Earlier this year, the crew of global Chowtzers enjoyed a steak symposium at Flat Iron London near Oxford Street, with a discussion and talk spearheaded by Mark Schatzker, author of the award winning book “Steak: One man’s search for the world’s tastiest piece of beef”
This hot spot is rustic three storey cosy restaurant and clearly a crowd pleaser as the the throngs of people lining up for dinner was a testament of the quality cuts perfectly cooked here.
We all did a blind tasting of 6 different pieces of meat, some free range happy cows, farmed cows, corn fed, grass fed and the textures, cuts and flavours differed greatly.
The majority’s favourite was a Highland bred beef, over 30 months old, fed apple and grains, and beer from British farmer Charles Ashbridge. Clearly tasted like a happy well fed and watered cow.
Some tips we got from Mark on choosing the perfect piece of steak:
1. A nice marbled meat is nice to look at, but should not be taken as a first judgment.
– This I have to fully agree as I’ve had some beautiful marbled meats from all over and they aren’t always the best.
2. Dry aging: It’s been quite trendy in Hong Kong in the last year or two. You can read more about his thoughts on dry aging in his article here
3. The quality and flavour of the cut depends on the provenance of the animal, the diet and age
Anyhow, if you’re craving for a good juicy piece of beef in London without breaking the bank £15 including sides, Flat Iron is your spot… but prepared to get through the queue since it’s a no reservations policy.
And here’s my fellow South East Asian Chowzter counter parts taking photos, Catherine of Camemberu blog from Singapore and Antoine of Our Awesome planet from Philippines.
17 Beak St, London W1F 9RW, United Kingdom
