Chili Lime Flat Iron Steak
Chili Lime Flat Iron Steak
A classic recipe from Eat Happy gets a photo and a rewrite.
I’m headed to the great state of Texas for an abbreviated tour of Central Market stores. If you live near one of the ones listed below, please come and see me. I’ll be the one in the grocery section, tackling passers-by and convincing them to switch pasta sauces to the best one known to modern humans.
I’m on the flight right now, and I’ve been told I’m flying into tornados. Texas, are y’all okay? So far, it’s smooth in the air, so why not post a recipe here on Substack before hitting the turbulence and losing my marbles…
While I’m thinking of it, if you like my recipes, please pre-order Eat Happy Italian. All the details are at this site, and I have cool bonuses for you guys to tide you over until the book comes out. Please and thank you.
This recipe for Chili Lime Flat Iron steak appears in my first cookbook Eat Happy. It’s one of the recipes that never got a photo, so I’ve been working my way through the book and taking those photos.
Super simple and perfect for an easy weeknight meal, I’ve rewritten the recipe to include instructions for the grill or the oven. We’re now in grill season, but I promise you, this steak is just as wonderful seared on the stove and then finished in the oven.
I did a live demo of this recipe last night, and here’s where you can watch it. I paired this steak with Spicy Ranch Dip, which you can make from scratch from the recipe in Eat Happy Too, or be simple and use The Dill Ranch Seasoning, sour cream, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cayenne. The dip is perfection with the flavors of this steak.
Since store bought chili powder is basically a combo of cumin, garlic powder, and paprika, you can replace both the chili powders that this recipe calls for with 1-2 tablespoons of Eat Happy Kitchen Taco Seasoning.
One more note: the flat iron cut (sometimes referred to as blade cut) is sometimes hard to find at grocery stores. My butcher was out of it, so I got a flank steak and a hanger steak, and I demoed how to make one on the grill and one in the oven. They both turned out perfectly, so you have options if flat iron isn’t available.
Here’s the downloadable, printable PDF of this updated recipe.
Enjoy…
XOXO
Anna
CHILI LIME FLAT IRON STEAK (Grill or Oven)
Note: in place of the chili powders, you can use 1-2 tablespoons of Eat Happy Kitchen Taco Dust.
(Serves 2-3)
1 (2-3-pound) flat iron, flank steak, or hanger steak
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon Ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
Spicy Ranch Dip (Sour cream, EHK Ranch seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper)
Grill Instructions:
Season the flat iron steak with salt and pepper. Whisk together the two chili powders, then rub them on the steak, then drizzle each side with the olive oil.
Heat the grill to 500 degrees. Grill the steak 5-7 minutes per side, until desired doneness. Remove from the grill and squeeze the lime juice over the steak. Slice the steak into thin slices and serve immediately, garnished with fresh cilantro.
Oven Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Season the flat iron steak with salt and pepper. Whisk together the two chili powders, then rub them on the steak.
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan to medium high heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Sear the steak on both sides, for 2 minutes per side. Remove steak from the pan and put into a roasting pan, pouring over any pan juices that may have accumulated in the pan. Cook in the oven for 15-18 minutes, until desired doneness. Remove from the oven and squeeze the lime juice over the steak. Slice the steak into thing slices and serve immediately, garnished with fresh cilantro.
*Recipe originally published in Eat Happy and updated recipe plus photo published in for newsletter subscribers at annavocino.substack.com.