Leave the steaks in the butcher paper or cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap while they warm up to keep bugs and bacteria out. If your steaks have been stored in the freezer, you’ll need to thaw them out well ahead of time. The simplest way to do this is to just stick them in the refrigerator the night before you plan on cooking them. You can also place them in a cold water bath, adding fresh water every half hour. Make sure you don’t leave the meat out for more than about an hour. The longer it remains at room temperature, the more likely it is to spoil.
If you’re marinating your steaks on a plate, be sure to turn them over at the halfway point so that both sides soak up the liquid. Get creative with your marinades. Flavors like soy, citrus, and garlic will compliment the meat especially well. [3] X Research source
Try mixing up your own spice blends for steaks using ingredients like cayenne pepper, onion powder, ground ancho chiles, and cumin. Keep the hot spices conservative so they don’t overpower the more versatile savory seasonings. [4] X Research source Since flat iron steak is so lean, it has a tendency to be less flavorful than other, fattier cuts. A conservative sprinkle of seasoning can enhance the notes of the meat without overpowering them.
Wait until the grill is nice and hot before adding the steaks. [6] X Research source Go easy on the lighter fluid. It has a tendency to taint the finished flavor of the meat.
Giving the steaks some room to breathe makes for optimal heat distribution and prevents sticking.
At this stage, the best thing you can do for the steaks is leave them alone. Keep a close eye on the steaks to avoid burning them.
Use a pair of tongs to flip, not a fork. Stabbing the meat will cause all the good juices to flow out and rob it of flavor. [9] X Research source If you want, you can also turn the steaks half a rotation midway through grilling on both sides to create an eye-catching crosshatched pattern with the grill marks.
Make sure you insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the steak, which takes the longest to cook through and is consequently most likely to be raw. If you like your steak on the rare side, the thermometer should read 125–130 °F (52–54 °C). [11] X Research source Medium steaks should fall into the 140–145 °F (60–63 °C) range. For a well done cut of meat with little or no pink inside, aim for an internal temperature of 160 °F (71 °C) or higher.
You can use the texture of your palm as a reference for different levels of doneness! Touch your thumb to your pointer finger and feel the base of your palm—it feels slightly firm, like the texture of a rare steak. Touch your thumb and middle finger to emulate the texture of a medium-rare steak in your palm, and touch your thumb and ringer finger to mimic the texture of a medium steak. Finally, touch your pinky and thumb together to replicate the texture of a well-done steak in your palm. [13] X Research source Texture can only serve as a rough guide. If you’re particular about how your steaks are cooked, you may be better off going with another method. Keep in mind that the steaks will be extremely hot while they’re on the grill. For the sake of safety, it might be best to do your poking with another tool, like the edge of your tongs.
Doneness is mostly a matter of preference. However, many meat aficionados like to get their flat iron steaks as close to medium (with a dark reddish brown exterior and a cool pink center) as possible to preserve the cut’s subtler notes and keep it from getting rubbery.
Enjoy your steak with a splash of Worcestershire sauce, A1, or chimichurri, or keep things simple with a dash of salt and pepper. When sliced thin, flat iron steak is also perfect for topping salads, stuffing quesadillas, or piling onto grilled sandwiches.
