Try something new with this unique cut of beef, the blade steak. A thin but beefy steak that’s perfect for pan searing hot and fast and serving sliced thin with all your favorite sides. Here’s to a fun cut every steak lover should try.
Table of Contents
In this recipe:
Things can get a little complicated when it comes to the myriad of types of steaks popping up at boutique shops. And the blade steak is one that even most experienced meat nerds won’t know. Although it’s not tender, this steak is indeed nice. And we’re showing you why, once again, pan searing is our favorite cooking method for our steak recipes.
🥩 The Cut: What is blade steak?
Similar in look of size and grain to the merlot steak, the blade steak, however, comes from the top of the rib primal. Not to be confused with a top blade (top blade steaks) or the under blade, where the sierra steak is cut from, this thin cut, wedge meat is carved by a skilled butcher from the top outer area, under the should (latissimus dorsi and infraspinatus muscle) of the flavorful ribeye primal cut. Blade steak, also called lifter or cap, has a big beefy flavor. It also shouldn’t be confused with the ribeye cap (spinalis dorsi), which wraps around the ribeye filet.
Although it has a thin grain similar to a flat iron steak, the blade steak is not a tender cut, but it’s begging to be on the center of your dinner plate. To make the most of this delicious steak, tenderize it with a great steak marinade, a quick sear, and slice it thinly against the grain. This steak is at its best when the internal steak temperature is served medium-rare, 135 degrees F.
Ingredients
Although we recommend a marinade to help tenderize the steaks, they pack enough flavor that they don’t need it.
- Blade steaks – you won’t find this cut at your local market. Check specialty butcher shops or our list of trusted places to buy meat online. We ordered ours from Porter Road.
- Steak Marinade
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Unsalted butter
- Fresh garlic cloves
How to cook a blade steak in cast iron
- Start by removing your steaks from the package and place the steaks into a resealable plastic bag or air-tight container submerged in steak marinade for 2 hours. Then when ready to cook, pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels to remove any excess marinade. Sprinkle the steaks on both sides with salt and let them rest on a wire rack for 20 minutes at room temperature.
- Preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Then, add the steaks to the dry pan. You should immediately hear a sizzle. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until a crust forms, and then flip.
- Add the butter to the pan. Smash the garlic cloves and add those as well. Using a spoon and an oven mitt, carefully tilt the pan so the melted butter pools to one side and spoon the garlic butter up over the tops of the steaks to baste them. Continue to cook the steaks until they have reached 120 – 125 degrees F with a digital meat thermometer.
- Transfer the steaks to a clean cutting board and rest for 10 minutes before slicing them into thin slices against the grain. Remember, this can be a tough steak, so slicing against the grain is essential to the juiciest, most tender bites. Pair this with your favorite side dishes, and to make it even better, add a ramekin of Cowboy butter to dip slices of meat into.
Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips
To infuse even more flavor into this steak, place a dollop of homemade compound butter on top as it rests. The butter will melt over the meat, coating in one more layer of luscious umami flavor.
For a great sear you have to start with a well seasoned cast iron pan. We love our classic 12″ Lodge skillet for its durability or our enamel-coated Le Creuset for its easy cleanup. Both of these pans can cook two to three of these steaks at the same time, which makes feeding the family easy. See all of our favorite day-to-day tools on our shop page.
What to serve with this steak dinner?
To make this tough cut more indulgent, we paired it with sauteed green beans and a side of deviled crab. It goes great with foil-wrapped baked potatoes, our favorite creamed spinach, or really anything you want to serve alongside your steak dinner. We also love it served with crispy onions on top of a peppercorn sauce or blue cheese sauce.
Wine Pairing:
This steak has a big beefy flavor and can handle a bold full-bodied red wine to go along with it. We love it with a Petit Syrah, Melbac, or Tempranillo.
Leftovers and reheating
Wrap any leftover steak tightly in foil with any drippings. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat it, slice it thin and pan-sear it quickly to use it in steak sandwiches, breakfast wraps, or easy weeknight dinners with roasted veggies. Reminder, this isn’t the most tender cut to begin with, reheating it won’t help that. Slice it thinly and against the grain for the best bites.
More unique butcher’s cuts
Beef Recipes
Pan-Seared Teres Major Steak
Beef Recipes
Pan-Seared Merlot Steak
Beef Recipes
Pan-seared Sierra Steak
Beef Recipes
Grilled Bavette Steak
The blade steak recipe offers a delicious and budget-friendly option for meat lovers. Whether you choose to marinate and grill it or use our pan seared blade steak recipe, this cut of meat is flavorful when prepared correctly. Next time you’re looking for a hearty and satisfying meal, give the blade steak recipe a try – your taste buds will thank you!
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Pan Seared Blade Steak
Ingredients
- 1 lbs blade steaks about 1/2 lbs each
- steak marinade
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves smashed
Instructions
- Remove the steaks from the package and put them into a resealable ziplock bag with the steak marinade. Allow the steaks to mariante for 2 hours in the fridge.1 lbs blade steaks, steak marinade
- When ready to cook, remove the steaks from the marinade and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels. Any excess marinade can cause too much caramelization on the steaks surface so make sure to remove as much of the marinade as possible.
- Sprinkle salt on both sides of the steaks and let them rest on a wire rack over a baking sheet for 20 minutes at room temperature.
- Preheat a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat until just smoking.
- Add the steaks to the dry pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to form a crust.
- Flip the steaks and immediately add the butter to the pan.3 tbsp unsalted butter
- Smash the garlic and add it to the pan as well.3 garlic cloves
- As the butter melts, using an oven mitt, carefully tilt the pan so the butter pools to one side.
- Using a spoon, drizzle the garlicy butter over the steaks to baste them as they finish cooking.
- Continue to cook the steaks until they have reached 120 – 125 degrees F with a digital meat thermometer, about 3 to 4 minutes longer.
- Transfer the steaks to a clean cutting board.
- Rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain into thin slices for serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Save Recipe BookmarkRecipe FAQs
Although the blade steak is also called the cap, it is not the same cut as the ribeye cap or the top blade from the chuck. The blade steak is cut from the top of the ribeye primal where the ribeye cap wraps around the ribeye filet. You may find it also labeled wedge or lifter meat.
Every cut is a good cut, when cooked properly. This cut is not the most tender but has a great beefy flavor and is best not cooked past a steak doneness of medium-rare, 135 degrees F.
Looks like a fun cut to try next time I order beef. Yum.