Flat Iron Steak?

[BarbaraS]

Hello All,

Sorry I haven't been contributing or responding to this board lately. I'm losing my office at work and have to move to a cube and that will put the cabash on my online activities during the day.

I made a run to Whole Foods this afternoon and one of the meat counter guys was talking about the Flat Iron Steak they had in their case. He said it was a fabulous cut of meat and showed off its marbled regalcy to a customer standing next to me.

So I bought one, too. I think I've heard of it before, but was maybe confusing it with skirt steak, which is a different cut altogether iirc.

I Googled "flat iron steak" and "recipes" and found something on a couple sites. The recipe and marinade on allrecipes.c*m sounds great, so does Giada's on network.c*m. So I'm wondering if anyone out there has made something with this cut of meat.

I didn't see anything in the index issues of C@H which is where I started in the first place.

Thanks in advance,

Barbara

[Old Bay]

I love them! I cook like a flank steak and slice like a flank steak. There is a piece of sinue (sp?) running right down the middle that you have to deal with. Some butchers have learned to cut the meat to lose that problem. I like them med/rare. Great sliced and served as a steak salad too.

[Dismc]

I do the same thing. Love flat irons. Just slice them against the grain like a flank steak and they are tender and very flavorful.

[Gourmet_Mom]

I totally agree! I love when they have them at the store in town. Nobody has caught on around here yet, so I can usually get a good deal on them. I've used my Korean Beef marinade on them as well as just salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Either way, just make sure you follow what the others have said...medium rare and slice against the grain. The first time I made the Taco Salad from the Sandwiches book, I used flat iron steak....great meal!

[Lorraine]

Ditto what Old Bay said. Cook no more than medium, and slice on an angle across the grain.

[HomeCulinarian]

It's also called a skirt steak. From the Recipe Index... I've made the Latin Grill recipe with Flank... it's very good.

Mole-rubbed skirt steak fajitas
Cuisine at home No. 69 (June 2008), pages 6-7
In the '80s, you couldn't get enough of fajitas, but over time they've lost a little luster. These will bring the shine back.

Cuisine at home No. 69 (June 2008), pages 42-43
To the point / A syrup by any other name / Rinse cycle / Frozen roux / In the bag / Tell me more: Skirt Steak

A Latin Grill
Cuisine No. 21 (June 2000), pages 6-9
Skirt steak. You may never have heard of it, but you've eaten it plenty of times — in fajitas! Here's a quick and easy way to prepare this inexpensive cut of beef without it being in thin strips.

Cuisine No. 21 (June 2000), pages 12-13
No matter what country you're in, there's nothing better than steak and fries. Try these oven-baked potatoes to complete the South American grilled skirt steak dinner.

Cuisine No. 10 (August 1998), pages 36-37
New York cheesecake correction / Skirt steak / Vanilla / Espresso powder / Molasses

[BarbaraS]

So it really is also called a Skirt Steak?

I am so thankfull for the info!!

Barbara

[Lorraine]

It's my understanding they come from two different parts of the animal.

[esgunn]

I didn't think they were the same. But I don't know much about different cuts of beef.

I think either the current issue or the issue previous had a recipe for flat iron steak. I have one in my freezer. They are pretty pricy around here.

[esgunn]

The skirt steak is a cut of beef steak from the plate (belly) primal cut. It is a long, flat cut that is flavorful, but tougher than most other steak cuts.


[edit] Use
It is the cut of choice for making fajitas ("little belts" or "sashes" in Spanish), Cornish pasties and Chinese stir-fry. Skirt steaks are usually marinated and braised over low heat. Skirt steak should be sliced across the grain for serving.

In the United States, whole skirt steak has the meat-cutting classification NAMP 121. The more tender inner skirt (NAMP 121D) is attached to the rib cage (ribs 6-12), while the tougher outer skirt (NAMP 121C) consists of the diaphragm muscle and an attached thick membrane which must be removed before cooking.

The flat iron steak is a cut of steak from the shoulder of a steer, also known as the Teres Major. Whole, this muscle is known as Infraspinatus, and one may see this displayed in some butcher shops and meat markets as a "top blade" roast. Steaks that are cross cut from this muscle are called top blade steaks or patio steaks. As a whole cut of meat it usually weighs around 2 to 3 lbs, is located adjacent to the heart of the shoulder clod, under the seven bone. The entire top blade usually yields 4 steaks, between 8 to 12oz. each. Flat iron steaks usually have a significant amount of marbling

Restaurants, particularly upscale, have recently begun serving flat iron steaks on their menus. Especially popular are flat irons from Wagyu beef, as a way for chefs to offer more affordable and profitable dishes featuring Wagyu or Kobe beef. In the normal grades, marinade is required to achieve tenderness on par with more expensive cuts, such as ribeye or strip steak.[citation needed]