Your Cooking Lesson

Advice, explanation, and in-depth information to help you achieve recipe success.

It’s getting warmer and the days are longer, but the weather still may be a bit unpredictable to plan on grilling. At this time of year we can indulge our craving for steak by pan-roasting a thick, meaty beef cut indoors on the stove top and in the oven. Flat iron steak, chuck eye steak, and tri-tip steak comprise a trinity of slightly tougher but highly flavorful “lesser cuts” of beef that benefit from marination and thin, cross-grain slicing. Chefs call these “lesser” because they’re less well known and less expensive than sirloin, rib, and tenderloin, but—with marination—they can still be cooked by the dry-heat methods typically used on the luxury cuts.

When testing and photographing this recipe I used flat iron, but any of these three cuts will work well. Make sure to check your meat cut to determine the direction of the grain, and remember it before carving the cooked steak.

So, what is grain? Meat is composed of long, string-like fibers. In tougher cuts the fibers are thicker and firmer, whereas in tender cuts (like rib-eye or, especially, filet) the fibers may be so soft and fine as to be practically invisible. Thus, when carving tender cuts you don’t need to worry about grain. When thick meat fibers are bundled together in a single muscle, they align in a pattern similar to the ridges in corduroy fabric, or like the fibers in a rope. Slicing is a form of mechanical tenderization; cutting meat fibers into small pieces means that your teeth don’t have to do as much work. But, if you slice the meat with the grain (in the direction the ridges run), you still have to chew through the thick fibers. If you slice across the grain, the knife has done some of the tenderizing work for you.

As explained above, to promote tenderness in your steak you’ll want to slice it thin across the grain. On these “lesser” cuts the grain is usually visible. You can clearly see the direction of the grain in the flat iron and in the tri-tip pictured below. Chuck eye is a bit more difficult to judge because it has multiple muscle bundles.

Once the beef is cut to the recommended portion size, remove any prominent connective tissue, then marinate.

Pan-roasting is the preferred dry-heat method for cuts of meat and poultry that are relatively small, yet too large and thick for sautéing or grilling. The rationale for pan-roasting is simple: Because of the item’s small size, if cooked only in the oven—even at high heat—the interior will reach the desired internal temperature before the exterior achieves the desired golden-brown color and crust. So, we first brown the exterior by sautéing it.

One of the advantages of pan-roasting is that, after browning, we can apply a topping that will then roast along with the meat. Depending on the ingredients used, a topping can become deliciously jammy and glazy, or pleasantly crunchy. Ours combines the sharp pungency of prepared mustard with chewy mustard seeds and crisp panko breadcrumbs.

First, the mustard seeds are soaked in boiling water to soften and plump them. The photo on the left shows dry mustard seeds next to seeds that have soaked for half an hour. Smooth Dijon mustard provides tangy flavor and mayonnaise acts as a binding agent, helping the topping adhere to the meat. We’ll add the breadcrumbs just before roasting.

Vegetables are the element that makes this dish seasonal to spring. Commercially-packed baby spinach is pre-cleaned and ready to cook, requiring no prep. But we’ll give our young carrots some special treatment. Roll-cutting is an Asian method of vegetable fabrication used for carrots (and other cylindrical vegetables) that creates interesting-looking, asymmetrical shapes that stir-fry or sauté beautifully and readily take on our maple glaze. Follow this link to view a video of roll-cutting: https://youtu.be/UnZXbY-ys58

After roll-cutting, we’ll blanch and refresh the carrots for faster cooking at dinnertime. Boil the carrots for about a minute to an al dente texture, then refresh under cold running water to stop the cooking. Blot dry on paper towels.

Just a few more tasks and your prep work is done. Here’s your mise tray:

It’s dinnertime—let’s COOK!

The first step in pan-roasting is to sear the exterior of the meat by sautéing it. For best results, I recommend using a well-seasoned carbon steel sauté pan, such as the Le Buyer pan I use. https://amzn.to/4j6z262 For instructions on how to season a pan, follow this link: https://prepholdcook.com/tutorials/how-to-season-a-carbon-steel-pan-with-chef-lou/

For safety as well as proper browning, be sure to blot the steak dry with paper towels after removing it from the marinade. Heat the pan very hot, until you see wisps of vapor rising from the surface, then add the oil. Add the meat and sear it for a minute or so on each side. The object here is to brown the exterior of the meat, not cook it through. Remove the steak to a rack set into a roasting pan.

Proper searing results in some browned bits of protein, called sucs or pan glaze, in the bottom of the pan. We’ll release these flavorful particles by deglazing the pan with some wine and beef stock. The resulting fond will become the basis of our jus (French for “juice”), the liquid that results from roasting.

The secret to creating a great crusted steak or roast is to make sure the crust adheres well enough to stay put while carving. Dust the seared and cooled top surface with a flurry of cornstarch to provide some “glue.” Then spread the mustard topping evenly across the top. Coat with breadcrumbs, and pat gently to help them adhere. Drizzle the crumbs with melted butter to enhance browning. Finally, pour the fond into the pan and put your steak in the oven.

Depending on the size and cut of your steak, roasting times will vary. At 425°F, the flatiron steak I used required about 15 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 125°F. Let it rest in a warm place for about 10 minutes so that the temperature rises to about 130°F, and the juices redistribute throughout the interior, before carving .

Purée potatoes are a more sophisticated version of mashed potatoes: thinner in consistency, lighter, and fluffier. To ensure the desired light, airy texture, be sure to use russet potatoes. Boil the peeled and diced potatoes in salted water until just tender—not mushy—and then drain, but leave about 1/4 inch of water in the pan. Use a hand mixer to whip in butter and cream. Don’t over-mix! Potatoes contain a substance called amylase that, when the potatoes are overcooked and/or whipped for too long a time, turns them ropy and gluey. The consistency you’re looking for is similar to whipped cream. Keep in mind that your purée potatoes will thicken somewhat as they wait to be served.

It’s time to plate! Check the temperature of all your side dishes and, if necessary, reheat them before proceeding.