Here’s The Best Way To Cook A Flap Steak

Some cuts of meat just sound sumptuous. Filet mignon, chateaubriand, even porterhouse has a grand ring to it. Other selections sound about as ho-hum as the weeknights they’re likely destined for. Flap steak, of course, falls into the latter camp, conjuring images of plain old beef sweating in a pan, rather than the tables for two, candlelight, and red wine that those other steaks evoke. But if there’s one thing we’re bound to do around here, it’s elevate a steak, and the humble flap, cut from the cow’s bottom sirloin and sometimes called a bavette, is no exception. Naturally, we’ve fleshed out a way to make it that’ll have you singing a different tune.

Unlike those beautifully marbled (and thus abundantly flavorful) finer cuts that need little more than salt and pepper to shine, your favorite marinade is a must for the flap steak, which takes well to the little extra flavor nudge and benefits from additional tenderization. It also needs just a kiss of the hot flame (or equally hot, heavy metal pan) to quickly bring it to medium at the most; any further doneness and you’ll end up with a tough, grainy steak akin to a shoe sole. But when infused with flavor and fired in a flash, you can take a flap steak from so-so to superb for virtually any occasion and preparation that calls for the same part of the animal.

Both a flank steak and a flap steak are butchered from around the same region of the cow, the flank being a little farther south. The hanger, slightly closer to the front of the cow, is also relatively nearby, but this isn’t “The Skeleton Dance,” so the protein structure similarities end there. That said, these three neighboring cuts can be used in very similar ways. Plus, they’re all among the more affordable steak varieties on the market.

Like its more famously named companions, a flap steak is great to anchor your stir-fries and fajitas, and to slice extra thin for homemade Philly cheesesteaks smothered in warmed Cheez Whiz. You can even swap it into your geographically untethered steak sandwiches, for which we typically tap cheaper varieties such as flap steak anyway. And, guess what, nobody’s stopping you from lighting a couple of candles or pouring a nice glass of Barolo to pair with it.