What exactly is a Flat Iron Steak? Although the name conjures up a sizzling branding iron, in reality this steak is a product of academic research.
The Flat Iron Steak was developed by Chris Calkins, a University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources meat scientist, who was funded through the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and beef producers’ “check off dollars” (a $1 per head program started in the 1980s) to study the “undervalued portions of the beef carcass” at the University of Nebraska and the University of Florida.
The Flat Iron Steak is found in the shoulder “clod,” which really does taste a lot better than it sounds. According to Gary Gorham, Manager of Southern Foods, this shoulder muscle is infrequently used by the animal and is therefore exceptionally tender. “It’s the second most tender cut of meat on the animal, tenderloin being the first,” Gorham said. “The patron gets a very tender piece of meat at a lower price.”
The Flat Iron Steak is about one inch thick, four to six inches wide, 10 to 14 inches long, and weighs eight to 12 ounces.
Obviously, the meat has been there all along, so why have meat cutters avoided the clod until now? Why did it take a beef association and a couple of universities to “discover” it? Evidently, even to the trained eye of a meat cutter, the stratum of connective tissue which runs through the center of this shoulder muscle makes the meat appear tough. However, if the muscle is cut lengthwise, similar to filleting a fish, and the two steaks are separated from the middle connecting tissue, the result is two pieces of meat, both of which are tender and much more economical than premium steak cuts. This beef muscle “profiling” has successfully led to a tender value cut of beef which in turn has become a welcome addition to entree lists seen at restaurants across the US.
So where you can find a Flat Iron Steak in Charlotte? The steak has been used as a daily special at many area restaurants. Others have added it as an entree to their dinner menu.
Chef Richard Buchsbaum at ONEO Bistro & Wine Bar, 7725 Colony Road, serves an eight ounce Flat Iron Steak seasoned with parsley and rosemary-sprinkled, pressed into slices, and then grilled with “loads” of garlic butter. He serves the steak with caramelized pearl onions, asparagus and green beans for $21. 704-544-1170.
At the Pewter Rose Bistro, 1820 South Boulevard, Executive Chef Blake Dewey describes his Flat Iron entree on the menu as “a very tender, flavorful cut, marinated in olive oil, roast garlic and spices, and grilled with green onions.” The cost is $19.95. Owner Susie Peck says the Flat Iron marinates well in a mix of Worcestershire sauce, roasted garlic, crushed red pepper, chopped onion and fresh black pepper. 704-332-8149.
And at TOWN, 710 West Trade Street, their a la carte menu features a grilled Flat Iron Steak for $15. 704-379-7555.
This article appears in Oct 13-19, 2004.
