What is a Good Price for Flat Iron Steak?

Learn all about what is a good price for a flat iron steak. Also our recommendation for ordering flat iron steaks online.

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The steak market has changed.

Some cuts I am finding harder to find now, like the T-Bone and the Porterhouse.

Some cuts I am finding easier to find. The topic of today's post is one of those steaks - the Flat Iron.

This steak was originally "discovered" when the beef industry was trying to come up with a lower price steak that still was tender enough and tasted good - a great way to bring more profits to the beef industry.  This happened around the start of the 21st century.

Flat Iron steaks have gone from unknown to now sought after. The steak is on more restaurant menus and in more stores than ever.

How has that effected the price. Let me guide you to what is a good price nowadays on a Flat Iron steak.

❓ What is a Flat Iron Steak?

Flat Iron steaks is the steak that all the cool kids are having. But what is this steak?

First thing you need to know is that a flat iron steak comes from the chuck primal. This region of meat comes from the area near the head and neck of the cow. Imagine walking around on all fours. Your neck is probably the first thing to get sore as you are using lot of those muscles. The more a muscle is used in an animal the tougher it is. That is why the cuts from the chuck primal are normally roasts that need a long time to cook, not really steaks.

The Flat Iron steak comes from the Top Blade area of chuck. It normally has been cut into roasts. But if you cut it just right, removing the gristle as you go, you end up with a flat iron steak. With the gristle gone, the cooking time is lower and you can throw it on the grill like any other steak.

The good thing about coming from the chuck primal is that this area contains some flavorful meat. Flat Iron steaks have a lot of beefy flavor.

? Why Is It Called a Flat Iron?

Someone thought that the steak looked like one of those old fashion metal flat irons. It's what people use to use to smooth out the wrinkles in their clothes before we got the electric irons. The steak has a uniform flat, rectangular shape. I like that name, do you?

? What Does it Cost?

Below you will find a list of Flat Iron steak prices from a few stores in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Some places sold them already seasoned which I didn't include in the list below. I wanted to only include steak that was just steak in the package.

One other quick thing to note is that I have not seen any flat iron steaks at Costco, so you won't see them on this list.

Kroger	$8.99/lb
Walmart	$9.84/lb
Whole Foods Market (Grass Fed)	$13.99/lb
Trader Joe's	$12.99/lb

Check out our list for other types of steaks

? What Is a Good Price?

It was definitely surprising to see the cost of a flat iron steak now. They are on par somewhat with top sirloin and Ribeye steaks. Kroger came in with the best price at $8.99 a pound. Trader Joe's was all the way up to $12.99 a pound. I felt the Trader Joe's price was too high. For a $1 more a pound you can get a grass fed Flat Iron steak at Whole Foods Market. I would choose the Whole Foods one over the Trader Joe's steak.

Overall, I would have to give the win to Kroger as they had the best price. The Kroger Flat Iron Steaks comes to the store pre-packaged. Since Flat Iron steak are a little tricky to cut I typically find that they come into the store pre-packaged and not cut on site. So having a flat iron steak freshly cut in store is not something that is usually factored in. But if it was cut on site, you know you got a good butcher to go to.

? Order Online

If you are looking to have some flat iron steaks delivered to your door, the company I recommend is Porter Road (read all about what I love about them)

The steak will be shipped fresh, not frozen, which is different from the majority of online companies.

Check out the Pasture Raised, Dry Aged Flat Iron Steak from Porter Road

? Cut Your Own

Speaking of good butchers are you one? If you at least good a good knife and some skills with it, you can get a flat iron steak for around $4 a pound. How you ask? Buy a top blade roast instead and cut it into flat iron steaks. Of course you can find a wonderful videos on YouTube on the subject. I haven't tried it myself. Actually finding a top blade roast isn't easy around my parts.

? How to Cook

Flat iron steaks can be cooked on the grill or in a pan, preferably a cast iron skillet. It's not so much the cooking method that is important as it is how you cut the steak.

Flat Iron steaks are not as tender as your Ribeyes and Strip steaks. What you need to do is slice it thin. Do so it a diagonal pattern across the grain. Why do this? It helps make the fibers of the meat shorter and easier for you to chew. Done this way the steak will be tender enough and have tremendous flavor.

For more cooking tips check out - How to Cook a Flat Iron Steak

? Prime Steaks

Are you looking for prime flat iron steaks? It's not a cut that I have seen sold prime in the grocery stores I have been with prime beef. There are online sources you can get it from like Allen Brothers or Lobel's.

Personally I am not concerned too much with grades. It's a service performed by the USDA that has to be paid for. Some very good farms raise beef without paying for this - they still do have USDA inspectors, just not the grading.

Porter Road doesn't require the beef they sell to be graded, although when it has the majority of it is either Prime or Choice Plus. They care more about how the animal was raised and will only sell steaks that have good marbling.

We Want to Hear From You

What prices are you finding on these steaks in you area? Share with us in the comments below.