Flat iron steak, also known as a chuck steak, might conjure up images of dry leather meat, only edible when slow cooked for hours. While it comes from the shoulder area like a chuck roast, the top blade section is typically used and, once the gristle is removed, becomes a tender piece of meat!

If you've been looking for ways to make your grill out more affordable, but have steered away from this cut due to fears of ending up with cardboard, we're here to put your worries to rest. Read on to get our foolproof steak marinade (it's the BEST) and cooking tips to ensure your chuck steak is amazing!

What you'll need:

• Trillium Wood Farm Chuck Steak
• Our favorite steak marinade (don't skip this! Also great for other steaks and types of meat)
• A dish or plastic bag to marinate the meat
• A grill or stovetop for cooking
• A meat thermometer

Step 1: Marinate steak for at least an hour (up to 8)

The BEST steak marinade ever! (Makes over 1 cup, marinates up to 2 1/4 lbs of meat):

• 1/3 cup soy sauce or alternative (we love Coconut Aminos and No Soy since we're soy-free!)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 5-8 cloves garlic, depending on preference (or sub with 1-1.5 TBS powder)
• 1 TBS onion powder
• 3 TBS dried basil (or 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh, if in season!)
• 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce (omit for soy free)
• 1 1/2 TBS dried parsley (or 1/3 cup fine chopped fresh)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• optional: zest of 1 lemon (zest it before you juice it!)

Blend ingredients by hand with whisk, or in a blender. Add the meat to a dish or ziploc bag and top with marinade. Make sure the meat is fully covered.

Step 2: Bring steak to room temperature—let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes before cooking (we like to marinate ours on the counter).

Step 3: Cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes per side (grill or stovetop both work well for this cut!)

Step 4: Move to indirect heat until you reach desired degree of doneness—see the chart below

Follow this steak cooking chart to find your ideal degree of doneness:

• Rare: 125°F
• Medium-rare: 135°F (we suggest keeping this steak at medium-rare!)
• Medium: 145°F
• Medium-well: 150°F
• Well done: 160°F

Step 5: Remove from heat, let stand for 5-10 minutes, sprinkle salt (if desired), and slice up. Enjoy!

Optional step: take your steak up a notch with this incredible Garlic-Herb Compound Butter! While we don't follow this exact recipe, we use a variation of this with whatever dried or fresh herbs we have on hand.