How to Grill a Flat Iron Steak

To grill a flat iron steak, set up the grill with a hot side and a cooler side. Sear the salted steak over direct heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, then move it to the cooler side, close the lid and let it finish until a thermometer reads your target. Rest it for 5 minutes and slice it across the grain. A 1-inch steak takes about 8 to 10 minutes in all to reach medium.

Flat iron comes from the shoulder, from the top blade muscle, and it is one of the friendliest steaks to put over a fire. It is well marbled and fairly even in thickness, so it browns well and cooks predictably, and salt and pepper are all the seasoning it needs.

At a glance: serves 4. Prep 5 minutes, salt at least 45 minutes ahead, cook about 10 minutes, rest 5 minutes.

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Signature Flat Iron Steak

This recipe uses 2 flat iron steaks, about 1 1/2 pounds in all, enough for four.

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On the choice between a grill and a cast-iron pan for steak, Gray Shipley, who runs the farm, said:

“to me, that's a question of weather more than anything else.”

Gray Shipley

It is a practical answer, and a freeing one. On a good evening, light the grill. If the weather turns, the same seasoning and the same thermometer work in a hot cast-iron skillet, and Grill or Cast Iron: Which Is Better for Steak? covers both.

Ingredients

• 2 flat iron steaks, 11 to 13 ounces each
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or avocado
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt, to serve (optional)

Instructions

1. At least 45 minutes before cooking, and up to a day ahead, pat the steaks dry and season both sides with the kosher salt. Set them on a rack over a plate and refrigerate, uncovered.
2. Set up the grill for two zones. On a gas grill, heat every burner on high with the lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn the burners on one side down to low. On charcoal, light a full chimney, and when the coals are covered in gray ash, pour them onto one side of the grill and leave the other side empty. Put the grate on, close the lid and let it heat for 5 minutes.
3. Brush the hot grate clean. Pat the steaks dry again, rub them lightly with the oil and season them with the pepper.
4. Lay the steaks over the hot side and leave them alone for 3 to 4 minutes, until they release easily and have dark grill marks. Turn them and sear the second side for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Check the temperature in the thickest part. If the steaks need longer, move them to the cooler side, close the lid and cook for 1 to 4 minutes more, checking every minute, until a thermometer reads your target. USDA FSIS sets 145 degrees F with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for beef steaks.
6. Move the steaks to a clean cutting board and rest them for 5 minutes.
7. Slice across the grain into strips about 1/4 inch thick, sprinkle with flaky salt if you like, and serve.

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How long to grill a flat iron steak

Thickness decides the time more than weight does. These are starting points for a grill running about 450 to 500 degrees with the lid closed, cooking to 145 degrees F:

For medium rare, take the steak off a minute or two sooner. Grills, weather and steaks all vary, so start checking with a thermometer before the low end of the range.

Flat iron steak on a gas grill

Gas makes the two zones easy: high on one side, low on the other. Preheat with the lid closed for a full 10 to 15 minutes so the grate is hot enough to mark the steak, and keep the lid down during the indirect stage. Every look lets heat out, so open it only to turn the steak and check its temperature.

Cooking a flat iron steak on the grill with charcoal

Charcoal often runs hotter at the grate than gas, so start checking a little sooner. Banking the coals on one side gives you somewhere to move the steak if it flares up or browns too fast. Flat iron has some fat, and dripping fat can flare. Move the steak to the cool side until the flames die back rather than spraying them with water, and leave the vents open, since closing them starves the fire.

Why rest and slice across the grain

A 5-minute rest lets the steak finish evenly and keeps more of its juice on the plate instead of the board. It also covers the 3-minute rest FSIS calls for. Then look at the steak before you cut. On a flat iron the grain usually runs along the length of the steak, so slicing crosswise into thin strips cuts the fibers short and makes every piece tender. If you cannot see the grain, cut a small piece off one end and look at the cut face.

Food safety

USDA FSIS lists 145 degrees F, followed by a rest of at least 3 minutes, as the safe minimum internal temperature for beef steaks. That is medium. Many cooks take flat iron off the grill at 130 to 135 degrees F for medium rare. That is below the FSIS figure, and the choice is yours. Push an instant-read thermometer into the side of the steak to the center, and put the cooked steak on a clean plate, not the one that held it raw. See the FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart.