Grilled Flank Steak Stuffed With Spicy Capicola and Provolone

Impress your friends and family with this delicious recipe for a grilled flank steak stuffed with spicy capicola and provolone. Perfect for a summer barbecue!

Imagine a lean, boneless, and tender flank steak rolled up into a pinwheel, with rich, garlicky Italian meat, cheese, and herbs, on a skewer, grilled to perfection. This grilled stuffed flank steak is just like a giant lollipop!

Yes, I’m talking about juicy Italian Meat Lollipops! This is one of our favorite flank steak recipes.

What Is Flank Steak?

Flank steak is a beef cut from the cow’s abdominal muscles. It’s an extended, flat cut about a foot long and one inch thick. Flank steak is inexpensive and has a rich, beefy flavor. It’s versatile but can be a bit chewy and tough because it is a relatively lean cut of beef. It can be prepared in tacos, sautéed with vegetables in a wok, or eaten alone on the grill. 

Ingredients and Substitutions

The recipe card at the end of this post lists the complete ingredient list with measurements.

Meat: Flank steak and Capicola. You’ll need a two-pound flank steak. Look for one that is as uniform in thickness as possible. If you can’t find flank steak, substitute it with skirt steak. Prosciutto or salami are good substitutes for Capicola.

Seasoning: dried oregano, onion powder, Kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Garlic: freshly grated cloves of garlic.

Cheese: we use provolone cheese. You can substitute with Mozzarella, Havarti, Fontina, or Gruyere. 

Helpful Equipment

• Meat Thermometer: David uses a Thermapen One, an instant-read thermometer by Thermoworks.
• Wooden Skewers – soak in water for 30 minutes before grilling
• Butcher’s Twine – to help keep the flank steak rolled while cutting.
• Oil – for oiling the grill grate.

How To Make Grilled Stuffed Flank Steak With Spicy Capicola and Provolone

Since the stuffing ingredients did not require much cooking time, grill the flank steaks like a regular ribeye steak. An excellent hot sear and fast! The recipe card at the end of this post provides detailed instructions with times and temperatures.

Prepare the Flank Steak – Stuff and Roll

1. Pound the flank steak with a mallet into a rough rectangle.
2. Position the steak so that the grain of the muscle fibers runs parallel to the edge of the counter; season with the salt and pepper, grated garlic, onion powder, and oregano evenly over the surface of the steak.
3. Lay the capicola slices evenly over the steak, then add a cheese layer on the meat. Leave a 1-inch border along the top edge. 
4. Starting from the bottom edge closest to the counter’s edge, roll the beef into a tight log and place it on the cutting board seam-side down.

Skewer the Flank Steak

Skewering the stuffed flank steak before cutting helps divide it into equal portions.

1. Evenly space eight wooden or metal skewers at 1-inch intervals into the steak, starting in the middle and working out to about ½-inch from the end of the rolled steak. 
2. Skewer the beef directly through the bottom to the outermost flap of steak near the seam, allowing the skewer to extend ½-inch on the opposite side.
3. Ensure that both flaps at the seam are skewered and the roll is tight so the cheese will not ooze out too much when grilling.

Cut the Steak Into Pinwheels

1. Using a sharp knife, slice the roll between skewers into 1-inch-thick pinwheels.
2. Season the meat lightly with more salt and pepper to taste.

Light the grill!

David uses his 22-inch Weber Kettle setup for indirect heat (half the bottom of the grill with hot coals and the other side without).

1. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour the coals evenly over half of the coal grate. (If using a gas grill, light half the burners to high heat.)
2. Set the cooking grate in place; cover the grill and allow it to preheat for 5 minutes.
3. Clean and oil the grilling grate.
4. Grill the pinwheels over direct heat, undisturbed, until well browned, 3 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip the steaks, cover, and grill the second side until medium-rare, with crisp edges, about 3 to 5 minutes longer or until the internal temp is 125-130 degrees F. (use the chart below and adjust the time as needed)

Beef Temperature Cooking Chart

A perfectly cooked flank steak will have a dark red center and be light pink on the outside. Use the chart below to gauge your pull temps. 

Preferred Doneness	Pull Temp	Target Temp
Rare	115-125°F	120-130°F
Medium rare (recommended)	125-130°F	130-135°F
Medium	130-135°F	135-140°F
Medium well	140-150°F	145-155°F
Well done	NA	NEVER!

Rest and Serve

• Remove the skewered pinwheels from the grill and transfer them to a large serving platter.
• Rest at least 5 minutes before serving, or all of those good juices will be on your plate instead of your mouth!
• Serve with or without the skewers.

Tips For Making This Flank Steak Recipe

• I am here to tell you that freezer or butcher paper will change your life in the kitchen. I have been using it like crazy lately for anything messy. It catches all the crumbs and creates a clean workspace you can clean up in seconds by balling it up and throwing it into the trash can. I used freezer paper for this job. It’s so much easier! GET A ROLL!
• Rolling may cause the stuffing to push out as you roll the meat; push the filling ingredients back inside as you roll the meat. Once the meat is rolled, lay it seam-side down onto the work surface. Tie a piece of butcher’s twine around the middle and two ends to help hold it together, if needed.

What to Serve With Grilled Flank Steak

We enjoy these stuffed grilled flank steaks with mashed potatoes. Use the list of suggested side dishes below to create your meal!

• Corn on the cob
• garden salad
• pasta salad
• grilled asparagus
• smashed potatoes

Leftovers?

Storage: Wrap leftover flank steak tightly in aluminum foil or an airtight container for up to 3 days; beyond that, it’s just not that good.

Reheating: grilled flank steak is best reheated in a cast-iron skillet until warmed through. A microwave will work just fine. We recommend heating in 1-2 minute increments until the steak is warm. Be careful not to overcook it, or it will become rubbery and chewy.

I served our steaks with some good ole mashed potatoes. You know, there’s just nothing like meat and taters! Add this to your grilling recipes!