Although the Flat Iron steak is being served in at least four Western Pennsylvania restaurants, it was MIA on our limited search of local meat cases.

If you'd like to throw a Flat Iron into your Memorial Day grill-out, you need an adventuresome meat cutter. According to Carrie Bomgardner of the Pennsylvania Beef Council, here's how to order the steak that's second in tenderness only to the expensive filet mignon:

The beef shoulder top blade (Flat Iron) steak is cut from the beef chuck, shoulder clod, top blade roast, which is separated into two pieces by cutting lengthwise along the thick internal connective tissue to remove it. Each half resembles a small flank steak. These pieces are then cut into 2 to 3 individual steaks. Thickness varies naturally so these streaks are specified by weight, not by thickness. Individual steak weights average about 7 ounces.

A second alternative is to buy the chuck top blade steak and remove the connective tissue yourself. This is often known locally as Spencer Steak. May we speak Pittsburghese and call you Spence for short?

-- Suzanne Martinson

First Published: May 13, 2004, 4:00 a.m.