The Flat Iron Steak!

Flat iron steak is the American name for the cut known as "butlers' steak" in the UK and "oyster blade steak" in Australia and New Zealand. This cut of steak is from the shoulder of a beef animal.^[1] The steak encompasses the infraspinatus muscles of beef, and one may see this displayed in some butcher shops and meat markets as a "top blade" roast. Steaks that are cross cut from this muscle are called top blade steaks or patio steaks. As a whole cut of meat, it usually weighs around two to three pounds; it is located adjacent to the heart of the shoulder clod, under the seven or paddle bone (shoulder blade or scapula). The entire top blade usually yields four steaks between eight and 12 ounces each. Flat iron steaks usually have a significant amount of marbling. Anatomically, the muscle forms the dorsal part of the rotator cuff of the steer. This cut is anatomically distinct from the shoulder tender, which lies directly below it and is the teres major.

Restaurants, particularly upscale, have recently begun serving flat iron steaks on their menus. Especially popular are flat irons from Wagyu beef, as a way for chefs to offer more affordable and profitable dishes featuring Wagyū or Kobe beef.^[2] To make it more marketable, the steak, which has the fascia dividing the infraspinatus within it, has, in recent years, been cut as two flatter steaks, each corresponding to one muscle, with the tough fascia removed.

In the North American Meat Processor (NAMP) meat buyers guide, it is item #1114D Beef Shoulder, Top Blade Steak. The NAMP lists it as the second most tender cut, after the tenderloin, and followed (in order) by the top sirloin center cut, the ribeye and strip steak center cut, and finally beef shoulder, arm.^[1]

I got this Flat Iron Steak from Agustin the Butcher...... I have heard about them for ages but have never seen one up close. This piece of meat was not seperated into two steaks so I left it that way and cooked it whole. It was a very odd cook since I did not get it out of the freezer in time for it to thaw before the cook.... so the outside was cool and the inside was really frozen. I seared both sides in the cast iron pan at about 800 degrees then popped it into the Moffat oven at 350. Took almost 45 minutes to finish off the interior to rare lol!!! Anyway the meat turned out very well, tender, juicy and easy to eat. Lots of flavour in the meat as well. In the third photo you can see the fascia dividing the infraspinatus, this is where you could have cut the steak in half and made upper and lower pieces, cutting each of these into two, to get four smaller 12 oz steaks out of the lump.

I finished the pan juices with some butter and salt and pepper, cut up some blue cheese for the top of the slivered Flat Iron Steak and poured the pan juice all over the meat. Potatoes and mushrooms of course, and a couple of good friends, wine and latte to finish.

Thanks again to Agustin the Butcher for suggesting this one!!!!!

You can visit Agustin Monday - Saturday at

Caribana Wholesale Meat

441 King Street East
Hamilton, Ontario
L8N1C5

Phone: (905)522-5671

If you can get ahold of a Flat Iron Steak give it a go!!!!!!!!