I think the standard full-size, all steel 1911 has low recoil. I remember the first time I fired one. I was in college, and got to try out some guns owned by classmates. The first I fired was the 1911, and could not understand why some people claimed it had a lot of recoil. Recoil and muzzle flip were minimal with the standard GI hardball. Next I fired a Walther P38, a 9mm pistol. It seemed to have much more muzzle flip than the 1911. I think this was due to the lighter weight of the P-38, and the fact that the P38 does not have a full length slide.
I have also fired a Colt Commander, which has an aluminum frame and weighs twelve ounces less than the full size Government Model. That gun had significant muzzle flip.
I haven't fired any of the newer .45s with polymer frames. I would expect them to have more muzzle flip than an all steel Gov't Model, simply because of their lighter weight.