Recipe: Stuffed Flank Steak

America's Best Recipes/1989

`INGREDIENTS:`
1/4 cup vegetable oil	3 tablespoons butter or margarine	3 cups (1/2-inch-thick) bread cubes
1 pound lean ground beef	1 cup finely chopped onion	1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 egg, beaten	2 cloves garlic, minced	1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons salt	1/4 teaspoon dried whole thyme	1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 (1-3/4 pound) flank steak	2 tablespoons butter or margarine	1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste	2 bay leaves	1 carrot, scraped and thinly sliced
1 onion, finely chopped	1 large tomato, coarsely chopped	1 teaspoon dried whole thyme
2 cups canned diluted beef broth	1 cup Burgundy or other dry red wine	1/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons cornstarch

`1`	Heat 1/4 cup oil and 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bread cubes, and saute until browned on all sides. Remove from heat.
`2`	Combine ground beef and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl; mix well. Gently stir in sauteed bread cubes.
`3`	Cut a large pocket lengthwise in flank steak, using a sharp knife or shears. Stuff steak with ground beef mixture. Secure with string at 2-inch intervals.
`4`	Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper to taste; brown meat in Dutch oven. Add bay leaves, carrot, onion, tomato, and thyme; cook, uncovered, 5 minutes over medium heat. Add beef broth and wine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes.
`5`	Transfer meat to a serving platter; remove string, and keep warm. Combine water and cornstarch, stirring well. Add cornstarch mixture to mixture in Dutch oven, stirring well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until gravy is thickened. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve steak with gravy.