Flatiron Steak

The flatiron steak is a somewhat newfangled cut, once ground into burger, that I've gotten quite fond of.  It's got the beefy flavor of a flank steak, as it's cut from the flavorful chuck, but it's more affordable on a per-pound and generally smaller and thinner.

It's also easier to grill.  Typically they're about a pound or so, so they're easy to work with.  Ideally, it should be uniform in thickness, but I've run into some that taper a bit towards one end - it probably depends on the butcher.  And they run about $6.99-7.99 a pound.

Typically, I marinate these guys for a few hours, but last night I decided to experiment, and rubbed one down with a simple rub of salt, garlic powder, red chile powder from New Mexico, pepper, and just a bit of sugar.  I'm not sure I'd recommend the results over a good marinade, as the flavor wasn't as deep or as interesting - but hey, that's what grilling without remorse is all about.  Check out my entry on marinades for my marinating strategy.  I also sprayed it with a bit of olive oil to promote browning, which I think is a great idea regardless of what you're grilling.  Also, I always use a sharp knife to crosshatch the smooth surface of the meat a bit, as a rougher surface produces more flavorful browned, crispy bits.

Once I had a nice hot two-level fire set up - with all the coals on one half of the grill, the other half clear so you can move the steak off the heat if necessary - I tossed it on. As I said in my first entry, I tend to be a flipper, not a waiter.  A lot of folks will insist that a steak should only be flipped once, but I think that results in an overcooked surface by time the center is done.  It also risks burning the rub.  So I generally flip once every 60-75 seconds.  That's enough time to get good grill marks and searing going, but not enough time for even high heat to burn your steak.  Here we are after the first flip:

Immediately after the a flip, I always apply a thin spray of olive oil (or slop on a baste made with the marinade paste and some beer, wine, or juice) to the hot side I've just exposed.  Basting cools down the very hot meat a bit, adds flavor, and cooks down as you grill, concentrating lots of flavor into a crusty bark on the surface.  After 7-8 flips, you should be approaching medium-rare and the surface will be crispy and deeply browned. See how the crosshatched areas got all browned and yummy?

Like a flank steak, flatirons aren't that great as a big hunk of meat - thin slicing on the bias makes each bite more tender.  Wait about 5-10 minutes to slice for the meat to rest and the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, slice thinly, and serve.  Last night, we just had a simple arugula salad with grapefruit and some chimichurri sauce to finish.