# Flat Iron steak



## Puff1 (Feb 17, 2008)

Grilled direct to sear indirect to finish.
Caramelized onions and 'shrooms. Cheesy potatoes and beans.


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## Nick Prochilo (Feb 17, 2008)

Looks great Puff! Is that your own sausage?


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## Unity (Feb 17, 2008)

Great lookin' food, great pic!

--John


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## Griff (Feb 17, 2008)

I've never had that cut of meat but it sure looks good.


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## WildFireEric (Feb 17, 2008)

Looks good Puff.


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## Diva Q (Feb 17, 2008)

Never heard of that cut either but whatever you call it it sure looks yummy.

Odd just as I was typing I am watching iron chef and sure enough one of the gus is cubing up a flat iron steak. 

Gott go google it.

From Wiki:
The Flat Iron Steak is a cut of steak from the shoulder of a steer. The design of the cut of steak was created by researchers at the University of Florida and University of Nebraska during the course of a study of undervalued cuts of beef. The study also found that this specific cut is the second most tender cut of beef, after the tenderloin. The major initial barrier to the flat iron steak was the large band of connective tissue running down the center of the steak, which led people to assume that the cut in general must be tough. Removing the connective tissue, however, leads to a steak that is often described as having both the tenderness of a rib eye or strip steak while still having the full-flavored character of a sirloin or skirt steak. 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.

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.


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## WildFireEric (Feb 18, 2008)

Thanks Diva. I guess we learn something everyday. I just assumed it was a skirt steak or something. Next question is how do you get one of these? talk to a butcher? I don't ever recall seeing one of these out among the regular meat. I wonder if you need a knowledgeable butcher to hack one up for you?


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## LarryWolfe (Feb 18, 2008)

Great meal there Puff!!


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## john a (Feb 18, 2008)

Nice and rare, just the way a steak should be.


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## 007bond-jb (Feb 18, 2008)

Looks great Puff. nice finish pic's

Some butchers label flat irons wrong, I've seen em called blade steak, shoulder steak & even chuck steak by local grocery stores.



http://www.beeffoodservice.com/cuts/Info.aspx?code=58


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## Rag1 (Feb 18, 2008)

That's a dead solid perfect plate. Flat iron is maybe the beat cut from the cow. Realy good.


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## Unity (Feb 18, 2008)

It's the muscle that occupies the hollow of the shoulder blade and attaches to (and rotates) the humerus, a key muscle in the rotator cuff. In us humans it looks like this:







--John


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## Rag1 (Feb 18, 2008)

Unity said:
			
		

> It's the muscle that occupies the hollow of the shoulder blade and attaches to (and rotates) the humerus, a key muscle in the rotator cuff. In us humans it looks like this:
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That just set off all kinds of alarms in my head!


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## Unity (Feb 18, 2008)

Rag said:
			
		

> That just set off all kinds of alarms in my head!


   Sorry about that. I wasn't trying to stimulate any Jeffrey Dahmer ideas, it's just that it's easier to find illustrations of isolated people muscles than beef ones. 

--John


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## Toby Keil (Feb 18, 2008)

Looks very tasty Puff. I’ve never grilled a Flat Iron before but I’ll definitely add to my list things to grill. Thanks for sharing.


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## Puff1 (Feb 18, 2008)

Thanks everyone. This was the first time I tried this cut and the first thing I noticed when taking it out of the package was the connective tissue as mentioned in the Wiki definition. I was thinking there was no way this would be tender. I removed it, grilled it and it was very tender, it reminded me of a tri tip. 
One thing I didn't like about it was that it was thick on one end and thinner on the other making it harder to grill to medium rare like I wanted.

Nick that was the venison sausage I smoked last week. I thought grilling it would maybe help it out a bit.


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## Cliff H. (Feb 18, 2008)

I usually pass up flat iron steaks.....Now I have to buy one.   

Thanks Puff.


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## Rag1 (Feb 18, 2008)

The first ones I tried were sliced egg shaped medallions. That had the gristle strip right down the middle (kind of sucked). But now I get the butcher to cut the steak the other direction along the gristle layer. When he's done I have 2 steaks an a long sheet of gristle. He can't sell the gristle that way. but you have better eating. I think they called the gristle medallions Butterfly steaks. Cute.


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## Tannehill Kid (Feb 18, 2008)

Steak looks good.  Love them onions and 'shrooms


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## Greg Rempe (Feb 19, 2008)

The finished plate looks awesome, Puff!!


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## Diva Q (Feb 19, 2008)

called my butcher today and they are going to bring some of these in for me. 

I am looking forward to trying them.


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## Bobberqer (Feb 27, 2008)

buy the whole Sholder Clod and trim it down yourself, and it's under $2:00 a pound .... When the butcherer cuts it down to Flat Iron Steaks, that is when it goes up to $4.99 a pound 

You take it down to 3 pieces

You can get Top Blade, which you can trim down to Flat iron on the one side

The Shoulder Tender, on the other side of the top which you trim down to Petite Tenders

and the big ole fat piece thats left you can make Ranch steaks, or grind up for chili or kabob thingys 

http://www.beefinnovationsgroup.com/CMD ... VC3-aa.pdf

very economical way of eating beef if you order the whole Sholder clod

you need to know that there is a lot of silver skin that really needs to be taken off, as it binds up when you are cooking it and will make the thing look like Quasimodo, and you cant really chew the stuff either

If you want to, you can just take off the Top Blade, then cube the rest for Chili, or grind it up for burger meat...


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## Rag1 (Feb 27, 2008)

Bobberqer said:
			
		

> buy the whole Sholder Clod and trim it down yourself, and it's under $2:00 a pound .... When the butcherer cuts it down to Flat Iron Steaks, that is when it goes up to $4.99 a pound
> 
> You take it down to 3 pieces
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> ...



What kind of weight are we talking about. Barb has to be able to get it in the truck and from there to the kitchen?


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## BchrisL (Feb 27, 2008)

Looks really good. I learn something new every day!


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## Cliff H. (Feb 27, 2008)

If I get a hold of a sholder clod, it is going low and slow. Flat iron and all


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## Bobberqer (Feb 28, 2008)

Rag said:
			
		

> Bobberqer said:
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  lol since a  whole one weights in anywhere from16-17-22-23 lbs, you might wanna get off yer old arse and help her at least carry it from the truck to the kitchen

Just make sure you're speaking the same language as them Amish butchers you got out there in PA..... I ordered a "whole shoulder clod" last year for a catering, and the butcher sent us ones that weighed between 60 and 70 pounds, came with the whole shoulder, down to the hoof   shock:    pretty funny now, but when we got  the whole quarter, we were not happy campers.. took I think 36 hours to smoke the whole thing, even after we had to wack the hoofs off it to fit it in the smoker. Moral of the story, when talking to a wholesaler, make sure you're talking the same language..


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## Rag1 (Feb 28, 2008)

That sounds doable for her. I remember you with that 1/4 cow....last year in AZ or someplace like that???


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## wittdog (Feb 28, 2008)

Rag said:
			
		

> Unity said:
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Besides...doen't people taste like pork


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## Nick Prochilo (Feb 28, 2008)

wittdog said:
			
		

> Rag said:
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No, chicken!


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## Unity (May 19, 2008)

After all this talk about flat iron steaks, I've been watching for them at the supermarket, and last Friday Safeway had some little-bitty ones at $2.49/lb. I got a package of 7 that went a total of 2.31 lbs, or an average of about 5 1/4 oz each. Tonight I grilled 3 of them on the gasser to med-rare (no pics) and Jody and I split them between us. I didn't try to remove the connective tissue before grilling because the steaks are so little that I'd have been grilling beef fingers. I might rethink that decision next time, because it wasn't as easy to trace the tough stuff after it's cooked. (I just ate mine.) The meat _is_ very tender and tasty. I'll buy it again, but next time I'll wait for bigger ones.

--John


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## Griff (May 19, 2008)

Ahhh John .... no pics = no cook. Sorry buddy.


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## Rag1 (May 20, 2008)

Unity, you ate the gristle? Wow dude...that's power eating.  
A better way is to buy the steak cut the other way.
Picture all those little steaks reassembled. That means the gristle layer is now; horizontal the length of a larger steak. The butch now slices off the top layer and bottom layer of meat. That gives you 2 sweet steaks. Thin, but tender and flavorful. Use care when cooking so as not to over do it.
Oh, throw away the gristle....you don't want anyone to see you eating that.


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## Unity (May 20, 2008)

Rag said:
			
		

> Unity, you ate the gristle? Wow dude...that's power eating.
> A better way is to buy the steak cut the other way.
> Picture all those little steaks reassembled. That means the gristle layer is now; horizontal the length of a larger steak. The butch now slices off the top layer and bottom layer of meat. That gives you 2 sweet steaks. Thin, but tender and flavorful. Use care when cooking so as not to over do it.
> Oh, throw away the gristle....you don't want anyone to see you eating that.


It was no big deal, cut in small bits, and I didn't lose any of the good meat -- but I'd welcome gristle-free flat irons.   

I'll ask the meat guy if he ever cuts them that way next time I shop.

--John


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## Unity (May 20, 2008)

Griff said:
			
		

> Ahhh John .... *no pics = no cook*. Sorry buddy.


Here ya go, Meester Greef.  :P 






--John


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## wittdog (May 20, 2008)

Unity said:
			
		

> Griff said:
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I see nothing


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## Unity (May 20, 2008)

wittdog said:
			
		

> I see nothing


It was clean before I did the steaks. 

--John


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## Puff1 (May 20, 2008)

LOL! Great looking pieces of flat iron steak!


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## Unity (May 20, 2008)

Oh, you wanted a pic of the _*meat*_! 

  Sorry, I didn't take any. But the used grill is evidence of the cook.   

--John
(I know, Griff isn't going to buy it either.)


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## Puff1 (May 20, 2008)

Unity said:
			
		

> Oh, you wanted a pic of the _*meat*_!
> 
> Sorry, I didn't take any. But the used grill is evidence of the cook.
> 
> ...


I was talking about the little pieces I see stuck to the grill.   

Nope..Griff won't buy it.


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## Griff (May 20, 2008)

I ain't buying it.


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## Unity (May 20, 2008)

Guys on this board are a hard bunch to satisfy. 

--John
(I'm surprised Witt didn't get on me for using gas.)


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## wittdog (May 21, 2008)

Unity said:
			
		

> Guys on this board are a hard bunch to satisfy.
> 
> --John
> (I'm surprised Witt didn't get on me for using gas.)


Is something...really cooked if you gas it? :roll: 

You might as well just get out the cast iron skillet and do it on the stove top :P  :twisted:


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## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (May 21, 2008)

Gas is your friend.    Rrrrrrrpppppttt


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