I was a vegetarian for 15 years until one cool, breezy summer night that followed a very hot, very sticky summer day. I visited a friend who was grilling flank steak on his Cambridge deck. The smell of just about anything grilled is seductive, but the aroma of the steak knocked me right off my feet. I’ve been eating meat ever since, and although I don’t often cook it, it’s one of my favorite things to eat at restaurants. I cook it at home on special occasions, always cooking more than I need, because I love to eat it cold the next day, sprinkled with lots kosher salt and black pepper.

Serves 6.

3 pounds flank steak, skirt steak, or London broil

FOR THE MARINADE
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sherry
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder

1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ to 1 teaspoon black pepper
3 scallions, chopped, for garnish

1. Score both sides of the steak with a sharp knife.

2. Place the soy sauce, sherry, mustard, sugar, and curry powder in a large shallow glass or ceramic bowl and add the steak, turning it once so that both sides are covered. Cover and let sit at room temperature for no more than 2 hours or refrigerate for 4 hours up to overnight, turning occasionally.

3. Prepare the grill or broiler.

4. Remove and reserve as much as the marinade as possible and place it in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and set aside.

5. Sprinkle the steak with the salt and pepper and place it on the grill or under the broiler, and cook until deeply browned and crusty, about 5 minutes per side, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade.

6. Cut into 6 big squares and divide evenly between 6 plates. Serve immediately. Garnish with the scallions.

Note: When you purchase a steak for marinating, purchase two and freeze one, with the marinade, in a resealable plastic bag. When you are ready to cook it, simply place the bag in the refrigerator to defrost. You’ll have a meal with essentially no work.

From The $50 Dinner Party: 26 Dinner Parties That Won’t Break Your Bank, Your Back, or Your Schedule (Simon & Schuster, 1998)