Flat Iron Steak
There is no secret about the value and flavour of flat iron steak but it would be daft if I didn't give it a mention here just in case its delights have passed anyone by.
This particular cut was in the plan for a barbecue lunch with friends in the middle of last week. The ornery old British summer produced one of those frustrating days which led to adjustments in the cooking. All food was delivered after preparation in the kitchen... and after enjoying the meal our guests left just as a dry, perfectly behaved, warm summer evening was beginning. Grrr.
I decided to marinate the meat for an hour in this mix:
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
A pinch of chipotle chilli flakes
A good grind of black pepper
4 tablespoons Glenmorangie whisky (other malts are available!)
Meat purchased (as always!) from Brown's Family Butchers, Grimsby
Don't fret too much about extra treatments for this cut. If cooked properly, it still contains enough flavour without additions. Cook it on a medium to high heat for five to six minutes each side. Spoon over some more dashes of marinade if using. And then do the most important thing... let it rest. Wrap or loosely cover with foil for ten minutes. The whole thing will be stressed and excited for a while but all that muscle, veined with fat, rewards you richly if you wait for the science of cooking to take over and deliver.
This shows half of the slab I bought after the cooking and resting. I eventually chose to grill the meat. A griddle pan would be fine... and the barbecue should, of course, be considered if you are reading this in the south of France!
More contact colour would have been achieved on coals or a hot pan but the succulence and flavour was up to standard. This cut delivers much more than its price at your local butcher would suggest. I really should divulge Mrs. Cheoff's recipe for 'Smoky Barbecue Sauce' at this point, shouldn't I. Let's leave that in prospect for another post when the weather is getting us all igniting bags of charcoal again, eh.
If I have happened to catch up with anyone here who hasn't yet tried flat iron steak... TRY IT!