Name: Margarita-Style Drunken Steak
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup tequila; 1/4 cup Triple Sec; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 1 flank steak (about 1 1/2 pounds), scored on both sides at 11/2-inch intervals

Why This Recipe Works

The idea is to get steaks “drunk" in a potent marinade of bold ingredients—typically soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, and of course, liquor—before grilling. We tried several drunken steak recipes, but the flavor was all over the place—some steaks were barely tipsy while others had us picking a designated driver. We wanted our recipe to fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. Loose-grained steaks, like the flank steak in this recipe, absorb more marinade, and thus more flavor, than tight-grained steaks. Scoring the surface of the meat with shallow slashes allows the marinade to penetrate into the steak without compromising the interior color or texture. The marinade’s sugar content (from the tequila and the sugar) encourages a crust to form on the steak when it’s grilled. Patting the steak dry before cooking also facilitates the formation of the crust. Since the flavor of the marinade is dulled a little during cooking, we refreshed the flavor by drizzling a bit of reserved marinade over the rested and sliced cooked steak just before serving.

Before You Begin

Other thin steaks with a loose grain, such as skirt or steak tips, can be substituted for the flank steak. If using a gas grill, grill the steak covered for maximum heat output.

Instructions

Whisk tequila, triple sec, granulated sugar, cumin, and cayenne pepper in bowl until sugar dissolves. Transfer 1/4 cup tequila mixture to small bowl and stir in cilantro; set aside. Place remaining marinade and steak in gallon-size zipper-lock bag. Press air out of bag, seal, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

Remove steak from bag, pat dry with paper towels, and discard marinade. Grill steak over hot fire until well browned and cooked to desired doneness, 4 to 7 minutes per side.

Transfer steak to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Slice thinly on bias and against grain. Drizzle with reserved tequila mixture. Serve.