How to Grill Flat iron Steak
Steak is one of the best things to put into the grill in the summertime, there’s just something about those classic char marks and smoky flavor that says “Summer is here!” Steaks can be expensive, depending on what kind you get, so you might as well know how to grill them right!
First things first, what kind of steak am I going to use? There are about a dozen different steaks on the market that range in thickness, flavor, fat content, tenderness, and price.
In case the title of this article didn’t give it away, I’ll be working with a beautiful flat-iron steak, also known as the top shoulder blade.
Flat iron comes from the chuck, or shoulder, of the cow. It is lean, has a lot of beefy flavor, and is quite tender, assuming you cook and slice it correctly, more on that later. It’s also on the cheaper side, which your wallet will thank you for.
Flat-iron is also quite thin, like flank or skirt steak, so it is better suited with high-heat cooking methods that get it cooked fast, such as grilling.
I’ll be cooking this steak pretty simply and serving it with a vinaigrette-style sauce made with grainy mustard, capers, and herbs.
Normally, I believe that a juicy, thick steak doesn’t need a sauce or any condiment that could get in the way of its natural flavor, but I do think that leaner steaks could benefit from a light dressing.
With that being said, let’s get cooking!
Grilled Flat-Iron Steaks with herb-caper sauce
Servings: 4
4 flat-iron steaks (8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons of whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus more for coating
2 tablespoons of capers in brine, drained and finely chopped
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons of brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons of thinly sliced chives
2 teaspoons of finely sliced fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil, for the grill.
Heat your grill to medium-high heat and remove the steaks from the fridge at least 15 minutes before you want to cook them, this will get the steaks up to room temperature and allow them to cook more evenly.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, oil, capers, vinegar, half of the sugar, Worcestershire, and garlic until combined. Add the parsley, chives, and basil and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
(By the way, this sauce can be made hours in advance and left in the fridge to allow the flavors to develop.)
Pat the steaks dry with paper towels, then rub all over with olive oil.
In a small bowl, mix together 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. Sprinkle onto both sides of the steaks, then take them out to the grill.
(Why am I rubbing sugar onto the steaks? Well, since flat-iron steaks are so thin, it’s a bit harder to get the classic grill marks without overcooking them, so the sugar will aid in that process.
You will not be eating sweet steak, I can promise you that.)
Generously grease the hot grill with vegetable oil, then lay the steaks on the hottest part and leave them alone for 2-4 minutes, or until one side of each steak develops grill marks.
Flip the steaks and cook for another 2-4 minutes. This should give you a nice medium-rare, something that I think is essential for a tender flat iron, but if you want it more well-cooked then that’s fine by me. No judgment there.
Remove the steaks from the grill and let them rest for at least 3 minutes so the juices can redistribute.
Here’s an all-important step that can and will affect the overall tenderness of your steak, the slice.
If you’ll look at almost any steak, you’ll notice lines running across the steak. In the cooking world, that is referred to as the grain, and it’s basically the long, tight strands of muscle fibers.
It is vitally important that when it’s time to slice your flat-iron steak, you do so by doing thin slices against the grain, this will shorten those muscle fibers and therefore make the steak a lot more tender.
(Ok, so I forgot to take a photo showing you how to slice this steak…sorry.)
Once the steak is sliced, you can then lay it onto a serving platter and top with that caper-herb sauce. (or serve the sauce on the side, up to you.)
And there you go! Incredibly easy grilled flat-iron steak that is so full of protein, flavor, and juiciness that you will be highly tempted to eat it every single day during the summer…assuming your heart can handle that.
