A fantastic cut for a simple, tasty midweek meal
Enjoy tender steak with deep flavours without breaking the bank.
- SERVES: 4
- COOKING TIME: 5 – 10 mins
- IDEAL FOR: midweek meal, family
- DIFFICULTY: easy
Flat Iron steak
This cut is becoming a lot more well-known especially with restaurants often using the cut.
And then of course there is a pretty well-known restaurants called Flat Iron.
But still, not many people I know buy this cut.
Why not?
It’s cheaper, tender (if you don’t overcook it – see method below), and has a lovely depth of flavour.
However, it’s unlikely you’ll find this cut in a supermarket so you need to go to your local butcher.
Or order from an online butcher.
And as always, I always suggest buying the best quality you can which, if you, buy grass-fed beef.
It’s tastier and better for the planet.
What is Flat Iron
It’s taken from the shoulder area of the cow which is called chuck primal.
And has a lovely marbling making it tender and succulent.
As with many cuts, there can be other names for it.
So, here are a few; top blade steak, top blade fillet shoulder, top blade steak.
This cut is named flat iron because it looks like an old-fashioned metal flat iron.
It’s great cooked on the grill in summer or as I’ve done for a midweek meal in a hot frying pan.
How to cook Flat Iron steak
- Place a frying pan over a high heat and get to smoking hot.
- Add a little oil, season the steak with salt and carefully put the steak in.
- Sear the steak on both sides, and turn every couple of minutes.
- Add a knob of butter and a crushed garlic clove and spoon over the butter foam.
- If you use a meat thermometer, you need to aim for 45C (it will continue to cook when you rest it for 10 mins). If you’re doing it by touch, once it loses the spring with the finger test, it’s ready to rest.
- Rest for at least 10 mins.
Here are some guides on ‘doneness’
| Steak Doneness | Temperature (°C) |
| Medium Rare Steak | 54–57°C |
| Medium Steak | 57–63°C |
| Medium Well Steak | 63–68°C |
| Well Done Steak | 68°C and up |
What to eat with flat iron
The world is your oyster.
The image I have in this post is a really quick, tasty midweek meal.
So, I did cheats frozen fries with an easy tomato salad and broccoli (blanched) quickly cooked in the steak pan with a little sesame seed oil and minced garlic.
But if you are doing a sharing dish, check out some great ideas for sides, here.
Enjoy.
