Your goal is to cook it quickly, so you can pan-fry or grill this steak, but broiling is my favorite method. When it comes to thin and relatively cheap beef cuts, flat iron steak is my favorite because it’s fattier than cuts like tri-tip roast, skirt steak, or flank steak. It’s affordable, intensely flavorful, relatively tender, and marvelously fatty. And although it’s not as marbled or tender as ribeye steak or New York strip, it’s tender enough that you don’t have to marinate it as long as you cook it quickly and keep it medium-rare.
Instructions
Recipe Card
Flat iron steak: Find it next to the other affordable cuts in the grocery store’s meat department, or ask your butcher for it. I usually get it at Kroger supermarket. Olive oil: You can also use melted ghee or butter. If you prefer an oil with a high smoke point, use avocado oil. To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
Remove the steak from its packaging and place it on a cutting board. Blot it dry with paper towels. Coat the steak with olive oil and season it on both sides with spices. Transfer the cooked steak to a clean cutting board. Let it rest for five minutes, loosely covered with foil, then slice and serve.
Make Four Steaks at a Time
If your steaks are not too big, you can fit four of them on a single baking sheet and broil them together, as shown in the photo below. I often do this, as it generates lots of tasty leftovers that my family can enjoy for several days.
Like other thin cuts of beef, this steak is excellent as a salad topping. Try it over this arugula salad, for example. Steamed vegetables pair well with steak. I often serve it with steamed asparagus, steamed broccoli, or steamed carrots. Serve it with a salad, like broccoli salad or asparagus salad. This makes for an easy meal - prep the salad beforehand, quickly cook the steak, and serve. It also goes well with roasted vegetables such as roasted fennel, roasted asparagus, roasted green beans, and roasted cauliflower, as shown in this photo:
Speaking of cauliflower, I also like to serve it with mashed cauliflower, as shown in the image below. It’s a delightful combination! I’m not usually a fan of reheating steak. It can dry it out, taking it from medium-rare to medium-well. So I usually enjoy the leftovers cold for my lunches with sriracha mayo, quick pickles or pickled red onions, and fresh-cut veggies. Having said that, if you’re careful, you can reheat the leftovers gently and keep them medium-rare. To do so, place them on a microwave-safe plate, cover them with another microwave-safe plate, and microwave them just until reheated. I start with 30 seconds and continue in 30-second intervals, as needed, flipping the slices after the first interval. Here are two photos that show the cold leftovers and the gently reheated ones. Both are excellent!
