A steak grilled with salt and pepper is one of summer’s simplest, most delicious pleasures. And it all comes down to the cut. Leading online butcher, Great British Meat Company gives us the meaty insight into some of the very best and most underrated cuts of steak to cook on the BBQ this summer.
Hanger Steak
Sometimes known as the ‘butcher’s steak’ as it is usually kept for the butcher to enjoy because it’s such a rare and tasty cut. Taken from the flank and also known as ‘Onglet’ this is a very tender steak, so it’s a good idea to cook later when the BBQ has cooled a little so you can cook it more gently. As this steak is so thin, it’s best enjoyed medium-rare and needs to be well rested after cooking.
Guide price for a 170g/6oz steak: £2.17 each (£12.80/kg)
Denver Steak
Very popular in the US (where it ranked fourth most tender steak in tests commissioned by the US Department of Agriculture- USDA) the Denver Steak is full of flavor and cooks brilliantly on the BBQ because it’s thin and only takes a few minutes to cook. Taken from the Denver muscle (or Serratus ventralis) which lies under the chuck eye roll.
Guide price for a 170g/6oz steak: £2.07 each (£12.18/kg)
Flat Iron Steak
Lean, tender, and full of flavor, the Flat Iron steak (named for its distinct shape), is a cut taken from the ‘feather’ muscle which is in the chuck and blade. The gristle from the muscle is removed by the butcher leaving a nicely marbled lean steak.
Like the Denver, this is also hugely popular in America, but is now making a resurgence in the UK because of its unique character, flavor and price. Best served medium-rare to bring out its natural sweetness, the Flat Iron is too lean to cook well-done.
Guide price for a 170g/6oz Steak: £2.10 each (£12.33/kg)
Heel Steak
Taken from the, you guessed it, heel muscle (on the back of the shin), the Heel steak is sometimes named as a Pave steak but has a smooth flavour similar to the Rump.
Cut across the grain they are great cuts to sear on a red hot grill and then allowed to rest properly. This is a robust steak, lean and low in fat, so it can be cooked to your liking.
Guide price for a 170g/6oz Steak: £2.40 each (£14.12/kg)
Featherblade Steak
This is an underappreciated steak in Britain (we tend to braise it), but across other parts of Europe and the US, where it’s more popular, the Featherblade steak is given the credit it deserves and is lovingly grilled by most people. Cut from the shoulder blade of the cattle, it has a distinctive feather-like tissue running through it, and while it may be small it packs a lot of sweet flavour. This steak is fantastic when grilled on a BBQ and served medium-rare. Because this is such a small muscle it’s important that it is allowed time to rest so that it doesn’t toughen.
Guide price for a 227g/8oz Steak: £1.95 (£11.45/kg)
So there you have it, an easy way to take your BBQ from standard to sensational thanks to some specialist steak knowledge. Visit www.greatbritishmeat.com for more information.
National BBQ Week runs from 30th May to 5th June this year.
Main image above credit: FreeImages.com/Clint Rankin
