Most people have tasted or at least heard of many of the more popular steaks like Ribeyes, NY Strips, Sirloins, Porterhouse, or Filet Mignons but from time to time some people who spend a lot of time with beef carcasses somehow find a new steak hidden within the steer. Of course the steak has always been there but scientists and butchers are always trying to isolate specific muscles in the steer, develop new butchering techniques, and somehow they come up with new steaks. That is the case with the Flat Iron Steak.
It is hard to pinpoint exactly when the Flat Iron Steak started becoming more popular but in the US it was around the turn of the century. Scientists at the University of Nebraska and the University of Florida are credited with developing this steak but it has also been popular in France for quite a while. The Flat Iron comes from the chuck area of the steer and is basically part of the rotator cuff and helps the front legs move.
The flat iron steak itself is considered to be the second most tender muscle (the scientific name for the muscle is the Infraspinatus muscle) behind only the tenderloin but the flavor is much more intense than you will get from a filet mignon or other tenderloin cut. Because of this it is quickly becoming one of the more popular steaks on the menus of many fine restaurants. You will rarely find the flat iron steak in your local grocery store meat case so the best way to get your hands on one of these is to either go to a specialty butcher shop or order flat iron steaks online.
A standard 1200 lb steer will only give you about 10 pounds of flat iron steak so there isn’t a lot of this cut to go around. Also most butchers just cut the shoulder into chuck roasts so that also makes this steak pretty hard to come by. If you can get your hands on one definitely give it a shot and I think you will fall in love with this cut.
The flat iron steak itself is about an inch thick and as the name implies is fairly flat and uniform thickness. The flat iron has a good amount of marbling and it is usually cut in half since there is a big, nasty tendon that bisects the muscle. I would probably cook it similar to what I would do with a flank steak which is just sear it 3-4 minutes per side in a hot pan or cook it on the grill. You can marinate this cut but I would just leave it alone with salt and pepper.
Order your flat iron steak today from Snake River Farms and you won’t be disappointed. With free shipping (use code FREEAFF at checkout) you can’t go wrong. It is only $8-12 (depending on when you order) for an 8 oz steak which is a great price for a great cut of meat. You can also go for the American Kobe Gold Grade 1.5 lb flat iron steak for $60 on sale today if you want to splurge or the American Kobe 1.5 lb flat iron steak for $45.
Hopefully you give the flat iron steak a try. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
