Master flank steak a-1 directions and ideas for leftovers

Be sure to read these b-4 cooking
                        The real first step is to
                        make the Napa Cabbage Slaw

Here are a couple of easy ideas for using leftover grilled steak and cabbage
slaw.  Summer soup: Simmer some of the cooked slaw in vegetable broth or
chicken stock. For a thin soup, use about 1/2 cup of the slaw per serving; for
a heartier version, use about 1 cup per serving. 

Season with a dollop of the barbecue sauce. During the last 5 minutes of
cooking, add finely chopped or shredded grilled flank steak, about 1/4 cup per
serving, and cooked fresh Chinese noodles, to taste. 
Pita sandwich: Combine leftover cabbage slaw and finely sliced flank steak;
season with barbecue sauce. Heat on stove or in a microwave. Fill pita bread
halves with the mixture. Add a dash of hot sauce, then top with sliced
cucumbers and chopped tomatoes. 

Or, substitute rice paper for the pita breads. Refresh the rice paper in cold
water, then top with the slaw/steak mixture (at room temperature), the hot
sauce, cucumbers and tomatoes. Roll up and enjoy. the hot sauce, cucumbers and
tomatoes. Roll up and enjoy. 

Author's Notes:  When I was growing up in Pleasanton, a family summer favorite
was barbecued flank steak. 

Magically marinated and cooked over the coals, it was probably our second-
favorite hot-weather meal  behind hamburgers and hot dogs. Hey, we were young!

But this simple dish took a quantum leap when my mother and her friend Gloria
started a successful local catering business. Thus was born the flank Steak
Roulade  infinitely more elegant than just a slab of beef. 

I remember watching in awe as that dynamic duo synchronized the filling and
rolling. Rolling  that was the secret. If you rolled the bundle too loose, it
would fall apart when cooked and cooled. 

When I graduated from audience to assistant, I got the job of securing these
tender rolls with toothpicks  ``Remember, always three toothpicks, always
three. .'' Many roulades later I discovered that those ringing words were
important  after cooking and cooling the roulades, you always knew to remove
three toothpicks, ensuring safety for unwary eaters. 

Later, when I was catering on my own, a modified flank Steak Roulade appeared
on countless menus, in countless variations. 

For easy eating throughout the week, follow this plan: First, buy and marinate
extra flank steak. Your first night's entree will be Grilled Whole flank Steak
but don't make it first. 

***The real first step is making the Napa Cabbage Slaw, which shows up in
several guises. The second step is forming the roulade. Now it's time to
grill. 

For convenience, cook all the meat at the same time: the roulade and the thin
piece of flank steak, which will be saved for later in the week, and tonight's
steak, which you'll serve with reheated slaw. 

In a day or so, when you're ready for the roulade, you'll find that assembly
is a matter of minutes. Simply spread soft lavash (an Armenian flat bread)
with a wild mixture of cream cheese, wasabi and pickled ginger; wrap it tight
around the roulade; and chill briefly before slicing. 

The final meal is even easier. It's a main-dish salad of romaine lettuce,
slices of the reserved grilled steak, and fresh fruit: mango, orange and
grapefruit. 

Layered atop a bed of rice noodles and moistened with a zesty vinaigrette
(which is seasoned with a bit of the remaining barbecue sauce),
 it's another no-cook winner. By: DAN BOWE, Special to The SF Chronicle