Stout Flat Iron Steak

Last weekend we had some friends over and I prepared a flat iron steak. I actually borrowed a recipe from Malcom Reed from How to BBQ Right. His recipe specifies Guinness beer and Killer Hogz AP seasoning, neither of which I have in the house, so I had to improvise with different stout beer and my own all-purpose seasoning. The finished product turned out really well. If anything, the mushroom sauce may have been a bit too salty, but this was probably the result of using my own all-purpose seasoning in place of the Killer Hogz AP seasoning.

Doing more with less creates a sense of pride, especially when grilling or smoking. This is something that can be accomplished with a flat iron steak. The flat iron steak is not as popular in the Midwest as other steaks such as ribeyes, t-bones or strip steaks. However, few people realize that the flat iron steak is the second most tender steak, after the tenderloin of course. The flat iron steak can usually be purchased for less than a sirloin steak, making it a great steak for doing more with less!

One great surprise from this recipe was the smoked potatoes. I had not smoked whole potatoes before for fear that they would absorb too much smoke, but this was definitely not the case. Before smoking the potatoes, I coated them in olive oil. I then smoked the potatoes at 400 degrees for thirty minutes and finished them in the oven, until soft. Of course, it didn’t hurt that I smothered the potatoes with butter, salt, all-purpose seasoning, and parsley before serving.

Pro Tip. The flat iron steak requires the removal of internal connective tissue before cooking. This is something your local butcher will do for you.