Its no longer Flat Iron Steak

[Ryan]

You are the only person in the thread that kept coming back to the matter of substitution of a different cut of meat.

Right again. Funny how hard it is to get a point across sometimes, isn't it?

I think we understand one another at last. We're talking about DIFFERENT issues, DIFFERENT menus... (and, dare i say it, a DIFFERENT cut of meat? Nah, couldn't be.)

Outside of the different cut of meat bit, welcome to where the rest of the thread has been the whole time. It's been a tough road, but I'm proud of you for catching up with the rest of us. Give yourself a gold star!

 

[the_traveler]

You sunk my battleship!

Maybe sky sunk the_traveler's, which might explain why he hasn't responded!

Oh no! Don't tell me that the Traveler is burning out from all that obsession for Amtrak traveling :huh: and is now seeking relief by giving crusing on battleships a try! Maybe it's tiime for an intervention? :unsure:

I'm sorry I didn't respond earlier! I was stuck on a siding waiting for a freight - during the H3(a)(7) segment! :lol:

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

You sunk my battleship!

Maybe sky sunk the_traveler's, which might explain why he hasn't responded!

Oh no! Don't tell me that the Traveler is burning out from all that obsession for Amtrak traveling :huh: and is now seeking relief by giving crusing on battleships a try! Maybe it's tiime for an intervention? :unsure:

I'm sorry I didn't respond earlier! I was stuck on a siding waiting for a freight - during the H3(a)(7) segment! :lol:

Damnit! That was my destroyer!

 

[RTOlson]

For the sake of steak completeness (to say nothing of steak doneness), here is the beef entree from my June trip on Empire Builder.

Technically, it was called the "Butcher’s Choice Cut Steak." It certainly appeared like a steak to me.

It was a little tough and wasn't as flavorful as I would've hoped, but it wasn't as bloody as the medium-rare Flat Iron I had on Zephyr last year.

Comparing the braised beef on Starlight to the Empire Builder's grilled steak, I think I preferred the braised beef although I would be happy with either option.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

It was a little tough and wasn't as flavorful as I would've hoped, but it wasn't as bloody as the medium-rare Flat Iron I had on Zephyr last year.
Comparing the braised beef on Starlight to the Empire Builder's grilled steak, I think I preferred the braised beef although I would be happy with either option.

let me guess-- you ordered a flat iron (which is what that cut is)... medium well, or well done?

As Adam Savage would say: "Well there's your problem!"

 

[Bob Dylan]

Having just finished a 16 state/9 train journey of the West I must say that the Beef Pot Roast on the

SSL was simply terrible! and the flat iron Steak on the EB was OK!Much preferred the Sea Food items

and the Chicken and I am a native,beef eating Texan!Lets hope that the food gurus in AMtrak have

gotten the word to trash the Pot Roast version or call it by its name and cut the price since

its NOT worht the $22.50 that everyone pays for whether in Coach or Sleeper!!(No free lunch!!)

Lamb is an acquired taste like lots of things, is it easy to pre-prepare and heat and eat???

 

[RTOlson]

It was a little tough and wasn't as flavorful as I would've hoped, but it wasn't as bloody as the medium-rare Flat Iron I had on Zephyr last year.

let me guess-- you ordered a flat iron (which is what that cut is)... medium well, or well done?

As Adam Savage would say: "Well there's your problem!"

I sure did order it "medium well." On Zephyr in July 2008, I asked for my steak medium rare and it was extremely bloody (or at least juicy). I was hoping for something in between.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

It was a little tough and wasn't as flavorful as I would've hoped, but it wasn't as bloody as the medium-rare Flat Iron I had on Zephyr last year.

let me guess-- you ordered a flat iron (which is what that cut is)... medium well, or well done?

As Adam Savage would say: "Well there's your problem!"

I sure did order it "medium well." On Zephyr in July 2008, I asked for my steak medium rare and it was extremely bloody (or at least juicy). I was hoping for something in between.

When you cook steak the fat melts, leaving empty space in its place. That's why steaks loose weight when they cook-- however these empty spaces are what makes it tender, you're cutting through a steak full of millions of small holes.

The problem is when you order it medium-well or well done then the protein tissues become more rigid and pull together pushing out the air where the fat used to be-- that means instead of cutting into empty space you're cutting into solid protein.

Flat iron steak, coming from the belly of the bovine, has little fat (marbling) to begin with. If you order it above medium you are in fact ordering a tougher steak. In proper steakhouses, most cuts are not allowed to be ordered above medium, simply because it will spoil the meat.

If you have an aversion to blood-- think of this... that's not blood. That actually is a combination of water and broken down protein chains and tissues that have combined. Cow blood is actually more viscous than human blood, some say it has the viscosity of cheap maple syrup-- this I can attest to.

Moral of the story, some friendly steak-eating advice-- Keep it medium or under. Medium-rare is usually best-- and ALWAYS remember that if your steak isn't done enough, they can always throw it back on the grill and you have the right to complain. One of the simplest things a cook must master is the ability to cook meat to order. There is no excuse for not being able to cook a cut to order. :lol:

 

[PetalumaLoco]

Flat iron steak, coming from the belly of the bovine...

You mean shoulder top blade (Flat Iron) steak?

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Flat iron steak, coming from the belly of the bovine...

You mean shoulder top blade (Flat Iron) steak?

Sorry, I was cooking brisket this evening... I had it on my mind.

For purposes of the meat however, the two have similar marble and cooked in similar methods-- as far as braising goes. Best done in tomatoes.

 

[PetalumaLoco]

Flat iron steak, coming from the belly of the bovine...

You mean shoulder top blade (Flat Iron) steak?

Sorry, I was cooking brisket this evening... I had it on my mind.

For purposes of the meat however, the two have similar marble and cooked in similar methods-- as far as braising goes. Best done in tomatoes.

mmmm, brisket!

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Flat iron steak, coming from the belly of the bovine...

You mean shoulder top blade (Flat Iron) steak?

Sorry, I was cooking brisket this evening... I had it on my mind.

For purposes of the meat however, the two have similar marble and cooked in similar methods-- as far as braising goes. Best done in tomatoes.

mmmm, brisket!

Cooked it for over six hours... ohh yeah.

 

[Ryan]

Lets hope that the food gurus in AMtrak havegotten the word to trash the Pot Roast version or call it by its name

They call it exactly what it is, and according to the article that I linked to (and has been linked to from here before), it's going away when the summertime crowds die down.

 

[Tony]

Milk and beer ??

 

[wayman]

Moral of the story, some friendly steak-eating advice-- Keep it medium or under. Medium-rare is usually best-- and ALWAYS remember that if your steak isn't done enough, they can always throw it back on the grill and you have the right to complain. One of the simplest things a cook must master is the ability to cook meat to order. There is no excuse for not being able to cook a cut to order. :lol:

While you can throw the meat back on the grill at home, I'm pretty sure that a restaurant (and hence also Amtrak) cannot do this, as it violates a health regulation to put food that has been served back onto cooking surfaces. You do have the right to complain, but if they take your plate back to the kitchen and return with a steak cooked more to your liking I'm pretty sure you're getting a new steak, not the same one cooked a bit more.

 

[gswager]

Moral of the story, some friendly steak-eating advice-- Keep it medium or under. Medium-rare is usually best-- and ALWAYS remember that if your steak isn't done enough, they can always throw it back on the grill and you have the right to complain. One of the simplest things a cook must master is the ability to cook meat to order. There is no excuse for not being able to cook a cut to order. :lol:

While you can throw the meat back on the grill at home, I'm pretty sure that a restaurant (and hence also Amtrak) cannot do this, as it violates a health regulation to put food that has been served back onto cooking surfaces. You do have the right to complain, but if they take your plate back to the kitchen and return with a steak cooked more to your liking I'm pretty sure you're getting a new steak, not the same one cooked a bit more.

Plus you'll have to wait a little longer and then eat by yourself.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Moral of the story, some friendly steak-eating advice-- Keep it medium or under. Medium-rare is usually best-- and ALWAYS remember that if your steak isn't done enough, they can always throw it back on the grill and you have the right to complain. One of the simplest things a cook must master is the ability to cook meat to order. There is no excuse for not being able to cook a cut to order. :lol:

While you can throw the meat back on the grill at home, I'm pretty sure that a restaurant (and hence also Amtrak) cannot do this, as it violates a health regulation to put food that has been served back onto cooking surfaces. You do have the right to complain, but if they take your plate back to the kitchen and return with a steak cooked more to your liking I'm pretty sure you're getting a new steak, not the same one cooked a bit more.

I may not know about Amtrak, but trust that restaurants do this as common practice.

 

[MrFSS]

While you can throw the meat back on the grill at home, I'm pretty sure that a restaurant (and hence also Amtrak) cannot do this, as it violates a health regulation to put food that has been served back onto cooking surfaces. You do have the right to complain, but if they take your plate back to the kitchen and return with a steak cooked more to your liking I'm pretty sure you're getting a new steak, not the same one cooked a bit more.

I may not know about Amtrak, but trust that restaurants do this as common practice.

Do what - start with a fresh piece of meat or throw yours back on the grill?

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

While you can throw the meat back on the grill at home, I'm pretty sure that a restaurant (and hence also Amtrak) cannot do this, as it violates a health regulation to put food that has been served back onto cooking surfaces. You do have the right to complain, but if they take your plate back to the kitchen and return with a steak cooked more to your liking I'm pretty sure you're getting a new steak, not the same one cooked a bit more.

I may not know about Amtrak, but trust that restaurants do this as common practice.

Do what - start with a fresh piece of meat or throw yours back on the grill?

Throw one back on the grill. Unless the cook cut out a piece of meat to make the new steak look exactly like the one I sent back-- then the steak I sent back came back, cooked a little more.

 

[PaulM]

I like pot roast as much as the next guy. But if you take away the vegetables, that looks like the daily special at the spit 'n whittle cafe in just about any Midwestern small town. :angry:

 

[RTOlson]

^^

Most of the greasy spoons I've been to would include the veggies.

Milk and beer ??

Ha! Milk was the beverage included with the meal (I don't drink coffee and rarely tea) and I wanted a beer with the steak. It worked out all right for me!

 

[had8ley]

Having just finished a 16 state/9 train journey of the West I must say that the Beef Pot Roast on theSSL was simply terrible! and the flat iron Steak on the EB was OK!Much preferred the Sea Food items

and the Chicken and I am a native,beef eating Texan!Lets hope that the food gurus in AMtrak have

gotten the word to trash the Pot Roast version or call it by its name and cut the price since

its NOT worht the $22.50 that everyone pays for whether in Coach or Sleeper!!(No free lunch!!)

Lamb is an acquired taste like lots of things, is it easy to pre-prepare and heat and eat???

The lamb shanks that were on the menu for a couple of years were great (if you like lamb.) I tried to order it still sitting in CUS on #59 and they told me they were already sold out. The caterer only put 10 on and I was #11 :angry:

 

[the_traveler]

The lamb shanks that were on the menu for a couple of years were great (if you like lamb.) I tried to order it still sitting in CUS on #59 and they told me they were already sold out. The caterer only put 10 on and I was #11 :angry:

Last year on the EB, I tried to order the chicken - and was told they were out! It was the first meal out of CHI and I had the 1st seating! :blink:

 

[Bob Dylan]

:lol:

The lamb shanks that were on the menu for a couple of years were great (if you like lamb.) I tried to order it still sitting in CUS on #59 and they told me they were already sold out. The caterer only put 10 on and I was #11 :angry:

Last year on the EB, I tried to order the chicken - and was told they were out! It was the first meal out of CHI and I had the 1st seating! :blink:

Guess the crew must have eaten before the pax boarded! :lol: I ordered vanilla ice cream leaving

SEA on #8 and they told me that they were "out", only had chocolate!One SA did say that the

commisary was out,cant remeber if it was in SEA or CHI but if one doesnt eat cheescake or like

the wonderful bundt cake or delicious apple pie on this train its chocolate hagen-daas or nothing!

 

[Bierboy]

Wow...all this uproar over a little piece of meat....