Flank.
Lean, boneless, intensely beefy. The Beef Board's words: best marinated and grilled, or sliced thin.
Beef flank cooks to the doneness you like, at or above the USDA minimum of 145 F with a 3 minute rest. It is not a low-and-slow cut.
Where it comes from
A single flat muscle with a pronounced grain. It has almost no fat, so it is cooked fast and hot to no more than medium, rested, and sliced thin across the grain. It is not a smoking cut.
USDA FSIS primal: flank (Beef Board primal; below the loin). Nine regions, matching the Beef Board retail chart convention where the loin is shown as short loin and sirloin.
- Best methods:
- grill, sear
- Slice:
- Thin, across the grain, on a bias. This matters more on flank than on any other beef cut.
- Rest:
- 5 to 10 minutes.
Scores are Pit Log editorial, anchored to FSIS tenderness notes.
What you will see at the counter
| Cut | Methods | Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flank steak | grill | Your doneness, 145 F + rest USDA floor | Beef Board: lean and boneless, intense beef flavour, marinate and grill or slice thin for stir-fry. |
Safe. Then done.
145 F (62.8 C), then rest at least 3 minutes before carving or consuming
Steaks, chops and roasts (whole muscle). Food thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone, fat and gristle, read before removing from the heat source. This is a food safety floor, not a preference. Where any other number on this page is lower, this one governs.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, page updated 2025-04-14, read 2026-09-02.
4 to 6 minutes per side over high heat. Approximate.
beef industry
Steaks and roasts, final temperature after rest. Culinary preference, as published by the industry body cited below.
| Doneness | Internal temp | Vs. USDA 145 F |
|---|---|---|
| Medium rare | 145 F, rest at least 3 minutes | At or above the minimum. |
| Medium | 160 F | At or above the minimum. |
| Well done | 170 F | At or above the minimum. |
Carryover: Roasts rise 5 to 15 F after leaving the heat; allow 15 to 20 minutes standing time.
beef convention
Steaks, steakhouse and pitmaster convention, pull temperatures. Culinary preference, barbecue convention.
| Doneness | Internal temp | Vs. USDA 145 F |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120 to 125 F | Below the minimum. Preference, not safety. |
| Medium rare | 130 to 135 F | Below the minimum. Preference, not safety. |
| Medium | 140 to 145 F | Below the minimum. Preference, not safety. |
| Medium well | 150 to 155 F | At or above the minimum. |
| Well done | 160+ F | At or above the minimum. |
Carryover: Craft convention: 5 to 10 F rise on a steak during a 5 to 10 minute rest.
Rare, medium-rare and medium figures are culinary preference ranges that fall below the USDA FSIS safe minimum of 145 F with a 3 minute rest. USDA does not consider them safe. Where the two differ, the USDA minimum governs.
More on the beef temperature page and the full chart.
Cook it
No Pit Log recipe for this region yet.
- Instant-read thermometerThe single tool FSIS says is the only reliable way to know food is safe. Appears on every cut page.
- Slicing knife (brisket knife)Slice-against-the-grain pages: brisket, tri-tip, flank, leg of lamb.
- Large cutting board with juice grooveRest and slice surface for large cuts.
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Then write down what happened
Pit temp, wood, wrap, final temp, rest, result. The chart says what usually works. Your log says what worked for you.