Ever since trying a flat iron steak at Lava Lounge, I have been a huge fan of this beef cut. … I guess these steaks are also known as “top blade” steak, a chuck steak, and butchers say that they are second only to filet mignon in tenderness. My question is this-do you know of any butcher shops, stores, etc. in Cleveland who carry these steaks regularly? I would love to switch to these instead of sirloin, and it would be unreal to serve these at a summer bbq. People would think that they are eating filets!

Melanie’s email reminded me of episode of America’s Test Kitchen where they cooked flat iron steaks and I faintly remembered them saying you won’t find them in grocery stores because they are generally sold under another name. Maybe that was the “top blade” she referred to in her email.

Interesting History
While doing some research on flat iron steaks I found out they were created as the result of a study sponsored by the Cattleman’s Beef Board to find other ways to cut major beef muscles to make them more valuable.  They come from the chuck primal (I really have a thing for meat charts):

This piece of meat is found at the top of the primal, next to the heart.  The meat scientists (I swear I’m not making this up) realized that this muscle had a very tough piece of connective tissue running through the middle of it, but if it was removed the two resulting steaks were incredibly tender.  They actually have to filet the muscle like a fish.

To see this done in real time, watch this butcher prepare one from the whole muscle:

Seems like a lot of work.  I haven’t seen that much cutting since an episode of Intervention.  I think its pretty cool that Google has meat videos, but why did this guy tape himself doing that?  Creepy.

Where to Get It
Does anyone know where Melanie can find this delicious cut of meat in the Cleveland area?  And she’s lookin’ for raw meat here folks, so XO Prime isn’t what we’re after.

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