Flat iron, hanger, skirt and flank are often lumped together as “alternative steaks”, but they come from different parts of the animal and reward different handling. This guide compares them using the Beef Checkoff’s flat iron and hanger steak cut profiles, Food Network’s hanger explainer, and Weber’s and America’s Test Kitchen’s flat iron recipes. This site covers skirt and flank in their own articles, so they get only a brief mention here.
Where Each Cut Comes From
- Flat iron: cut from the top blade in the chuck, the shoulder area, per the Beef Checkoff.
- Hanger: from the plate (belly), hanging under the diaphragm, per Food Network. The Beef Checkoff puts it in the short plate primal, the same primal it associates with skirt steak.
- Skirt and flank: the Beef Checkoff lists both as cuts to marinate and grill; skirt is associated with the short plate, as noted above.
Tenderness
The sources disagree in emphasis rather than fact.
The Beef Checkoff calls flat iron “extremely tender” and says removing the internal connective tissue lets it deliver as the second most tender cut. Weber’s page adds a catch: some steaks still have a tough streak down the middle, which should be cut away.
Food Network says hanger comes from a belly muscle that gets little use, making it naturally tender when properly cooked. It also says hanger is more tender than flank or skirt. The Beef Checkoff, though, describes the same cut as having a “coarse texture”, and both say the central membrane should come out. So both cuts are trimmed before cooking, but flat iron’s selling point is tenderness while hanger’s is beefy flavor with some chew.
Flavor and Fat
The Beef Checkoff calls flat iron well marbled and flavorful. Food Network describes hanger as deep and beefy, like skirt and flank with slightly more marbling, and bold enough for strong marinades and sauces. For flank, the Beef Checkoff says “lean and boneless with lots of intense beef flavor.”
Price and Availability
The fetched sources say little about flat iron pricing, so no comparison is made for it here. On hanger, Food Network says it is no longer the secret bargain it once was but is still typically much less expensive than strip, rib or tenderloin, and comparable in price to skirt and flank. It adds that there is only one hanger per animal, so supermarkets rarely stock it and butcher shops or online sellers are the likelier source.
Best Cooking Method
| Cut | Suggested method (source) |
|---|---|
| Flat iron | Direct high heat, 450° to 550°F (about 230° to 290°C), 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare (Weber); 4 to 6 minutes a side to 130° to 135°F (54° to 57°C) (ATK) |
| Hanger | Marinate if you can, cook over high heat, and stop at medium rare, 130° to 135°F (Food Network); the Beef Checkoff says marinate and grill |
| Flank | Best marinated and grilled, or sliced thin and stir-fried (Beef Checkoff) |
| Skirt | Marinate and grill hot for fajitas, or stir-fry (Beef Checkoff) |
Neither Weber nor ATK marinates flat iron: Weber oils and seasons it, and ATK salts it for an hour and adds a dry herb rub. Food Network, by contrast, says hanger benefits from marinating, though it is not necessary. ATK says to slice flat iron thin against the grain.
A Note on Doneness and Safety
USDA FSIS advises cooking beef steaks to a minimum of 145°F (63°C) and resting them for at least three minutes. The 130° to 135°F targets above are below that; the sources are describing preferred texture, and the USDA figure is a separate safety guideline. Conversions to °C are ours.
Which to Pick
Going by the sources alone: choose flat iron when tenderness and a simple, quick direct-heat cook matter most, and trim its center streak. Choose hanger when you want the fuller beef flavor and can find one, and remove the membrane. Skirt and flank are the marinate-and-grill choices, covered elsewhere on this site.
Keep reading
- How to Grill Hanger Steak: Trim, Marinate, Sear
- Grilling Flat Iron Steak: Weber and ATK’s Methods
- How to Choose a Steak: Cuts, Marbling and USDA Grades
- How to Grill Skirt Steak: Inside vs Outside, Heat, Timing
Sources
- Flat Iron Steak – Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner
- Hanger Steak – Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner
- What Is Hanger Steak? – Food Network
- Flat Iron Steaks with Herb Butter and Grilled Broccolini – Weber
- Preparing Flat Iron Steaks – Weber Grill Skills
- Grill-Smoked Herb-Rubbed Flat-Iron Steaks – America’s Test Kitchen
- Doneness Versus Safety – USDA FSIS