Flap Steak

Flap steaks are cut from flap meat—the entirety of the obliquus abdominis muscle, which runs along the abdomen in the animal’s hindquarter. This cut has many qualities in common with inside or outside skirt steaks. It is lean, with a thick grain, and benefits from tenderizing and marinating. Though technically flap steak should be cut against the grain, butchers will frequently cut it with the grain for better portioning and to allow eaters the option to cut against the grain, which will create more-tender bites. This cut is best cooked rare to medium-rare. Flap steak goes by many names, including “bavette,” “sirloin butt flap,” “bistro steak,” and “Boston strip steak.” Confusingly, New Englanders tend to refer to flap steak as “sirloin tip”. While it is not uncommon to hear flap steak called “bavette,” note that the term comes from the French word for “bib” and acts as a catchall for any steak portioned from the flank primal. This particular flap steak is called bavette d’aloyau.