As summer makes its debut, cowboy wannabes across
America are pulling out their grills, great and small, for a season of
smoke, fire, and, alas, the same old underwhelming steaks. Why must we turn to the same cuts of cow every time?
To paraphrase my pal Ralph Waldo Emerson, foolish consistency is the
hobgoblin of little minds. Besides, those fillets and New York strips are
top-dollar items — for chumps for who don’t know better. Savvy
cooks are getting in on a little secret that butchers have been keeping to
themselves: the flatiron and the skirt. You can still grill and get great
flavor, but you’ll also save a few bucks, maybe enough for a bottle
of wine. Meet the skirt: She’s long and thin and kind of
striated, like a scarf that you might wear between winter and spring. She
hails from the diaphragm muscle, which means somewhere between the belly
and the chest. You may be more familiar with the flank steak, which is the
larger encompassing area and very respectable, but that flank is tough on
the wallet. Sure, skirt has a bit of fat and connective tissue,
but because she’s so thin, she cooks up quickly and beautifully on
the grill and loves being part of a salad. Moving from the belly area over to the shoulder is the
underestimated flatiron, also known as the top-blade steak. Technically, the top blade is part of the chuck, a
tough part of the animal that usually gets ground for burgers or cut up
into stew meat. The top blade is the exception to the muscley chuck
rule, though. It offers up lean, boneless, tender meat that would convert
any T-bone lover. About an inch thick, with a flat top and slightly
triangular shape, the flat iron is budget-steak paradise. The only caveat:
A long piece of connective tissue (a.k.a. gristle) that runs down the
middle needs to be removed. You can do that after cooking and keep the
steak intact. Both cuts need a boost of marinating. To the left of
this column is an Asian-style mix of goodies that you can play with,
depending on what’s in the kitchen. Enjoy the new cuts — and the extra change
weighing down your wallet. Asian-y Steak Marinade
Ingredients For a 1-pound flatiron, skirt, or flank steak: 2 teaspoons black-bean garlic sauce 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce 1/4 cup hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons rice wine or sake 11/2 teaspoons fish sauce 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon water One clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup black sesame seeds
Instructions In a nonreactive bowl or container, combine all
ingredients. Add meat to marinade, making sure it is completely covered,
and marinate for up to an hour at room temperature; for longer periods or
in extremely hot weather, cover meat and let it marinate in the
refrigerator. Preheat the grill, which should be very hot (you
should be able to place your hand 5 inches above grill for one or two
seconds only). Place the steak on the grill and cook it until it’s
well seared on one side, about four minutes. With tongs, turn the steak on
its other side and continue cooking until you’ve achieved the desired
level of doneness. Rare: 120 degrees; medium: about 135 degrees. Remove the steak from heat and let it rest a few
minutes. To finish the flatiron steak, cut the center line of gristle
before thinly slicing on a diagonal, against the grain.
Suggested serving Plate your steak with rice and cucumbers dressed in
sesame oil, rice wine and red-pepper flakes. A 1-pound steak yields two or
three servings.
This article appears in Jun 1-7, 2006.
