Aflat iron steak is one of the so-called new steak cuts, in this case, a long, thin, flat, flavorful, tender steak, (with a slightly spongy consistency, cut from what is normally one of the toughest parts of a steer: the chuck (the shoulder).
Safety First
My boyfriend leaves the steaks, barbecue sauce, and mayonnaise out at room temperature for hours. He cuts meat, fish, and vegetables on the same cutting board. I say he’s a health disaster waiting to happen. Am I right?
Yes. Your boyfriend violates two cardinal rules of grill safety. The first is to keep perishable foods refrigerated until just prior to grilling. If he likes to have the ingredients by the grill, tell him to keep them in an ice chest (filled with ice).
The second rule is to avoid cross-contamination. More than 75 percent (!) of the chickens sold in the United States are contaminated with salmonella. Outbreaks of E. coli contamination in ground beef are distressingly common. To work with these ingredients on a cutting board, then to cut vegetables or fish on the same board without washing it with soap (or better still, a sterilizing agent) is to court a massive outbreak of illness. Not fun at a barbecue.
