Chef critique
Yucatecan Achiote Flank Steak & Corn
A flavorful and well-organized camping-friendly recipe with highly accurate timing and ingredient accounting. However, the avocado relish lacks salt, and cooking flank steak to 145°F will result in a tough, overcooked piece of meat.
Score: 8/10
Suggested fixes
- Increase the total kosher salt in the ingredient list from 1 1/4 teaspoons to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
- Add the extra 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt to the avocado relish in step 2.
- Change the target temperature for the flank steak to 130°F–135°F for medium-rare (or 140°F max for medium) to ensure the steak remains tender.
Issues
- medium / flavor: The avocado relish is made with avocado, onion, cilantro, and lime juice, but contains no salt. Avocado requires salt to bring out its flavor and balance the acidity of the lime.
- medium / cookability: The instructions call for cooking the flank steak to 145°F, which is medium-well. Flank steak is very lean and has thick muscle fibers; cooking it to 145°F will make it tough and chewy.
Strengths
- Perfect accounting of divided ingredients (lime juice, olive oil, salt) between the ingredient list and the instruction steps.
- Cook time estimate accurately reflects the total time required for prep, marination, cooking, and resting.
- Clear, logical workflow that allows the home cook to prepare the relish and preheat the grill while the steak marinates.