in seconds. Its JETFIRE™ Ignition System makes lighting simple, and the 12,000-BTU dual burners can handle any grilling task, whether it's high-heat searing or low-heat indirect cooking.

Once you have your grill, you need a recipe that will make everyone in your crew happy, and these hearty flank steak sandwiches with deeply charred onions are a great candidate. The high heat generated by the TravelQ ensures that the flank steak cooks up quickly, with a well-browned exterior and that perfect medium-rare center. Plus, the grill's large cooking area provides ample space for cooking the sweet, crisp onions right alongside the meat.

While the steak rests, finish your prep by toasting fresh ciabatta that's smeared with a flavorful garlic-and-herb butter. Thinly slice the steak against the grain, pile it high on the bread, top it with charred onions and provolone, and throw it all back on the grill for just a moment to ensure the cheese is at its meltiest. For fresh contrast, top the sandwiches off with peppery arugula.

Serve this beefy sandwich, complemented by crunch from the onions and richness from the gooey cheese, at your next tailgate and even the fair-weather football fans will hail you as the season's grillmaster. For more information about the TravelQ 285, including where to purchase, visit NapoleonGrills.com.

Marinated Flank Steak Sandwiches With Charred Onions

Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes to 8 hours 30 minutes
Active Time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

Special Equipment: Bamboo or metal skewers, grill, instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

For the Steak:
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
1 pound flank steak

For the Garlic-Herb Butter:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely minced chives
1 teaspoon finely minced thyme
1 teaspoon finely minced parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Onions and to Serve:
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices and skewered horizontally so the rings lie flat on the grill
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil, for brushing
1 large ciabatta loaf, halved lengthwise and sliced into 4 equal portions
1/4 pound sliced mild provolone cheese
1 large handful arugula

Procedure

1. For the Steak: Make marinade by whisking together oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, pepper, salt, and garlic in a small bowl. Place steak in a large resealable bag and pour in marinade. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Place in refrigerator and let steak marinate for at least 4 and up to 8 hours.

2. Meanwhile, for the Garlic-Herb Butter: In a small bowl, whisk together butter, garlic, chives, thyme, parsley, and salt. Set aside.

3. When ready to cook, ignite all burners on grill, close lid, and preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate. Brush onions with oil and place on grill along with steak. Cook onions until softened and well charred on each side, about 5 minutes per side. Cook steak until it is deeply browned on both sides and an instant-read thermometer registers 125°F when inserted into thickest part of meat (about 3 to 5 minutes per side). Transfer steak and onions to a cutting board as each is done. Let steak rest for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain on a bias. Remove skewer from onions and separate into individual rings.

4. Liberally butter cut side of each piece of bread with garlic-herb butter. Place bread on grill, cut side down, and toast until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer bread to a platter and top half of slices with steak, onions, and cheese.

5. Turn off one burner on grill and place topped bread slices on cool side of grill. Cover and cook until cheese has melted, about 1 minute. Transfer back to platter and top each sandwich with arugula and top slice of bread. Serve immediately.