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Quick and Easy Flat Iron Steak Recipes On Stove Top

Flat iron steak is now a widely available cut of meat that makes juicy flavorsome steak meals much more affordable.

Cooking with this cut of meat does mean paying attention to some basic rules. These rules are easily mastered and demonstrated in this selection of quick and easy flat iron steak recipes.

Quick Flat Iron Steak Marinade

Marinades are often thought to be used for imparting taste but they also perform another function that is important when cooking flat iron steak.

A good marinade will also tenderize the meat by using ingredients that begin to breakdown muscle tissue before the cooking process starts.

Acid ingredients such as vinegars, fruit juices such as lemon, lime or pineapple all make excellent tenderizers.

To make a quick marinade for flat iron steak:

Mix together one tablespoon of honey with the same amount of vinegar and lemon juice with a whisk
Add a cup of extra virgin olive oil
Then flavour the marinade with Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, tarragon, garlic powder and white pepper
Add the marinade to a sealable food-safe plastic bag, along with your steaks and place in the fridge for up to three hours
Do not marinade for more than 2 hours at the room temperature (overnight in the fridge is fine) as this will change the texture of the meat, turning it into mush-like substance

Remove your steak from the marinade bag and put to one side, 40 minutes before cooking it using your preferred method.

Flat Iron Steak with Red Wine Sauce

A good red wine sauce is quick and easy to make if you cook your steak in a skillet or other heavy pan.

Start by marinating the flat iron steak in your favourite marinade for up to three hours and then transfer from the refrigerator to the kitchen for it to come to room temperature
Heat a heavy skillet until it is smoking hot
Cook your steaks without adding extra oil until they reach your required degree of doneness
Put them to one side on a warm plate
Add a nob of butter to the skillet and add a finely chopped shallot and a handful of finely sliced mushrooms
Cook until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms have softened
Add one tablespoon of tomato paste and cook through for a further two minutes
Add a cup of cabernet sauvignon or shiraz red wine
Stir thoroughly to loosen all of the browned bits from the base of the pan and then simmer until the wine has reduced by two thirds
Add three or four nobs of cold butter (opt for organic grass-fed like Kerrygold if available), one at a time and stir in to make the sauce thick and glossy

Serve the steak thinly sliced, across the grain with a large bowl of fresh green salad and a bottle of lightly chilled red wine – delicious!

Flat Iron Steak Tacos

Flat iron steaks make a perfect alternative for filling tacos.

Start by rubbing your streaks with taco seasoning and lime juice leaving them to marinade for up to three hours
Take them out of the marinade and put to one side in the kitchen 40 minutes before cooking
Heat your broiler to a high heat and place a rack four inches from the heat
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
Sprinkle the steaks with ground cumin, salt and pepper
Place on the rack and broil for four minutes per side for a medium rare steak.
Combine shredded cabbage, lime juice garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and lx well to coat the cabbage with the seasoning
Once cooked move the streaks to a warm plate to rest for four minutes
Stack your favorite tortillas with a layer of damp paper towel between them and microwave until warm. Once warm, gently toast each one over a flame until brown
Finally slice the flat iron steak across the grain
Assemble each tortilla with a combination of cabbage, steak, cheese and sour cream

Blue Cheese Flat Iron Steaks

The robust flavor of a flat iron steak makes a perfect taste combo when mixed with a blue cheese sauce.

Start by marinating your flat iron steak for up to three hours with your favorite marinade. Red wine vinegar, citrus fruit juice, olive oil and strong herbs such as rosemary or thyme are perfect ingredients
Bring the steak to room temperature for 40 minutes before cooking
Cook to your favourite degree of doneness
Once cooked, place the steaks on a warm plate
Deglaze the pan with a half cup of brandy by flaming the brandy and stirring to remove all of the brown caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan
In a small bowl mix ¼ cup pf crumbled blue cheese with three tablespoons of softened butter, chives and pepper and salt.
Add the reduced brandy to the bowl and stir thoroughly

Serve your steaks, cut across the grain with some sweet potatoes and a fresh green salad.

Top the steak with a large table spoon of the blue cheese butter sauce to achieve perfection!

All flat iron steak cooking methods:

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How to Marinate Flat Iron Steak Using Simple Marinades & Rubs

Flat ion steak tender is often as tender as the best fillet. This is especially so if it has been well butchered as a skilled butcher will remove tough connective tissue as the steak is prepared.

However, all steak benefits from being made more tender, especially if you are one of those people who enjoy their steak medium to well done as longer exposure to heat will toughen up the fibers in the meat.

Tenderize with Enzymes

Before you consider using a meat tenderizer, you need to know that naturally occurring compounds will have a tenderizing effect on your flat iron steak.

Found in fruit acids, vinegars and enzymes (e.g. kiwi), they are a natural way of breaking down muscle structures leading to more tender meat.

Marinades are a perfect way of applying enzymes to flat iron steaks.

The best marinades should only be used for two hours. If you use them for longer, you are risking over-marinating your steak – the enzymes can have the opposite effect on the surface of the meat and make it tough.

Acidic fruits such as citrus fruits, pineapples or kiwi fruit are particularly rich in these enzymes although most fruits can be used as the basis for an excellent tenderizing marinade.

Vinegars are also make good bases for marinades as does buttermilk.

Pineapple needs to be used carefully as it contains an enzyme called Bromelain which can turn your flat iron steak to mush if used for too long.

Puree fruits such as pineapple or kiwi and simply juice oranges, lemons or limes to add to a marinade to ensure your steak is tenderized.

Lime Marinade Recipe

The citric acid in lime juice is a perfect base for a marinade as it is rich in the enzymes that break down muscle tissue and tenderize it.

Ingredients

¼ cup fresh lime juice, three or four limes
1 orange juiced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
1½ pound of flat iron steak

Directions

Place a large plastic bag in a shallow baking tray or a plate
Combine the lime juice, garlic, orange juice, balsamic vinegar and olive oil with the salt and pepper in the bag
Add the steak and turn to ensure it is evenly coated in the marinade
Marinate for 1-2 hours at room temperature or place in the fridge for overnight marinating (can be done fine with this acid-based marinade; enzyme-based marinades will be too aggressive for such a long period)
Remove and bring the steak to room temperature 40 minutes before cooking in your favorite way

Red Wine Marinade Recipe

One of the classic marinades that can be used with flat iron steak is a red wine marinade as follows:

Ingredients

2 cups red wine
1 small onion diced
2 teaspoons of orange zest
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Combine the red wine, onion, orange zest and redcurrant jelly in a glass or plastic bowl
Bruise the rosemary with the back of a knife and add to the bowl
Pour the marinade into a sealable plastic and add your flat iron steak
Place the bag in the refrigerator for one to two hours
Remove the steak from the bag and put to one side at room temperature 40 minutes before cooking

Marinating with Dry Rub Spices

Conventional marinating adds several hours to the time it takes to prepare a good flat iron steak.

This time can be cut down by using dry rub spices. Flat iron steaks are already quite tender due to the way your butcher prepares the cut so do not require as much tenderizing as other cheaper cuts of steak.

This means it is possible to prepare a flat iron steak dry rub recipe style. Make sure to not overcook this cut. I recommend not exceeding medium-rare level of doneness for best results.

If you are into well-done steak, try using low & slow cooking in the oven. Quickly sear the steak on the stove (2 minutes per side max) and place it in the oven with the inside temperature not exceeding 120C / 250F. It will take more time to finish, but the result is well worth it.

Generally, whole spices should be toasted in a warm pan to release their oils before being ground in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.

They can be applied directly to your flat iron steak which will then release the mix of flavors you have chosen when you cooked it.

Tuscan Rub

Toast one table spoon of fennel seeds in a hot pan until they become aromatic
Grind the fennel seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle
Combine with 6 tablespoons of dried basil, 3 tablespoons garlic powder, 3 tablespoons coarse salt, 2 tablespoons dried rosemary, 2 tablespoons dried oregano
Rub the Tuscan rub into both sides of your flat iron steak and put the steak to one side, to come up to room temperature before cooking
Cook your steak using your preferred skillet, broiler or grill method for a rich Italian flavor

Enjoy!

All flat iron steak cooking methods:

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How to Cook Flat Iron Steak in a Crock Pot (2 Simple Recipes Included)

Crock pot cooked flat iron steak makes an excellent alternative to conventional broiling, pan frying or grilling.

This guide will explain how to cook flat iron steak in a slow cooker, giving some tips on buying quality beef and recipes to try.

This is what this article looks like:

Part 1: Cooking Flat Iron Steak. What is it and how does it work you can find here.

Part 2: Buying Quality Steak & Cooking Tools. What you need to know to buy perfect steak and slow cooker.

Part 3: Pro Tips & Recipes. Little techniques to make your slow cooking a bit better with some recipes included.

Part 1: Cooking Flat Iron Steak

The idea of slow cooking is simple – get your ingredients ready, put them inside your slow cooker turning it on and then come back hours later.

Why Slow Cooking Is Great

Slow cookers cook food slowly and very gently.

This means that connective tissues (i.e. collagen) in cuts such as flat iron steak break down causing sauces to thicken and enrich whilst leaving meat juicy and tender.

It’s not just great from cooking perspective – slow cooking helps to extract gelatin, which is great for a wide spectrum of things, including healing your gut, balancing out meat intake, helping skin get healthy, protecting joints and spine discs (anyone with disc herniation here?) and improving sleep.

Slow Cooking Technique: 3 Steps

Here is what I recommend you do every time when cooking flat iron steak in a slow cooker.

1. Room Temp & Cut

If you kept your steak in the fridge, take it out and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Wait for 20 minutes till they get to room temperature.

2. Sear the Cubes

Add a tablespoon of coconut oil or ghee to skillet and heat it up until it starts gently smoking.

Meantime season the cubes with kosher salt and place them inside the skillet searing for 2 minutes. Make sure your steak cubes are actually being seared instead of boiling – that happens if you put too much at the same time.

3. Load Slow Cooker

Once you finished searing the steak, relocate it inside the slow cooker and add the ingredients from the recipe you picked (our recipes are in Part 3). Cook for the time required.

That’s pretty much it! As you can see it’s fairly straight-forward.

Let’s look at how you can buy best quality flat iron steak and cooking tools (including the actual slow cooker).

Part 2: Buying Quality Steak & Cooking Tools

We have just learned how to cook flat iron steak in a slow cooker in Part 1 and pro tips and recipes will come in Part 3.

As for now – let’s see how to buy quality flat iron steak, slow cooker and other tools you can use.

Perfect Flat Iron Steak

Would you like to enjoy a mouthwatering, delicious flat iron steak that is not only tasty, but is great for your health?

If YES, is your answer I recommend you choose organic grass-fed beef.

The tags ‘organic’ and ‘grass-fed’ mean that cows were not routinely fed growth hormones and antibiotics while being fed exclusively grains, flaked corn and other fattening feeds. Instead they were treated more humanely, ate natural grass-type feeds and had time feeding outside in their natural environment. It is obvious that these cows are healthier and better for your health. After all, you are what you eat.

So, organic grass-fed is one single change that brings the most outcomes. The rest is much less important.

Cooking Tools & Utensils

Which tools you need to cook an awesome flat iron steak in a slow cooker? Here is the answer.

Slow Cooker

There are numerous slow cookers on the market and their price ranges reflect the amount of features they carry onboard. Truth be said, I recommend you use a simple slow cooker that just fits your needs right. That means you also need to take into account its size.

Slow cooker sizes are measured in quarts. As a rule of thumb one quart feeds one person.

If you are feeding more than two people and have a busy lifestyle (and like leftovers), I recommend you get a 6-quart slow cooker. It serves 4+ people and will still have some leftovers for the following day.

After reading reviews and looking for a slow cooker I recommend you consider investing in this Hamilton Beach model. It has all the features of a regular slow cooker, but here is the cool thing – it has a probe to check for internal temperature of whatever is being cooked.

For example, you want a medium-rare flat iron steak from your slow cooker. All you need is to set the cooker at 55C / 130F and stick the probe needle inside your steak. Once it reaches the mark, slow cooker goes to ‘Warm’ setting. This is awesome feature and I highly recommend it for cooking best steak every time.

Instant-Read Thermometer

Guesswork is the worst thing you can employ to cook steaks. A quality meat probe eliminates all of it and helps you get mouthwatering results. It is especially necessary for large cuts of beef.

Ideally use the probe that is integrated with the slow cooker (like in this Hamilton Beach). If you already have a cooker, get this one instead – you can use it for grilling and stove top cooking as well.

Blow Torch or Stove Top Skillet

As we saw, the best way to get the flavor rolling is to quickly sear the steak’s surface using high heat. A powerful blow torch is ideal for this type thing (avoid crème brulee models as they are not powerful enough), because it requires little time and no clean up afterwards.

Alternatively you can use a thick-walled skillet. It will concentrate enough heat to quickly sear the steak’s surface. I recommend using forged aluminum or cast iron skillets.

That’s pretty much all you need for slow cooking flat iron steaks.

And now I invite you to learn pro tips and try some recipes in Part 3.

Part 3: Pro Tips & Recipes

We have just looked at slow cooking equipment in Part 2 and actually got an idea of what slow cooking is all about in Part 1.

Right now check out these tips.

Tips #1: Substitute

If you don’t own a crock pot you can still enjoy meals cooked in this way.

Create these wonderful dishes using an oven proof dish and cooking at very low temperatures. Generally, set your oven temperature for 250 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for the same amount of time mentioned in the crock pot recipe.

Tip #2: Avoid the Fat

Sometimes flat iron steak can be quite fatty. You might want to get rid of excess fat for some reasons. The best way to do it is refrigerating the already cooked meal in the fridge for a couple of hours. The fat will then solidify on the surface and will become easy to remove with a spoon.

Tip #3: No Evaporation

When preparing a flat iron steak in a crock pot or slow cooker you need to remember that the cooker never brings liquids up to a boiling point.

This means that you need to think carefully about how you wish to thicken your sauces.

Connective tissues will dissolve and thicken the sauce slightly during cooking but if additional thickening is required it will need to be done before cooking in the crock pot or immediately prior to serving the meal.

Tip #4: Thicken Up

This tip follows from the one before it. If you noticed your dish is very watery and you are nearly done cooking, switch the cooker to HOT setting and take the lid off. Higher temperature will help with evaporating excess water and thicken up your sauce.

Flat Iron Steak Slow Cooking Recipes

Recipe #1: Simple Steak with Gravy

If you are a less than confident, cook this simple recipe for Steak with Gravy – it will help you produce delicious tender flat iron steaks every time. It is also perfect for Mums and dads who are busy but still want to prepare home cooked food for the family.

Ingredients

2 lbs of flat iron steak
1 ounce package of onion soup mix
10 ounce can of cream of mushroom soup
¼ cup of water
Salt and pepper

Directions

Cut the steak into portion sized pieces and place in crock pot
Mix the soup mixes and the water together well and add to the crock pot
Cover and cook on the low setting for 6 – 8 hours (or high setting for 3-4 hours)

This simple slow cook flat iron steak recipe really does take almost no time to prepare and, when served with fresh green vegetables, makes an excellent healthy meal.

Recipe #2: Honey and Barbecue Sauce Flat Iron Steak

Flat iron steak crock pot recipes are not just for Mums and Dads looking for a quick way to prepare a healthy family meal.

The crock pot is also perfect for preparing more unusual meals more suited to a dinner party.

This recipe is perfect as it can be prepared well in advance and needs the minimum of time and attention meaning you can focus on being a good host or hostess.

Ingredients

3 lbs of flat iron steak cut into 8 ounce portions
1 large can chopped tomatoes
1 can favourite barbecue sauce
½ jar honey
Three large cloves garlic, sliced

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a crock pot bowl or in an oven proof casserole
Cover and cook in the crock pot for 3-4 hours on ‘high’ or in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for the same time
Once cooked, remove the meat and thicken the sauce using your favorite thickener OR bring the heat up to increase the speed of liquid evaporation

Serve with creamy mashed sweet potatoes and seasonal vegetables for a dinner party main course to be remembered!

Recipes borrowed from RecipesThatCrock – highly recommended for anyone into slow cooking.

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Cooking Flat Iron Steak in a Pan On Stove Top So It’s Tasty

Flat iron steak is naturally full of flavour as it comes from a part of the beef cow that provides meat rich with fat marbling.

It can be cooked in a variety of ways but pan searing guarantees plenty of browning and pan juices for extra flavor.

Pan Seared Flat Iron Steaks

When you cook a flat iron steak in a pan there are a number of key things to remember that will ensure you get a full flavored, tender and juicy steak.

Firstly, because of the marbling of fat there is no need to add any extra oils to the pan when you sear it. The fat already present will do a perfect job and will also impart a rich beef flavor to the finished steak.

To cook a perfect flat iron steak in a pan:

Start with your favourite marinade and marinade for up to two hours to impart extra flavor and ensure your steak is tender and juicy
Remove your steak from the refrigerator 40 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature, this will ensure more even cooking
Don’t season your steak at this stage, despite what the celebrity chefs say the hot pan will burn the pepper and the salt will draw out precious juices
Heat a large cast iron pan or similar heavy bottomed skillet over a high heat until it is smoking hot
Lay the steak in the pan, away from you to avoid getting splashed by spitting fat. Leave the steak in one position, you need to encourage good Maillard reaction
Cook the steak for 2 – 4 minutes (for rare – medium-rare) and then turn over to cook the second side
Remove the steak and season with salt and pepper, and place to one side to rest on a warm plate for five minutes

Flat Iron Steak Pan Sauces

One advantage of cooking a flat iron steak in a pan is the residue that gets left behind from the cooking.

The flavorful juices make a perfect base for a tasty sauce that will take the flavor of your steak to the next level. A good sauce can be easily made while your steak is resting and there are a number of simple recipes that are easy to follow.

To create a rich red wine sauce:

Add a cup and a half of red wine to the skillet as soon as the steaks are cooked
Stir the wine with a wooden spoon to release all of the browned bits from the base of the pan
Simmer until the wine is reduce to about one third of its original volume
Add two table spoons of very cold butter, cut into pieces, one piece at a time. Only add a piece once the previous has melted and been incorporated into the sauce. The butter will turn the sauce smooth and silky
Add one tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper

To create a tasty mustard and horseradish sauce:

Mix ¼ cup of Dijon mustard with 2 tablespoons of grainy mustard and one of prepared horseradish
Add a cop of cream to the hot skillet as soon as the steaks have been removed and stir to loosen all of the tasty brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
Next add the mustard mix to the cream and stir until warmed through
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper

Searing a Steak in a Pan and Roasting it in the Oven

A flat iron steak will also benefit from a dual cooking method. Cooking it in a hot skillet will seal in all of the valuable juices and create great flavor through carmelization while completing the cooking in the oven ensures a gentle and even cook throughout the steak.

To sear and roast a flat iron steak

Marinade the steak as normal and remove it from the refrigerator 40 minutes before cooking
Preheat the oven to it’s highest temperature
Place your skillet on the stove top and heat until it is smoking hot
Lay your steak in the pan and leave for one minute before turning over for a further minute to seal both sides
Then move the skillet into the oven and roast the steak for a further three to four minutes
Remove the skillet and return to the stove top and add four large knobs of butter and a sprig of thyme to the pan
Then, tilt the pan and baste the steak in the melted butter for a further two or three minutes until it reaches your require level of doneness
Remove the steak to a warm plate to rest for five minutes before serving

All flat iron steak cooking methods:

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How To Sous Vide Flat Iron Steak – Best Way

Let’s find out how to sous vide flat iron steak using a simple Dutch oven.

Here I will explain the actual method and you will understand things like steak thickness, required cooking time and so on.

I broke down this guide into three parts to make navigation easier for you.

Part 1: Sous Vide Round Steak – The Method. What exactly is sous vide and how we use it to cook the most succulent flat iron steak.

Part: 2: Buying Guide & Utensils. How to buy a perfect steak and which cooking tools to use in more detail.

Part 3: Pro Tips on Sous Vide. Make your cooking even easier and try some recipes.

Part 1: Sous Vide Round Steak – The Method

What Is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is French and literally translated means “under vacuum”.

Meats, fish, poultry, or vegetables are sealed in an airtight bag and cooked very slowly for a long time, in some cases as much as 72 hours in warm water.

What You Need

Even though there are numerous options for buying sous vide circulators and water ovens, it doesn’t mean you can’t sous vide without them.

Here is what you need for a no-frills method:

Flat iron steak
Salt (ideally kosher)
Freshly ground black pepper
Dutch oven
Food-safe plastic bag*
Paper towels
For searing steak: Blowtorch or Skillet with 1 tbsp of coconut oil / ghee

How Does It Work

The long slow cooking tenderizes the food and ensures that it is cooked throughout, without overcooking the outside.

Cooking a flat iron steak in this way ensures that it is cooked to the same level throughout the meat, something that is particularly difficult to do with conventional cooking techniques.

This way meat requires two stages of cooking.

First, we use a Dutch oven to cook the meat throughout.

Second, we sear the outside of the steak to create the attractive browned look normally associated with the best steaks.

It is a technique that is particularly useful for cooking large, oversized steaks that overcook on the outside before the middle is cooked to the right amount.

You can make flat iron steak very tender with sous vide cooking.

Steak Cooking Times for Sous Vide Method

Core temperature is the best way of determining how well cooked your flat iron steak is. A rare steak needs to reach a temperature in the middle, known as core temperature, of 50C / 122F.

Medium rare is at 55C / 130F and medium at 60C / 140F.

The time to reach the required core temperature will be determined by the thickness of your flat iron steak.

The thicker the steak, the longer time it will take to come to temperature.

The core temperature is reached by immersing the steak into a bath of water with the required temperature.

Work out your flat iron steak sous vide time here:

Thickness Required cooking time

0.25 inches                        23 minutes
0.5 inches                           31 minutes
1 inch                                   60 minutes
1.5 inches                           1 hour 45 minutes
2 inches                               2 hours 50 minutes
2.5 inches                           4 hours 15 minutes
3 inches                               6 hours

Even though the times for thicker steaks look very long, remember that you do not need to be babysitting your steaks while they are cooking.

Remember – you cannot overcook a steak when you use the sous vide technique as the core temperature will never go above the temperature of the water in the water bath.

And now – let’s cook.

Stage One – The Gentle Cook

Cooking your flat iron steak sous vide requires careful planning but is very easy.

Once again, here is all you need for this simple guide:

Flat iron steak
Salt (ideally kosher)
Freshly ground black pepper
Dutch oven
Candy/oil thermometer
Food-safe plastic bag*
Paper towels
For searing steak: Blowtorch or Skillet with 1 tbsp of coconut oil / ghee

Fill up Dutch Oven

Start with a Dutch oven and fill it about 2/3 full of warm water. Ideally fix a candy or oil thermometer so that it measures the temperature of the water.

Bring it to the desired temperature on the stove or inside the oven (I recommend oven, since it gives a more even heat).

Adjust the Temperature

Increase the temperature of the water to the correct temperature over a medium heat. So if you’d like a medium-rare flat iron steak, go for 55C / 130F.

Zip the Steak

Place the steaks into a zip lock plastic food-safe bag and squeeze out all of the air before sealing the zip lock*.

Note that we don’t add any salt or pepper. We will do it in stage two, so that we don’t destroy our steak when cooking it with salt for too long.

You can however add dry rubs at this stage – more on that in Part 3.

Sous Vide

Immerse the steak bag in the Dutch oven with the temperature set according to the level of doneness you want to achieve (55C / 130F for medium-rare) and cook it for the time required depending on thickness:

Thickness Required cooking time

Remember – you can’t overcook the steak, if the temperature is fixed, but…

This can be hard to achieve with a conventional stove top and oven – temperature control is a tricky thing to adjust, especially if you are dealing with gas cookers and older electric cookers which may be quite inaccurate.

If you find yourself falling in love with sous vide, I recommend you either get a sous vide minioven or an immersion calculator like this.

* There were some health concerns, regarding plastic leaching endocrine disrupting chemicals into food (not just during cooking). As for now sous vide community found the least harmful alternative to “food-safe” plastic zip lock bags – silicone bags, which can be used more than once.

Stage Two – The Sear

A chef’s blow torch is the perfect way of searing a steak that has been cooked sous vide, but it’s not a must-have. Regular stove top skillet will do just as well – all you need is to really heat it up well.

Let’s start with the blow torch instructions and then look at how we can use skillet instead.

Searing Flat Iron Steak with Blow Torch

The aim is to sear the outside without affecting the meat immediately inside.

Remember, the whole point of sous vide is to have a consistently cooked piece of steak so the thin crust that a flat iron steak will take on after searing with a blow torch is perfect.

To sear your flat iron steak after sous vide:

Remove it from the zip lock bag after the required amount of time has passed.
Pat it completely dry with paper towels.
Season with coarse kosher salt.
Light your blow torch and turn it to the highest heat.
Apply the flame evenly to the surface and edges of the flat iron steaks until a golden browned crust develops.
Season your steak with freshly ground pepper.
Then cut and serve.

HINT: Make sure it’s a professional blow torch, which can generate enough heat to sear the steak immediately. Less powerful torches, often used for creme brulees, will not have the same effect.

Searing Flat Iron Steak in Skillet After Sous Vide

The goal is to sear the steak surface as quickly as possible. It means you should heat up the skillet really well.

Remove the steak from the bag, pat it dry with paper towels and season with kosher salt.
Add a tablespoon of ghee or coconut oil to the skillet and heat it up. You will know it’s ready, when you see gentle smoke coming off it; then wait for another 10 seconds to make sure the pan is hot enough.
Put the steak inside the skillet and sear it for 1 minute per side so it develops the surface browning.
Once ready, rest the steak for two minutes on a plate, season with freshly ground black pepper, cut and serve.

This is all you need to know to cook a flat iron steak using sous vide technique.

And now I invite you to Part 2 where I will better explain how to buy a perfect flat iron steak and show you which cooking utensils you can use in more detail. You can also check out sous vide tips and recipes in Part 3.
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Grilling Flat Iron Steak on a Gas Grill So It Tastes Good

The flat iron steak is a recent development in the world of butchery; it was first cut in 2002 by researchers looking to find better ways of using some of the less popular cuts of meat.

Prior to 2002 this delicious steak was often consigned to the ground beef bin, but now it is frequently found across the country on butchery counters.

The key to maximum enjoyment of a flat iron steak is to ensure it is marinated for maximum tenderness and then grilled quickly over a high heat. This keeps the juices inside, while developing the flavor.

A gas grill is one of the easiest ways of cooking a perfect flat iron steak – no need to worry about charcoal. Siimply spark up the grill and let it come up to heat with minimum fuss.

The grill time for a flat iron steak is important. Always err on the side of caution; if a steak is undercooked you can always throw it back of the grill to complete the job.

If you overcook it, there’s nothing you can do except imagine what it would have been like! 🙂

You can tell how well cooked a steak is using the finger and thumb test.

Relax your hand and press the ball at the base of your thumb. This is how a rare steak will feel. Touch your thumb to the tip of your index finger and press again to feel medium rare, thumb to middle finger for medium, thumb to ring finger for medium well and little finger for well done.

[box title=”Best Steak = Best Grill” border_style=”solid” bg_color=”#dd9933″ align=”left”]

When it comes to a perfectly grilled steak, grill is everything!

Check out best gas grills for 2017!

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Simple Steps to Grilling a Perfect Flat Iron Steak On a Gas Grill

Prepare your steak with a good seasoning. Make your own mix of peppers and spices but avoid using salt at this stage, it draws out all that valuable moisture too soon.
Lay your steak in a bowl and cover with a marinade, homemade or store bought such as Worcestershire sauce is perfect but watch the salt content.
Put the steak to one side, not in the refrigerator, and flip over after 20 minutes – a total of 40 minutes is perfect for marinating and bringing the meat to room temperature.
At the same time, turn the grill on to a medium high heat.
Once the steaks are finished marinating, check the temperature of the grill by putting your hand two inches above the center. You shouldn’t be able to hold you hand there for longer than a few moments.
Once the grilI is hot enough, oil the grates of the grill using fat that has been trimmed off the steak. This is ideal, since its smoking point is much higher than that of olive oil. Alternatively you can use refined coconut oil for the same reason.
Then use tongs to put the steak on the hottest part of the grill. Place the steak away from you to ensure you don’t get burned by spitting fat.
Leave the steak for four minutres, avoid the temptation to move it around, let the surface of the meat brown for great taste. You heard that grill marks are overrated? Who cares – they still look cool! 🙂
Use tongs (never a fork as this pierces the sealed meat and lets juices out) and turn the steak through 90 degrees. We are making grill marks now.
Leave it to grill for a further four minutes.
Turn the steak over and cook for three minutes before turning 90 degrees for a final three minutes. The total cooking time for flat iron steak on the grill thus equals to 14 minutes – 8 on the first side and 6 on the second side.
Finally, complete the steak by seasoning with salt and pepper and brushing it with a little garlic butter for extra flavor.

Serving The Best Grilled Flat Iron Steak

Once the cooking is complete, leave the steak to one side in a warm place to rest. Ideally it needs to rest for the same amount of time it has been cooking so a warm place will really help.

I recommend you set the oven to 120F / 50C and leave the steak there. You now have all the time in the world to clean up the mess and cook a side dish.

Allowing the steak to rest relaxes the fibers of the meat and allows all of the succulent juices back into the meat. A well-rested steak will not leak juices when it is cut open; the juices remain in the meat.

Flat iron steak has an excellent flavor so keep your accompaniments simple so as to not detract from your steak.

For accompaniments, the grill used to cook the steak can also be used to prepare an excellent selection of fresh seasonal vegetables.

Grill fresh asparagus, slices of eggplant and thin strips of zucchini, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and a little extra virgin olive oil. Complete the dish with a freshgreen salad and a bottle of your favorite red wine. Ideal healthy side dish for flat iron steak!

Enjoy 🙂

All flat iron steak cooking methods:

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