What Is Flap Steak?

Flap steak, a.k.a. bottom sirloin butt, is a lean cut of beef taken from the same area as flank steak, only farther back and closer to the round and shank. It has a texture and flavor similar to skirt steak, but is less expensive. You don’t see flap steak sold in many stores because butchers have historically kept the cut for themselves. Like skirt & flank steaks, flap meat must be thinly sliced across the grain & cooked over high, dry heat no further than medium rare. It has a bold beef flavor and absorbs marinades really well which makes it great for tacos, sandwiches, stir fry & other sliced or chopped steak dishes.

Flap steak has a similar texture, flavor, fat content and grain to flank, hanger and skirt steaks. It’s a thin, lean and fairly tough cut of beef, so slice it across the grain when serving to make it less chewy.

Flap meat is tougher than most other cuts, but you can tenderize it by cooking it properly or using a marinade. It’s rarely eaten as a traditional steak dinner. But when roasted, grilled, seared, saute, stir fry or broiled and then thinly sliced it’s a great cut of beef.

Flap steak is sold as a single long steak or cut into smaller pieces. A whole cut typically weighs between 3 to 4 pounds. This is larger than flank and skirt which generally weigh in at around 2 pounds.

In terms of price, flank and flap steaks cost about the same. But skirt is usually a little more expensive because of its higher demand with restaurant chefs.

What Is Flap Meat Good For?

Beef flap meat is a very thin, lean and tough cut of beef taken from the bottom sirloin. It has a texture and flavor similar to skirt steak, but is less expensive. It’s best for tacos, sandwiches, stir fry & other sliced or chopped steak dishes. Flap is rarely eaten as a traditional steak dinner, but when roasted, grilled, seared, saute, stir fry or broiled and then thinly sliced, it’s a great cut of beef.

How To Cook Flap Meat

Flank steak is best when served as tacos, carne asada, sandwiches or other sliced steak dishes. It’s tough and lean meat but can be tenderized by cooking it properly or using a marinade. It’s rarely eaten as a traditional steak dinner, but when roasted, grilled, sauteed, stir fried or broiled and then thinly sliced, it’s a fantastic cut of beef.

While there are many ways to cook flap steak, this is my favorite:

Marinate. Flap meat has the same tough texture as flank, skirt and hanger steak. So it really benefits from an acid based tenderizing marinade. A Marinade can make flap steak less chewy while infusing it with flavor. Prick the steak all over with a fork and then submerge it in marinade for 4 to 6 hours.

Cook the steak whole. Flap steak is a long cut of meat that should be cooked in one piece. This makes it easier to cook evenly when you flip it.

Cook quickly over high heat. Flap steak is a very thin cut of meat that cooks in just a few minutes and is easy to overcook. High heat creates a good sear on the outside but doesn’t overcook the inside. Cook flap steak a bit past medium rare for the best possible flavor and texture.

Rest the steak. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes covered in foil after you remove it from heat.

Slice against the grain. First, cut the steak longways into several smaller pieces by slicing with the grain. Then, slice each individual piece against the grain. Slicing against the grain makes pieces more tender and less chewy.

How To Tenderize Flap Steak

The best way to tenderize flap steak is with an acid based marinade. Poke holes in the entire steak using a fork. Don’t pound the meat with a spiked mallet because you’ll just make it tougher. Then submerge the steak into the marinade for 4 to 6 hours. Remove it from the marinade and either pat it dry or toss it right onto a searing hot skillet or grill.

Because flap steak has a natural grain and texture, marinade and spices soak in and make the meat tender.

How you cook flap steak effects how tender it is to eat. Cook the meat on very high heat quickly in either a pan or on a grill. Cook it a bit past medium and then let it rest for 5 minutes.

Slicing the meat properly is the last thing you can do to tenderize it before serving. Since flap is a long cut of meat, slice it with the gran longways into 2 to 3 strips. Then slice it against the grain into thin slices for serving.

Cutting individual slices of flap against the grain makes it easier to break down and chew.

How Big Is Flap Steak?

Most flap steaks are between 3 to 4 pounds with an average weight of 3.5 pounds per steak. It’s a tough and lean beef steak cut from the obliquus internus abdominis muscle of the bottom sirloin. Flap is generally very thin, tough and chewy, but flavorful. It’s often confused with skirt, flank and hanger steak and can be substituted for each of them in almost all recipes.

What Are Other Names For Flap Steak?

Flap steak is also known as Bottom Sirloin Butt, Bavette, Flap Meat or Sirloin Flap.

Substitutes For Flap Meat

The best substitute for flap meat is skirt, hanger and flank steak. And you can also use flap meat instead of skirt, hanger or skirt in a recipe. The taste, texture, toughness and leanness are almost exactly the same between each of these four cuts. Keep this in mind when buying meat for a steak dish like tacos, carne asada or stir fry because flap is usually cheaper than the other cuts.

Where Is Flap Steak Cut From On The Cow?

Flap steak is cut from the bottom sirloin butt just below the sirloin tip and loin. This is the same general area as flank steak, only farther back and closer to the round and shank. The muscles are from the abdominal area of the cow near the bottom. They gets lots of exercise throughout the cows life which makes it tough and lean but flavorful meat.

Flap Steak Vs Flank Steak

Flap steak and flank steak have almost the exact same flavor, texture, fat content and toughness. This is because they’re both cut from the same general area of the cow which is the bottom sirloin. Both are great cuts for cooking steak dishes like tacos, stir fry or carne asada and are rarely eaten as a traditional steak dinner.

You can substitute flap steak for flank in any recipe and vice verse. But there’s one big difference between the two cuts, flap is cheaper and bigger. Most flap steaks are about 3 to 4 pounds while flank is only around 2 pounds.

Is Flap Steak The Same As Flank Steak?

No, Flap meat, a.k.a. bottom sirloin butt, is a cut of steak taken from the same area of the cow as flank steak, only farther back and closer to the round and shank. It’s very similar in terms of taste, texture, toughness and fat content, but it’s not the same cut. Flap is larger, usually coming in 3 to 4 pound long steaks. While flank is only around 2 pounds.

Because flap and flank are so similar, it’s generally OK to substitute one for the other in almost all recipes. Keep this in mind when shopping because flap is usually cheaper than flank.

Is Flap Steak A Good Cut?

Flap steak is an excellent cut of beef when cooked whole just a bit past medium and sliced into thin strips. It’s a very lean and tough cut that’s good in steak dishes like tacos or fajitas but rarely eaten as a traditional steak dinner. Because of it’s texture, the meat is fantastic when paired with an acid based marinade. When roasted, grilled, seared, saute, stir fry or broiled and then thinly sliced, it’s a great cut of beef.

Is Flap Steak More Tender Than Skirt

No, flap and skirt are almost exactly the same cut in terms of taste, texture, fat content and how tender they are. They’re so similar in fact, that it’s generally OK to substitute flap for flank in almost all recipes or vice versa. Both cuts are lean and tough with a strong beef flavor that’s best cooked whole and then sliced into thin strips.

The best way to tenderize either flap or skirt is with an acid based marinade and not a spiked mallet.

Where To Buy Flap Meat

Flap steak is not an easy cut of beef to find because most butchers have historically kept it for themselves. Hanger, flank and skirt are sold instead instead because they’re popular well known cuts and more expensive. However, some supermarkets offer the steak and you can find it at most butchers if you ask. One of the best ways to buy it is at an online butcher. They’ll package it in dry ice and ship it directly to your home.

Cut Flap Steak Against The Grain

Flap is a tough cut of meat so you should always cut it against the grain before serving. However, the steaks are usually 3 to 4 pounds and quite long, so you should first cut it longways with the grain. Cut the meat into 2 to 3 long pieces. Then slice it against the grain into smaller slices meant for serving.

When you slice steak against the grain it becomes easier to break down and chew. Steak sliced with the grain will feel chewy.

When flap steak is done cooking, don’t slice it right away, let it rest for about 5 minutes instead. This helps tenderize the meat and locks in juices.

What Does Flap Steak Taste Like?

Flap steak has a strong beef flavor like hanger, flank, skirt and even ribeye. But because of how tough and lean the meat is, it’s usually cooked in a sauce or marinade and served as a steak dish rather than eaten as a traditional steak dinner. So it’s taste will vary greatly based on how you cook and serve it.

Flap Steak Nutritional Facts

Flap steak is a very lean piece of meat that’s low in fats and calories but high in protein and other essential vitamins and minerals. Here is a breakdown of its nutritional value based on a 3.5 ounce (100 gram) serving size.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Flap Steak Recipes

Here’s a list of my all time favorite flap steak recipes. You can make any of these recipes with flank, skirt or hanger if you can’t find flap meat at your local grocery store.

Spicy Garlic Flap Steak Tacos

This is one of my favorite steak taco recipes. It has a great garlic taste with just enough heat. If you like more spice, add a little more Calabrian chile to the salsa. The total cook and prep time are about 30 minutes but the steak should marinade for about 4 to 6 hours before you cook.

Ingredients

• 1 cup red salsa plus more for serving. Add some jalapenos for even more spice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice plus lime wedges for serving
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 medium-size garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds of flap steak trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
• 1 teaspoon Calabrian chiles
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• White onion
• Warm tortillas
• Sliced avocado
• Fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Marinade the entire flap steak in the acid based marinade of your choice. Fully submerge the beef into the marinade and let it rest for 4 to 6 hours in a refrigerator.
2. Remove the steaks from the marinade and allow the excess to drip off. Discard the marinade. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the steaks onto the skillet and cook. Turn them just once after 3 to 4 minutes. They should be browned on the outside and medium-rare on the inside. 6 to 8 minutes total cook time. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes.
4. Slice the meat longways with the grain into 2 to 3 long strips. Then slice it thin against the grain into individual strips and serve with warm tortillas.
5. Combine the red salsa, lime juice, Worcestershire, Calabrian chile, garlic and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour a small amount of the puree on top of each taco.
6. Add chopped onion, avocado, lime wedges and cilantro with a little extra salsa or cheese if you like.

Summary: What Is Flap Steak?

Flap steak, a.k.a. bottom sirloin butt, is a lean cut of beef taken from the same area as flank steak, only farther back and closer to the round and shank. It has a texture and flavor similar to skirt steak, but is less expensive. You don’t see flap steak sold in many stores because butchers have historically kept the cut for themselves. Like skirt & flank steaks, flap meat must be thinly sliced across the grain & cooked over high, dry heat no further than medium rare. It has a bold beef flavor and absorbs marinades really well which makes it great for tacos, sandwiches, stir fry & other sliced or chopped steak dishes.

Flap steak has a similar texture, flavor, fat content and grain to flank, hanger and skirt steaks. It’s a thin, lean and fairly tough cut of beef, so slice it across the grain when serving to make it less chewy.

Flap meat is tougher than most other cuts, but you can tenderize it by cooking it properly or using a marinade. It’s rarely eaten as a traditional steak dinner. But when roasted, grilled, seared, saute, stir fry or broiled and then thinly sliced it’s a great cut of beef.

Flap steak is sold as a single long steak or cut into smaller pieces. A whole cut typically weighs between 3 to 4 pounds. This is larger than flank and skirt which generally weigh in at around 2 pounds.

In terms of price, flank and flap steaks cost about the same. But skirt is usually a little more expensive because of its higher demand with restaurant chefs.

If you have any questions about flap steak, email any time.