Last Updated on February 3, 2021

Flat iron steak shouldn’t be so delicious.

It is named after a domestic appliance, it is notoriously hard to find outside of restaurants, and it comes from an area of the cow, the shoulder blade, that was long considered too tough to produce any tender, enjoyable steaks.

But if you’ve ever had a perfectly-cooked flat iron steak from a steakhouse or grilled one in your own backyard, you know that it is an amazing cut of beef.

The History of Flat Iron Steaks

Flat iron steak is a tender cut of beef that not only has an interesting history but is also tough to find, much like ranch steaks or Denver steaks. Flat iron is not as prevalent in the butcher case as rib-eye, filet mignon, or flank steaks, but it is quite popular on restaurant menus in America and beyond.

Flat iron steak, which derives its name from its shape being similar to that of an old-fashioned clothes iron, has been around, in some form, for a while. The cut, or something similar to it, is known as the butler steak in the U.K. or the oyster blade steak in Australia and New Zealand. In some places, it can also be called book steak, petite steak, or shoulder top blade steak. Much like the Denver steak, the flat iron steak as we now know it was not “discovered” until 2002 by researchers at the University of Florida and the University of Nebraska, as part of the Beef Checkoff Program.

The cut is derived from the shoulder of the cow, specifically from the top blade of the chuck primal cut. For a long period of time, the region from where the flat iron steak is derived was waste meat or used in ground beef mixes. This was due to the connective tissue that ran through it, making it undesirable as a stand-alone cut.

The popularity of the flat iron steak among chefs—a classic “bistro steak”—is due to the versatility of the flavorful cut. According to our own Chef Yankel Polak, our in-house ButcherBox chef, “The flat iron steak is an industry darling, a new-age steak.”

Preparing Flat Iron Steak

The tender cut can be cooked as is, but it is often used with a rub or marinade. It’s popular as a stir-fry meat, sometimes sliced for sandwiches, and commonly used with chimichurri or other spicy sauces for tacos. It can also be the centerpiece of other dishes.

The flat iron steak is ideal for grilling, whether using a marinade or just some olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Chef Yankel says that flat iron is similar to both skirt steak and hanger steak, “For mouthfeel, it’s slightly chewy but in an enjoyable way, and for meatiness, it tastes like what you imagine beef should taste like,” he explained.

It is a shame that the cut is difficult for steak-loving consumers to find it on their own. (Luckily, if you are a ButcherBox member, it is often available in the monthly box.)

Here is one of our favorite flat iron steak recipes:

Pepper-Crusted Flat Iron Recipe