Steak is probably considered a more expensive choice of meal; something you might have as a weekend treat and as we start to feel the pinch of the increase in the cost of living, saving money on our weekly food shop has become a priority which might make you think that steak is off the menu.
You might be forgiven for thinking that a cheaper cut of steak means that you're compromising on quality but that doesn't have to be the case if you buy from a reputable butcher and you cook it correctly. I recently ordered some flat iron steak from Swaledale Butchers which is much more budget friendly at less than £10 for 2 steaks.
Swaledale Butchers say 'Flat Iron, a tender steak that boasts flavour to match the prime steaks. Cut from beneath the shoulder blade of the beast by our skilled butchery team, it is naturally lean, sinew-free and perfect to cook year-round.'
I enjoy my steak medium rare so the following cooking instructions will produce steak that is cooked as such:
1. Take Flat Iron steaks out of fridge, remove packaging, pat dry with kitchen paper, pop on a plate and allow to reach room temperature
2. Oil the steaks and season generously with coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper
3. Heat a non-stick pan or cast iron skillet until smoking hot
4. Add the Flat Irons to the dry pan resisting the urge to move them and turn after 2 minutes
5. Once other side has cooked for 2 minutes, a rich golden crust should have formed. Turn every 30 seconds or so for a total cooking time of approx. 6-8 minutes
6. Remove from pan and rest for 8 minutes
7. Slice across the grain and serve
As you can see, I served mine with simple accompaniments of fries and tender stem broccoli and I think this works really well when keeping the meal as simple as possible. No sauce required because the steak was so flavoursome!
