Grilled beef with marinade

A simple barbecue-style marinade brings this flank steak to life. Flank is a cheaper cut but it's packed with beefy flavour and the marinade helps to tenderise the meat so it's easy to just slice-and-serve.

Health benefit: Beef is an excellent high-quality source of protein. Compared to chicken, lamb, and pork, it has one added advantage; higher creatine levels. Creatine is an amino acid that can stimulate several key bodily processes that augment both muscle recovery and growth. Some recent studies show that creatine may help reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. 

Method:
1. Stir together the tomato purée, maple syrup, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, and olive oil in a small mixing bowl until the sugar has dissolved.

2. Brush half the marinade onto the flank steak. Place the steak on a tray, cover, and chill for at least 2 hours; you can also chill for up to 8 hours. Reserve the remaining marinade for later.

3. When ready to cook, remove the steak from the fridge and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour if it was in the fridge longer than 4 hours.

4. Preheat the barbecue to a moderately hot temperature; if using coals, wait until they turn white hot.

5. When ready, brush the grates with some olive oil. Carefully lay the steak onto the barbecue, cover, and cook until the thickest part registers at least 63°C | 145F on a meat thermometer, about 15 minutes, turning once; brush with the remaining marinade from time to time.

6. Remove from the barbecue when ready and cover loosely with aluminium foil. Let the steak rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving with a garnish of fresh thyme.

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Ingredients

• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup, or dark agave nectar
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp flaked sea salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 1 flank steak, ~2 lb, trimmed of excess fat and silver skin
• fresh thyme, to garnish

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