Comments on: Flat Iron Steak with Herb Butter and Pomme Frites

By: petermarcus

petermarcus — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:24:15 +0000

Kim — Oh, I’m sure when they say it’s a “new” cut, it’s entirely market driven. Man has been buchering cattle for thousands of years, there can’t really be any undiscovered bit of meat. When the Universities of Nebraska and Florida developed the flat iron, from what I’ve read, it sounds like they just developed a method to mass-extract it.

“Inside clod steak” reminds me of the re-branding of the “Patagonian Toothfish” to the more marketably named “Chilean Sea Bass”.

Thanks for commenting, interesting history!

By: Kim

Kim — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:24:04 +0000

Ok, Please don’t get pissed at me for saying this but: I find it interesting how time can change reality. Oddly the flat iron steak is a good example.
Prior to prefabricated beef, meat was cut in very specific ways more styled after how you would cook the beef as opposed to how it fit in a box or tray. A lot of the old style cuts of beef go lost this way.
In the olden days a flat iron steak came from the inside clod, pretty much that is what it was called, inside clod steaks not as trendy a name as Flat Iron.
When I was a butcher in the 70’s that piece the butchers would take home because there was really no market for it you just couldn’t make that cut look good , there is after all that hunk of connective tissue so that cut would usually end up as hamburger. But as butchers we knew a good tasting cut of beef and we had the skill to whip that connective tissue into shape. The trick is that one half is used as a steak and the other half or the end with all the connective tissue you cut that out and make into cube steak. Back then it was also very cheap. So it’s not really a “Newly” developed cut of beef , it just now has a market and a new name.

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:56:39 +0000

I also am fond of the flat iron steak. I try to keep one available at all times, easy to do with the vacuum sealed steaks from my local grocery. Very versatile cut, tasty and tender. Will try your herb butter, with tarragon, as I have been able to grow it this year in Ohio. Thanks.

By: Christey

Christey — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:13:12 +0000

claudia – but, but i thought he was *my* boyfriend! I am going to have to have a talk with him… hm.

By: claudia (cookeatFRET)

claudia (cookeatFRET) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:16:15 +0000

absolutely beautiful
love the bourdain recipe
he is my boyfriend
ok not really…

i love you guys!

By: Bay Area Foodie

Bay Area Foodie — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:46:32 +0000

That looks so good! I love beef!

By: petermarcus

petermarcus — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:38:53 +0000

Nat Thanks! Our Lamb and sweet potato chips entry has a shot of the canal in our backyard with some manatee playing. Foodieguide Hey, wow, thanks! It's always nice to hear someone enjoys our blog! WANF Tarragon would have been nice, I just wish I could grow it here. Nina I always did, too, until recently. Bourdain has a way with words, even in his cookbook. Becky Thank you! Monster Thanks, the fries turned out pretty good! Meeta Simple, but delicious!

By: Meeta

Meeta — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:40:09 +0000

this is my kind of meal. simple, no fuss – good meat and fries. YUm!

By: The Food Monster

The Food Monster — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:28:11 +0000

What a great photo essay of this meal. I loved the tips on the fries, and your knife skills look impeccable. Keep up the good work!

By: Becky

Becky — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:31:28 +0000

these photos are so helpful! the steaks look amazing. nice job!