Flatiron steak

[kiteless]

Flat Iron and Skirt Steak are actually 2 of my favorite cuts.

As mentioned, sear both sides in a hot cast iron pan, and finish in the oven for a few minutes. Makes great eating as-is or phenomenal sandwiches.

Skirt steak, as mentioned, is the best (and as far as I'm concerned, only) cut for carne asada. My marinade is similar to stephle's: beer, lime, garlic, fresh cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper. Marinate for around 4-6 hours (if you marinate it overnight, it can actually taste beer-y and you don't want that). Throw on a hot grill and cook quickly. Chop up into small pieces, and make tacos with two small fresh, warm corn tortillas with a little fresh chopped onion, radish and cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Add red or green salsa and eat. Heaven with a cold beer.

[Rover]

Wow! Some great ideas and inspirations here - thanks everyone. Experiments about to begin.

Rover

[Shalmanese]

I made a flat iron steak over the weekend. Rubbed it all over with home-made chilli powder and let is sit overnight. Then cooked it in plenty of oil and butter while basting. Had it with some roasted asparagus (truffle salt, pepper, EVOO, parmesan) and first of the season tomatoes. Topped it all off with a balsamic-honey glaze.

One thing with flat iron steak I've just discovered is that you seem to have to let it rest longer than most other steaks. I cut into it a bit prematurely and there was a LOT of juice running out. My theory is that because it's cut with the grain, the muscle fibres are longer so they take longer to relax.

[gfweb]

I made a flat iron steak over the weekend. Rubbed it all over with home-made chilli powder and let is sit overnight. Then cooked it in plenty of oil and butter while basting. Had it with some roasted asparagus (truffle salt, pepper, EVOO, parmesan) and first of the season tomatoes. Topped it all off with a balsamic-honey glaze.

One thing with flat iron steak I've just discovered is that you seem to have to let it rest longer than most other steaks. I cut into it a bit prematurely and there was a LOT of juice running out. My theory is that because it's cut with the grain, the muscle fibres are longer so they take longer to relax.

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"First of the season tomatoes"??? Where?

[mrsadm]

I've been perusing the online menu of a restaurant where a group of people and I will be dining in a couple of weeks. The place offers steaks (5 kinds) and chef's specials. The chef specials are things like Crab Cakes, Blackened Salmon, Fettucine Alfredo, Vegetable Primavera, Cheese Tortellini, Roasted Port Medalions, etc. - a "something for everyone" menu. In small restaurants, are most of these dishes frozen and then thawed to order?

I figure I'll go with a steak. Now they have Flat Iron steak grilled, but not marinated.

What is your experience with this type of steak, is it tough and should be marinated (it is from the shoulder section)? Or is it tender enough to withstand plain old grilling? How would you cook this yourself at home?

Thanks

[HKDave]

....In small restaurants, are most of these dishes frozen and then thawed to order?

I figure I'll go with a steak. Now they have Flat Iron steak grilled, but not marinated. 

What is your experience with this type of steak, is it tough and should be marinated (it is from the shoulder section)?  Or is it tender enough to withstand plain old grilling?  How would you cook this yourself at home?

Thanks

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It would be unusual for any restaurant to 'thaw to order' because most of the dishes you list can be cooked from scratch in a restaurant setting faster than they could be thawed.

Flatiron is from the shoulder. It doesn't need to be marinated but shouldn't be cooked past medium rare - or at most medium - or it will start to get tough. It can be grilled with the same proviso.

[jrshaul]

I've seen quite a lot of discussion of the best way to cook perfectly-marbled steaks as thick as a brick, but what's the best technique to cook a cheap one? I have some fairly good 3/4"-1" flatirons in the freezer, and would like some suggestions as to the best way to cook them. I've had pretty good luck in a propane barbecue set to max for about 1:30 a side, but I'm not in a position to be using one right now.

[OliverB]

I'd probably sear it in a blasting hot cast iron skillet, then finish it in a low oven while watching internal temp, take it out at 130F.

I've used that method with just about any piece of steak, always comes out great. I sear one side for 30-60 sec, flip it and put the pan in the oven immediately.

[Shalmanese]

Sear it at a moderate temperature in plenty of butter. Don't overcook it.

[Paul Bacino]

I tend to cook on the first side (#1 ) a bit longer with High heat.. and then finish on side two till the blood just rises thru!! rest and perfect.. with a little crust . @ that thickness no need to use anything else but a hot cast iron or coal.

x

[piracer]

I feel like if your steak is thin you just need to do a quick sear like everyone has said already, though I don't think you really need to put it in the oven like some have said. Wouldn't it be thoroughly cooked through by then? That's what im guessing. If its over cooked and you feel its a waste, no worries, stir fry!

[tim]

Hi,

If this a true flatiron (normally about 1/2" thick and cut along the grain) the steak will puff up when it is seared. The result is a much thicker steak when cooked which protects the meat from overcooking.

A top blade is frequently crosscut, with a tendon running down the middle, an incorrectly called a flat-iron. These can be cooked just like a 3/4" thick strip steak.

If the steak is cryovac'd, remove it for a period of air drying before cooking. You might also want to bring the steak to room temperature to lessen the cooking time. These methods will eliminate the possibility of a slightly livery taste.

Good luck,

Tim

[FeChef]

Ok so I got this 2lb flat iron steak 4 inches wide 11 inches long and 1 inch thick. Im going to use transglutaminase to glue it together into more of a filet. The question is should i cut into 1 1/2 inch strips and glue them together into a more square shape, or roll it up into a thick round log and slice into 2 round filets? Im thinking it might resemble bacon pinwheels. Which brings up another question if i should wrap with some applewood smoked bacon, or keep it all beef?

Would like to hear some experiences with meat glueing steaks. Also im thinking sous vide for no more then 4 hours @ 132F. Thoughts on that aswell.

[Twyst]

Roll it with Activa (it wont look like a bacon pinwheel, you wont even be able to tell its been glued if you wrap it up tight), and cook sous vide just long enough to bring it up to temp, then slice and sear.

We do this with both hangar and ribeye cap where I work with beautiful results, although we generally only bring the log up to 127 before searing.

[FeChef]

Roll it with Activa (it wont look like a bacon pinwheel, you wont even be able to tell its been glued if you wrap it up tight), and cook sous vide just long enough to bring it up to temp, then slice and sear.

We do this with both hangar and ribeye cap where I work with beautiful results, although we generally only bring the log up to 127 before searing.

Interesting...I was thinking of chilling overnight then slicing right before adding to the water oven. My main concern is the log would be more then 3 inches in girth, maybe more and 4 hours would not be long enough to get the center up to 132F.

[rotuts]

is the central tendon still in the meat? I used to get this cut as a roast: its called blade roast around here and is usually sold in sliced cuts where you can see the central tendon.

if you have that tendon, remove it how ever you like: however you glue the pieces back together, remember the grain so that when its on the plate you cut across that grain.

love to see some pics!

[DocDougherty]

While flatiron steak is naturally tender, it does not suffer from spending 24 hrs in a 133°F water bath, especially if you are going to roll it up. Refrigerating overnight after you have glued it together will give the transglutaminase time to act and I generally wrap it in plastic before vacuuming to hold the shape. You can torch it before or after you slice it.

[FeChef]

is the central tendon still in the meat? I used to get this cut as a roast: its called blade roast around here and is usually sold in sliced cuts where you can see the central tendon.

if you have that tendon, remove it how ever you like: however you glue the pieces back together, remember the grain so that when its on the plate you cut across that grain.

love to see some pics!

I havent opened the cryovac package yet. It should have the tendon removed since it is labeled as a steak. I can tell you that looking from the top of the package, i see no tendon running down it. If its still in there for some reason i will cut it out and just sprinkle some TG in the cut before rolling it up.

[FeChef]

While flatiron steak is naturally tender, it does not suffer from spending 24 hrs in a 133°F water bath, especially if you are going to roll it up. Refrigerating overnight after you have glued it together will give the transglutaminase time to act and I generally wrap it in plastic before vacuuming to hold the shape. You can torch it before or after you slice it.

Heres the thing...I have sous vide many different cuts of beef and in my opinion/taste the only cut i liked after 24 hours was chuck roast. Top round was in my opinion/taste best at 12 hours. Rib roast at 10 hours. And any tender steak between 2-6 hours depending on how thick they are.

That said, Ive cooked short ribs twice, once at 48 hours and again at 24 hours and i thought they were disgusting in texture. They were about 1 1/2 inch thick.

Edited April 28, 2013 by FeChef (log)

[rotuts]

very interesting. if the inner tough membrane has already been removed, Kudos your way. Id very much appreciate any pics you would care to generate of the piece out of the bag etc if its not too much a bother. this is delicious "beefy and tender" meat.

take a look here:

http://www.google.com/search?q=flat+iron+steak&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=RVJ9UZf8CuzW0gGCh4CoCg&ved=0CGUQsAQ&biw=1249&bih=1054

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1M5CaTJGO-0/Td6Zz17lX_I/AAAAAAAAAKE/Oq01Iq3MY3I/s1600/1144ShldrTopBladeStkBnls.jpg

they are frequently sold in the Meat counter this way

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YbzNQcekSpA/UACMZE1tKHI/AAAAAAAAAL8/57Z8jh2zwrE/s1600/IMG_4552.jpg

this is a "roast" w/o the midline tendon removed. its a little hard to see here

http://www.tendergrassfedmeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1Cut-up-7-bone-pot-roast.jpg

where the meat comes from on the shoulder. Note the midline tendon. this is worth knowing about if you get a 7 bone 'chuck' slab

since you get a choice on the glue-up consider how the grain of the meat will be on the final plating:

I like meat on the plate to have the fibers running horizontally so that when you cut into the meat you are cutting across fibers.

this meat is so tender it wont matter much

Good Luck and Enjoy !

[FeChef]

Rotuts heres a pic of the package. I peeled some of the sticker off to get a better look at the middle. Its hard to tell if theres a tendon, if there is, its very small or it was removed and theres a tiny bit still in there. My guess is it was and should have been removed to be labeled as a steak. Atleast thats what i was told years ago.

[rotuts]

thank you so much! as the pic 'lays' on the table, the tendon would run ( if its there ) in the plane of the table. if you have 1/2 of the true 'blade' its about 1 1/2 thick. the full blade would be about 3 - 4 " thick do your best to remove any left if you have it.

time will tell!

many thanks for taking the trouble to post that pic!

if you have not had blade/flat iron before, you are in for a treat.

when I got the full " roast " ie the two muscle groups, Id remove the central tendon and get 4 ( ie 1/2 steaks top and bottom ) and grill them on high heat until rare and then Enjoy!

you will find out what you have when you open the pack!

Edited April 28, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

your $$$ Shot will be what the underside of the Beef looks like, and after cutting a small sliver off one tip ( which you can save for

the glue-up later ) you will know if you have that central tendon. its easy to get rid of pre glue up. let me know!

many thanks!

[FeChef]

Rotuts, I have had it before at a steakhouse either applebee's or TGI fridays or something. It was good, but nothing to brag about. I honestly always considered to be equal to a sirloin steak but ever since i started useing sous vide I kept reading people raving about how good flat iron steak is sous vide so I figured i would give it a try now that i came across a good deal since there was a $3 off coupon sticker which brought it down to $5.50/lb which is still kinda high in my area since i can get lower grade choice NY strip for $3.97/lb maybe two times a month they always go on sale.

[rotuts]

well what you get at those places might be This or That. no PC involved.

this will be a lot different what what you had at any restaurant.

Im very pleased you are a student of Coupons as am I !

currently for me as the "blade roast" i used to get Pre SV for 2.49 no longer exists I look for and get on sale sirloin tips. when on

sale, then cut them for me as lager flat pieces. that give me more options.

some times I get them for 4.99 !

( twice for 3.99 ! )

Edited April 28, 2013 by rotuts (log)