Steak night is a great concept. Particularly if one can get one’s hands on top quality meat. We are lucky in that respect. But, steak night would be no fun if we just cooked and ate a steak. We needed a bit of experimentation as we did with part 1. For part 2, we decided to check out the merits of Feather Blade steak both flash fried and sous vide.
There was very little to be done by way of preparation. For either way of cooking, we needed only some seasoning and some oil or butter. First I sliced both steaks in half. This so I could get them to fit into the frying pan.

Both steaks were seasoned and cut in two.
I added a bit of butter and cooked one of the steaks in the sous vide at 55ºC for an hour. When it came out of the bath, it looked pretty grim. Most stuff from the sous vide looks this way.

Sous Vide on the left, looking grim. Raw on the right, looking great.
I then heated a frying pan to very hot and flash fried both steaks side by side.

Both got the same treatment. Which would be best?
Side note on bias in experimenting: It is in my nature to favour the one on the left. That is because I am a big sous vide fan. However, I had to put my inclinations to one side and conduct the experiment without inclining towards either. The uncooked one looks better….
I turned them within two seconds of each other and when I reckoned they were done, I removed them and let them rest.

Sous vide on the left. Getting more difficult to tell them apart now.
I let them rest for 5 minutes and then carved them into small slices across the grain.
The evidence
On first eating, we agreed that the ‘flash fried only’ was superior to the ‘sous vide’. It had a nicer texture, tasted jucier and had a stronger beef flavour. However, having sat around for a while swilling some wine and picking at the cooling beef, we discovered that as it cooled, the two contenders switched place. The ‘flash fried only’ became a bit too chewy. The ‘sous vide’ firmed up a bit and became more tender and tasty.

Sous vide on the right this time. Flash fried only on the left.
The verdict
The verdict is that there really is no verdict except “try it yourself”. The simple, flash fried version was delicious. I can only recommend that you fry it fast, slice it thin and eat it just as quickly. Delicious. If you want to take your time, give it a sous vide bath and eat it having let it rest a bit longer. But, do give this cut of steak a go. Don’t overcook it, it tends to get very tough if you do.
Now, what’s our next steak night experiment? Suggestions welcomed.
Linda Duffin | 21st February 2017
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Interesting experiment, especially as I’m biased in the other direction (too mean to buy a sous vide machine). I’m guessing you bought the steak from a good butcher so here’s a challenge guaranteed to make your toes curl… make something tasty using those skinny little ‘minute’ steaks sold by supermarkets. I have a vested interest in this as I have a pack of the sad wee things sitting in the freezer, bought in a rash moment mid-way through an online order.
Conor Bofin | Author | 21st February 2017
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Sorry my dear, you are on your own. The phrase about the silk purse springs to mind.
Linda Duffin | 21st February 2017
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Drat. It was worth a punt (no pun intended). 🙂
sybaritica | 21st February 2017
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Never heard of that cut … does it come from the flank area?
Conor Bofin | Author | 21st February 2017
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Hi John, it comes from the front shoulder blade area as far as I know. They are not very big cuts and I would imagine not everybody will be able to get them.
Man Fuel | 21st February 2017
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Great experiment! I was just going on to my wife about how I’m still not sure if sous vide is superior to a good pan fry (and possibly bake). I think, as you said, you get two different products that each have their merits. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a feather blade cut of beef. I’ll have to look into it! Since it comes from the shoulder, I bet it’s very flavorful and you cooked it perfectly to a medium rare.
Conor Bofin | Author | 21st February 2017
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Thanks. Please don’t let this put you off sous vide. There is no doubt that sv can produce a significantly superior steak to a traditional fry, in my humble opinion. It’s fantastic for all sorts of other stuff too and really adds an extra dimension to the cooking.
katechiconi | 21st February 2017
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Time after time, you put yourself on the line for us, performing acts of supreme self-sacrifice so that we can eat a better product… This does look exceptionally tasty, but I’ve never seen the cut in our good butcher, which leads me to believe it’s not an Aussie ‘thing’, unlike Steak Night, which is a very frequent Aussie ‘thing’!
Conor Bofin | Author | 21st February 2017
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You make it look like I’m taking one for the team. Nothing could be further from the truth! All good fun.
Brian Shalloe | 21st February 2017
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Hi Conor, did you get these locally. I’ve been able to get flank steak from our old school pal’s butchers shop in Deansgrange but haven’t seen this cut before. By the way the monkfish was fantastic.
Best regards,
Brian
Conor Bofin | Author | 21st February 2017
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Hi Brian,
Lawlor’s in Rathmines for these. They don’t have them all the time but well worth a call.
Tasty Eats Ronit Penso | 21st February 2017
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Tasty looking steaks! While I appreciate sous-vide technique when it comes to preparing large amounts in restaurants, I’m not a big sous-vide fan when it comes to home cooking. It looks like your experiment definitely proves that. 🙂
Conor Bofin | Author | 21st February 2017
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I think this experiment proves that there is no benefit in cooking this particular cut sous vide. However, I would defend the SV as a fantastic addition to the kitchen. The Wife would stand shoulder to shoulder with me on this too. It can really produce some spectacular dishes with very little effort. I will continue to experiment and enjoy the process for it’s own sake as well as enjoying the banter that results.
Best,
Conor
Tasty Eats Ronit Penso | 21st February 2017
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Glad you both enjoy it. Always good to have another perspective. 🙂
Marty | 21st February 2017
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They both look fabulous! I’m a fan of the grill or the hot pan for steaks, myself. That is one sexy cast iron skillet!
Conor Bofin | Author | 21st February 2017
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Hi Marty,
That skillet is but a baby in this house having been introduced last year. I have another cast iron one that is over 30 years on the go. When I buy cookware these days, I often think “this will see me down”. One day, it will!
Best,
C
Marty | 25th February 2017
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You’ve done a heckuva job seasoning it. I admire your cookware (often as much as what you’re cooking on it!). 🙂
Conor Bofin | Author | 28th February 2017
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The cast iron pans are great to use. Once seasoned properly, they are completely non stick and last a lifetime. I spent a small fortune and many frustrating years buying cheap, ineffective ‘non stick’ cookware. A waste of money, for sure.
Tara Sparling | 21st February 2017
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Why not go to the other end of the spectrum for your next experiment and cook a couple of impossibly fat steaks? This suggestion is in no way influenced by my tendency to burn the outside of this type of meat whilst barely increasing the temperature of the middle by one degree. Honest.
Conor Bofin | Author | 21st February 2017
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This approach has some merit. So often one sits down with people who have divergent tastes when it comes to meat. Some (usually culchies who like their steak with a fried egg on top) like it very well done. Others (usually French) like their steak raw. Perhaps I can pit a culchie (country bumpkin in Irish parlance, for all you foreigners reading this) against a Parisian (French, for all ye culchies reading this) and see who likes my output the best. (No sniggering please).
Tara Sparling | 21st February 2017
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An excellent idea, just as long as you’re careful, and you remember that I am a culchie who has enjoyed many a rare steak.
I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere.
Conor Bofin | Author | 21st February 2017
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You sophisticate, you!
Eha | 22nd February 2017
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Thank you for the ‘lesson’: the name ‘feather blade’ rang a distant bell so Mr Google and I had a ‘talk’ – yup, only two very special small steaks from the shoulder – the butchers supposedly selfishly take such home for their own dinner and don’t want you asking 🙂 ! Now, since high school debating teams I have that tendency to ask and ‘argue’: if you saw no great difference in the outcome of your interesting ‘control experiment’ why spend the extra time on using the ‘sous-vide’? I mean evenings after work are such wonderful busy times, why take even a minute away from other activities 😉 ??
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd February 2017
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Mr. Google is meant to be there to arbitrate and settle disputes as well as to educate and elucidate, as he has done here Eha. The online world will need to deal with fake news and fake everything else or the Internet will devalue itself.
One of my butcher friends (who sold me the meat) also remarked that he and his team like to sneak this cut for themselves.
anotherfoodieblogger | 22nd February 2017
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I have not seen this cut of steak either, but we can readily get flank steak or skirt steak (and most probably an entirely different part of the cow). I enjoy reading about your experiments. Have you tried to sous vide some bacon yet? I don’t recall right off the bat. I can only imagine how disgusting those look straight out of the water bath. ;P
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd February 2017
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Hi Kathryn,
Yes to the bacon. I did some last St. Patrick’s Day. Divine texture. This is wort seeking out if possible. It’s a small cut and only two per beast so not too common.
I am cogitating making and smoking my own bacon. It will be fun.
anotherfoodieblogger | 22nd February 2017
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I just went and found it, I do remember that post but it didn’t stick in my head as bacon. US of A bacon is cut into strips without the bone. Do you call those rashers?
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd February 2017
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We do indeed. I plan to use some loin as well as belly. Purely in the interest of science!
Wendy Ellen Thomas | 22nd February 2017
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Dammit janet that looks perfect. I’ll have to ask around for the cut. Also not familiar in these parts. cheers!
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd February 2017
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Hi Wendy,
For some strange reason, your comments are held for moderation. It means they get a little bit of extra attention. Do seek it out. I hope all goes well with you.
Best,
C
StefanGourmet | 22nd February 2017
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Hi Conor, great post and interesting result of the experiment. There are two variables you could play with:
– sous-vide cooking time, which you could take up to 12 hours for a more tender result and a bigger difference between the two
– starting temperature before searing. You didn’t mention whether you seared the sv steak straight out of the water bath, or allowed it to cool first. Because the steaks are so thin, that could make a huge difference in the final core temperature. For an apples to apples comparison, refrigerate the sv steak after cooking, and then take out both steaks out of the fridge at the same time.
The second point could perhaps explain the development in the two steaks that you experienced.
Oh and a third option would be to try warm aging, but that only makes a difference if James hasn’t already aged the meat for at least 3 weeks.
For the US folks: this cut is called blade steak or flat iron steak there (both the same part of the animal, but cut in a different way). I cook it 12 hrs at 55C/131F.
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd February 2017
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Thanks Stefan, all good points indeed. The sous vide steak got a chance to cool to room temperature before going on the pan. The other one had been out of the fridge for about an hour too so they both started from the same point. I will get some more of it wen I can and give it a good 12 hours as you suggest. All good fun indeed.
Best,
C
Karen | 22nd February 2017
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I enjoyed the post Conor and Stefan’s comment as well. We’ve been doing steaks but sv and on the grill. I actually like them both ways but the sv method seems to produce a better result on certain cuts.
Conor Bofin | Author | 28th February 2017
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I have had great SV success with fillet and also some of the big rib cuts. It is a really convenient way to prepare if one is expecting guests and can’t get the timing exact. You should come over to Ireland and let us demonstrate for you!
Best,
C
Karen | 28th February 2017
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My but wouldn’t that be nice. 😀
Frank Fariello | 23rd February 2017
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This looks great, too. I wonder what cut feather blade would correspond to Stateside… ? Looks rather like what we would call a flat iron
Conor Bofin | Author | 28th February 2017
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I believe it is very similar to flatiron, cut a different way.
Dom Brooks | 8th May 2017
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Did a 12 hour featherblade alongside a 1 hour fillet, both at 55 … was impossible to pick a winner.
Conor Bofin | Author | 8th May 2017
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It makes a great case for sous vide. With good fillet costing around €50 per kilo here, I would lean towards the feather blade!
Thanks for the comment Dom.
IanG | 9th December 2019
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Hello
Thanks for a sous vide cooking time starting point – the only other cooking time I could find was 60 hours and I was too hungry to wait.
I cooked my steak for 2 hours at 56C – it was superb ‐ I’ve make myself tough FB in the past.
Too lazy to make a proper sauce , so micronuked slit into, well salted cherry tomatoes for two minutes ‐ almost all of the moisture goes, then drizzled on pomegranate molasses,balsamic,onion powder,pepper ,ghost chili powder and some broken up blue stilton ‐ so good!
Cheers
Conor Bofin | Author | 9th December 2019
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Steak and blue cheese. What a delight. I must try your sauce. BTW, that is a “proper” sauce. Bravo!