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Flat Iron Steak
Developed by the research
teams of University of Nebraska and the University of Florida, the flat iron steak is
gaining in popularity with restaurants across the United States. You can thank the
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association for funding research to make this tasty, tender
economical steak available to us today. (Read More...)
The beef cut is actually a top blade steak derived from the tender top blade roast. The
roast is separated into two pieces by cutting horizontally through the center to remove
the heavy connective tissue.
Top Blade Steak - aka Flat Iron Steak
Old Flat Iron "rest" shows the shape of a flat iron
Flat Iron Steak, How it Got Its Name. Facts and Lore (updated 3/12/06)
Facts
We finally know (sort of) the origins of name "Flat Iron Steak". We were quite
pleased to be contacted by Chris R. Calkins, a scientist at the University of Nebraska who
explained about the steak's name.
"I am the scientist who led the project that characterized beef muscles and lead
to the development of the flat iron steak. It was developed through a cooperative effort
with a national meat processor and a local restaurant chain. The name is an old industry
term that has proven to have a lot of charisma with consumers. We have been unable to
trace the source of the name. In its current use, it refers to a particular piece of meat
cut in a specific way. This new form in no way resembles "an old flat iron" in
shape - or in taste. It's one of the two most tender muscles in the beef carcass and has a
rich, succulent flavor that most consumers appreciate."
Lore and Details of This Quest
As self-respecting sleuths, we don't want to be purveyors of urban myth. The quest
for finding the history of how this steak was named started by an email from Stephen when
he asked us to help find the lineage of the name of the flat iron steak.
First we performed the requisite web search, something Stephen had no doubt spent hours at
long before asking us. Then we were off on a book search at the local chain
bookstore. We located the book "The Complete Meat Cookbook" by
Aidells & Kelly. The author made a vague reference that the steak was named because of
the resemblance to the old flat iron. Although this historical reference was not
conclusive, it was the only one we could find.
In additional readings, our curiosity was piqued about the Flat Iron Building in New York
City. We found it once housed a well-know steak house and that encouraged us to
wonder..........?
Later we contacted the chef from a very old, very well-know steak house in San Francisco,
California but he was unable to shed any light on our culinary mystery.
Today, November 20, 2001 Stephen has provided us with yet a new theory. According to
Stephen, a gentleman named Bill from a meat market in Napa, California had a
very different historical perspective. According to Bill, "the French were the
first to discover the Flat Iron Steak, not too long ago. This steak, which has a thick
gristle and sinew plate running through the center of it, must be trimmed to remove
this undesirable gristle. The gristle is so tough, the French got to calling it "iron
hard," and since it is flat...voila."
Well, now it is March, 2002 and we have our answer. The quest was a good one.
If any readers have other interesting questions you'd like to have answered, please write
us and we'll research them for you.
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Resources
The Beacon Journal -
Mentions how a restaurant in the New York Flat Iron building was a steak house.
Recipes
Flat Iron Steak
by Bestoftaste
2 x 1lb flat iron steaks or 1 x 2lb flank steak
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic mashed
1 teaspoon chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1/4 cup Villa Mt Eden Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
salt and generous amount of fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Mix all ingredients thoroughly and marinate steak for one hour. Grill over hot
coals 4 minutes per side. This steak is best cooked rare to medium rare.
Wine Recommendation: Villa Mt Eden
Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel or Pinot Noir
Thai Grilled Beef Salad Recipe (MasterCook)
2 garlic cloves -- minced
1 teaspoon Black peppercorn
1 tablespoon Fresh coriander roots
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Vegetable oil
1 pound flat iron steak - trimmed
3 small firm tomatoes
1 Bermuda onion - cut into 1/4-in slices
1 Sheet heavy-duty alum. foil - (8" x 18")
1 head red-leaf lettuce
Dressing
1 teaspoon ground dried shrimp w/chiles - (optional)
2 garlic cloves; chopped
2 red serrano chiles; sliced
2 green serrano chiles; sliced
1 tablespoon roasted chile sauce -(nam prik pao)
3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
5 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
coarsely chopped
Pound garlic, peppercorns, coriander root and salt into a paste; add oil and mix together.
Rub the garlic mixture over the beef; marinate for 30 minutes. Broil or grill beef until
medium rare. Slice into 2-by-1/4-inch strips. Set aside in a large mixing bowl. Quickly
char tomatoes under a hot broiler, turning occasionally. Do not overcook. Cool. Cut into
wedges and add to the beef. Evenly spread the sliced onions on 1/2 of the sheet of foil.
Fold in half, seal the edges to form a flat parcel. Place directly on top of a medium-high
stove burner for 1 minute--it should make sizzling sounds. Turn over; cook for about 30
seconds longer until charred. Remove, unwrap and cool. Add to the beef mixture. Line a
platter with the large lettuce leaves. Shred remaining leaves and scatter them on top. TO
Prepare the Dressing
In a hot, ungreased skillet, toast optional ground dried shrimp until fragrant, about 10
seconds. Reduce to medium heat. Add garlic, chiles, roasted chile sauce (nam prik pao),
fish sauce, lime juice and sugar; stir together until dissolved. Cool. Add beef mixture,
mint and coriander to wok; toss together gently. Pour mixture over lettuce. Serve at room
temperature.
Great Grilled Steak
Ingredients (Serves 2)
1 pound flat iron steak (or use a flank steak)
4 ounces dry rub, or spice blend of choice
1 tbs. Olive Oil
Preparation:
Make sure your grill is clean, lightly oiled and very hot. Drizzle, brush or spray all
refrigerated beef with oil. Generously rub or sprinkle Roto Roast or other dry rub on all
surfaces. Place steak on hottest part of grill and char for approximately 6 - 8 minutes
per side for medium rare to medium. Make sure to place cooked steak on platter, cover with
foil and let muscle tissue rest for 6 - 8 minutes. (juices will flow back into muscle
& be very juicy)
An Illustration of the Beef Chuck Area
photograph: copyright Time Life
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Illustration of a
Blade Chuck Roast
by: Ask Tog
The blade chuck consists of
three distinct types of meat, two of which are steaks normally sold at a premium— one
of which is the Flatiron steak and is considered by many as the finest cut of beef
available.
Identify the blade chuck by its two major
characteristics. First, the blade-shaped bone at the top of the roast, which should not
have any protuberances on it (otherwise, it is a center-cut or seven-bone chuck). Second,
the words, "blade chuck" on the supermarket packaging. (This latter is less
reliable.)
When you get the roast home, divide it into
its three pieces, removing the bones in the process.
Orient the meat as shown in Merle's illustration. First, remove the meat above the blade
(cut 1). This is the Flatiron steak. It is a little tough. I prefer to use it for stir-fry
or stroganoff, although many people simple halve it and cook it up as a couple of steaks.
Second, the steer has been kind enough to
provide a line of fat as a guide to removing the chuck eye (2) from the remaining meat
(3). Just cut along the white line to separate the steak. You may then cut the steak away
from the chine bone that lies along the bottom or you can barbecue the whole thing up,
bone-on. Either way, you will be eating a premium steak at hamburger prices.
As for the remaining cut, it is excellent
for pot roast or boiled beef or any other recipe that calls for long, slow cooking. And
speaking of long, slow cooking, tough meat comes out better the slower you cook it.
Microwave ovens, of course, spoil any meat, but so do pressure cookers, though not as
badly. Boiling up meat over a hot flame is just about as bad. The real way to do it is to
simmer the meat for six to eight hours, the way Mom used to do in the crock pot. That
allows the connective tissue to let go of its strangle hold without the muscle cell walls
turning into concrete.
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