The flat iron steak comes from the shoulder or chuck part of beef cattle. This is a hard working part of the animal resulting in a steak that has great “beefy” flavour but can be tough if not cooked sympathetically. Flat iron steaks from our North Yorkshire native breed beef cattle typically have good marbling, or intramuscular fat, that adds to the flavour and helps in keeping the steak juicy.
Flat iron steaks have risen tremendously up the popularity charts in recent years and have become a fixture in hipster style restaurants. It’s flavour and lower price make it a great alternative to the more traditional steaks for a BBQ party or mid week meal. It’s beefy flavour lends itself equally well to being cooked as is and seasoned with salt or steeped in a strong marinade.
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Our flat iron steaks are from cattle that are grass fed on North Yorkshire pastures. This gives them a distinctive taste and makes for meat that is considered healthier as it has the correct balance omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. We’re great belivers in the principle that cows reared on grass are healthier, produce better meat and have less impact on the environment.
The primal cuts of the beef cattle that our flat irons are cut from are aged on the bone in a maturation room before being prepared for your order. This gives the meat a chance to relax and break down the proteins, whilst increasing the depth of flavour. By the time they reach your plate they should be perfect.
All our flat iron steaks are from North Yorkshire, native breed cattle. The difference between native breed and the more commercial cattle breeds is the age and conformation. Native breeds of cattle take much longer to grow and reach maturity. This leads to a greater depth of flavour in the meat and more of the intramuscular fat that brings flavour and moisture. We feel that native breed beef flat irons have a stronger, beefier flavour.
Allow your flat iron to come up to room temperature if possible before cooking, for a 280g steak this will be around 40 minutes.
If possible use a cast iron frying pan or grill plate, I prefer one without any ridges as this allows more of the steak to sear and come into contact with the hot pan. Give your steak a couple of good bashes with the pan, to flatten it slightly, and make a few surface cuts, with a sharp knife, to further increase the surface area. We want to get as much surface area in contact with the pan as possible to give us plenty of flavour.
Put your pan onto a high heat to warm up, you need it to be hot enough to sear the steak instantly without losing heat. This will probably take around 10 minutes.
While the pan is heating, pat your steak dry. We need a dry surface to come into contact with the pan to get good browning. Once dry add some fine sea salt, just before adding to the pan. Don’t use pepper at this stage as it has a tendency to burn.
Place your flat iron in the heated pan, you’ll hear a sizzle as the steak hits the pan and that’s what tells you it’s hot enough. Cook the steak for a minute or so and then flip it and move it to another part of the pan. Keep doing this throughout cooking in order that your always cooking at the maximum temperature. If the steak is burning rather than browning, take the pan from the heat and allow it to cool slightly before continuing.
As a rough guide you will need around 4-5 minutes per side to get to medium rare. When you’re happy, place the flat iron on a cutting board, add some pepper or other seasoning and allow it to rest for 5 minutes or so. Cut the steak across the grain to make it easier to chew.
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