Flank Steak Pinwheels (Simple & Savory)

Flank steak pinwheel on a plate and cut to show inside with a fork resting in front.

5 from 3 votes

Flank Steak Pinwheels (Simple & Savory)

These easy flank steak pinwheels are filled with a savory pork-and-veal mixture, rolled into tender spirals, and baked until perfectly golden. They look elegant but come together with simple steps, making them ideal for weeknights, holidays, or any meal that needs a little “wow” factor without extra work.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Chill Time1

Total Time1 55

Servings:

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds flank steak
cooking spray
olive oil for brushing the grill. optional

Flank Steak Stuffing

1 pound ground pork
½ pound ground veal ground sausage or lean ground beef
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons pepper
1 small onion diced or 1 tablespoon onion powder, more or less to taste, optional
2 tablespoons garlic minced or 1 tablespoon garlic powder, more or less to taste, optional

Instructions

Prep the Flank Steak

Trim any excess fat and sinew from your flank steak. Rinse and pat dry with paper towel.
Butterfly your flank steak by slicing horizontally, almost through the middle of the narrow side of it. Open like a book, and unfold the flank steak to make a rectangle-ish shape. It should be around ½ of an inch thick.
Place a sheet of plastic wrap over your butterflied flank steak and pound lightly with a meat mallet until it is even or uniform thickness. Set aside.

Make the Stuffing

In a large bowl combine ground pork and your veal, sausage or beef, salt and pepper. If using onion and garlic, add it now to the ground meat. Just use your hands to mix. Continue mixing until well blended. Set aside.
Place flank steak back at your work station. Form ground pork mixture into a roll the same length as the flank steak; between 2 and 3 inches in diameter.
Place your roll on the bottom ⅓ of the flank steak, from one end to the other.

Roll and Tie Stuffed Flank Steak

Starting at the bottom end, roll your flank steak around the ground pork mixture as tight as you can, while making sure the ground pork mixture keeps its log-like shape.
Using butcher's twine, tie the flank steak up around the ground pork mixture snuggly, but not too tight. Ensure the ground pork mixture doesn't squish out the sides. Tie a knot every 1 ½ - 2 inches. Remember when tying the knots, you are going to eventually slice your roll and each slice is going to have at least one tied string holding it together.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. This stuffed flank steak can be made the day before you need it. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate until needed. The longer you refrigerate, the easier your stuffed flank steak will be to slice.

Cut Flank Steak PInwheels

Remove roll from your refrigerator and place on your work surface. Now that your stuffed flank steak has been refrigerated, it will slice so much easier.
Before you slice, slightly mark where you're going to slice it.
Using a sharp serrated knife, saw (don't press your knife) into your roll. Cut slices so that every slice will have at least one string holding it together. Cut between the strings. Slices should be between 1 ½ and 2 inches thick. Try and make them about the same size so they will all cook at the same rate. You usually end up with between 6 and 8 slices.
Place your slices on prepared baking sheet.

Bake Steak Pinwheels

Preheat oven to broil and place one of your oven racks almost at the top. Place the rack one level down from the top. Another oven rack should be placed two levels from the bottom. This will save you from doing it later on when your oven is hot.
Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with rack in tinfoil and lightly coat in cooking spray. Set aside.
Place baking sheet under the broiler for 7- 9 minutes. You want to see the tops browning nicely. Flip and repeat with on the other side.
Next, place baking sheet on lower rack and reduce oven temperature to 350° F. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the slices and the amount of filling.
Make sure your thermometer reads 160° F before removing stuffed steak from your oven. Cut away all of the strings and serve. Enjoy!

Grill Steak Pinwheels

Place slices on direct high heat for about 4 minutes per side. On a clean, well-oiled grill, my husband will nudge the pinwheels. If they start to slide or glide across the grate easily, they're ready to flip. At about 3 minutes, my husband will start nudging.
Reduce the heat to medium for another 5 to 15 minutes or until cooked. If the pinwheels are all that are cooking, my husband will just reduce the temperature and keep them right where they are.
Or keep your main burner on high and move all of the slices off heat. If my husband is cooking other things on the barbecue, he will move them off heat for anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes.
Timing will vary depending on the barbecue and thickness of the pinwheel. Use your thermometer.

Notes

Trim the steak: Remove excess fat or sinew so the steak rolls easily and cooks evenly. Pat dry for better browning.
Tie, don’t squeeze: Secure the roll with butcher’s twine, snug but not tight, to keep the filling from being pushed out.
Space ties evenly: Place ties 1½–2 inches apart and slice between them with a sharp serrated knife for clean, even cuts.
Chill before slicing: Wrap and refrigerate the rolled steak briefly to firm it up and make slicing easier.
Prep your pan: Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, add a rack, and lightly spray so the pinwheels crisp without sticking.
Keep slices uniform: Cut each pinwheel the same thickness and ensure each one has a piece of twine to hold it together as it bakes.

Nutrition