What Flatiron, Hanger, Skirt, and Flank have in common

Before you read "flank" I'm sure the correlation between flatiron, hanger and skirt may have been obvious. Clearly, I'm speaking of steak and not of things you may find in your closet.

As you may have noticed, I was on vacation for the past few days. Actually, my parents came to visit, which put the blogging on hiatus. Just like when I was in college, I spent many hours researching restaurants in anticipation of their arrival. Most of the research was for naught, as our plans typically changed about 6 times prior to us actually venturing out of the apartment.

So Friday night, in an effort to get some sight seeing done during the dinner hour, I found a restaurant (one of about seven) at the Waldorf-Astoria. Reasonably priced and with a relatively diverse menu, I thought it would appeal to everyone. Alas, the only steak on the menu was "Flat Iron" to which my dad responded: "what's flatiron steak?" The extent of my knowledge on the steak was, a thin steak that is best eaten medium rare which can get tough if not prepared correctly. "Too complicated" was my dad's reply and he decided on the burger.

Saturday night, we were off to a French restaurant that Jeff and I had wanted to try. Looking at the menu, my dad spotted "hanger steak" and asked again what was this mysterious steak. Replying with just about the same answer as the previous night "thin steak that should be cooked medium rare and cut against the grain." "Too complicated" my dad again replied. Strangely enough, he ordered it, until we pointed out that he missed the strip steak on the menu (it was disguised under the heading "Steak Frites"). He did order the strip and got the classic steak he was looking for.

In an effort to dispel the mystery around these seemingly complicated and "new fangled" steaks found on menus in restaurants these days, I decided to explore the flat steaks. I personally think that these steaks are appearing on menus because they aren't as expensive cuts of meat, but they can trick the unexpecting consumer into paying higher prices because its "steak." A little trickery...

So there are really four of these flat steaks, and I personally think they can be quite tasty, and I very often buy one of these cuts when I'm in the mood for a little red meat (although having red meat every day last weekend I don't think that I'll be indulging again anytime soon). I actually really like cooking them at home because they are cheaper and can taste great (although there are a few simple rule to remember to make it actually taste good, otherwise you're going to end up gnawing on your meat and kicking yourself for wasting your time and money cooking the steak).

First up, the skirt steak. A great beginner flat steak, mostly because it's got some "good marbling." That's some BS phrase for "lots of fat goodness running through the middle/inside of the steak" but what it really means is that it is harder to dry out because the fat running through the middle keeps the steak juicy tender and delicious. Call it marbling, call it fatty goodness, whatever, it's great stuff. The skirt steak is typically used for fajitas, so you've probably had it before in restaurants. It comes from the diaphragm of the cow (that sounds super nasty, so I'm not going to dwell on its location). Anyway, cooking the skirt steak - I think it's best grilled, but there's some debate on the best cooking method. Again, the key with these 4 steaks is quick cooking, keep it at medium rare. And, like I told my dad, cut this steak against the grain. You'll be able to see the grain running down the steak - slice it up for your guests/family prior to serving. And please please, wait the obligatory 10-15 minutes before slicing. The tasty juices must "redistribute." Some other BS term, but it is true. Let the meat rest my friends, make the steak happy. And happy steak equals happy dinner.

Next, the flank steak. Much leaner than the skirt steak, but just as flat and also from the cow diaphragm. So you definitely definitely need to be careful on the cooking time, but with a little salt and pepper and cooked medium rare, this too can be quite delicious. BUT, I have the most yummy braised recipe for flank steak. Wow, it is tasty. Braciole. You take the meat, sprinkle some cheese and breadcrumbs (some recipes call for sausage too), roll it up and sear it. Then you braise it in tomato sauce for awhile and it's the most tender delicious dinner ever (well maybe not ever, but it's one of my very best Sunday night meals). I usually get the "holy cow, you made this? why don't you make this every night?" one eyebrow lift from Jeff whenever I make it. The lack of marbling makes flank steak a great candidate for braising.

Onto the hanger steak. Again, a cow diaphragm steak (hmm...perhaps a pattern emerging? I'm actually starting to wonder about the available information on the interweb). Apparently it hangs between the last rib and the loin. It's a big thicker cut of steak, and works great marinated. Since it is thicker, the marinade (I am postulating here) helps to infuse more flavor and tenderize the meat a bit. Again, same rules apply: cook quickly, slice against the grain.

And finally, the flatiron steak. Kind of a fake flat steak. It's a big steak liar. It's actually a "slice" of the top blade roast (aka top boneless chuck, top blade steak, among other names). Essentially, if you cut the top blade roast in half you get two flatiron steaks. Weird. Not sure who decided to do that. It's pretty well marbled, but keep in mind the rules of the flat steaks: cook it medium rare and slice against the grain.

So, really, hopefully I've beaten into your brain the two "flat steak" rules: quick cooking (medium rare) and slicing against the grain. Don't even try to eat these if you want it cooked medium or medium-well, you're going to spend most of your meal gnawing on your food, and probably end up spitting it out in the end. The cuts of meat are cheaper, but not that cheap. I'd recommend any of them just with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper grilled (bring the meat up to room temperature for a better cooking experience), but I'm giving you the recipe for the braciole, because it's awesome. It's a Giada De Laurentiis recipe that I've tweaked a teeny bit.

Braciole

1/2 cup dried plain bread crumbs (seasoned with salt and pepper and whatever dried herbs I feel like throwing in)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano (this is key, don't substitute anything for this)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or mozzarella
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak
1 cup dry white wine
3 1/4 cups Homemade Tomato Sauce, or store-bought marinara sauce

Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil.

Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.

Be ready to get a few eyebrow lifts from your family! I promise to post my recipe for homemade tomato sauce too, which definitely helps make this so darn tasty.