Flank steak

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Flank steak
BeefCutFlank.svg
Cuts of beef
Type cut of beef

Flank steak is a cut of beef steak taken from the abdominal muscles of the cow, located just behind the plate and in front of the rear quarter. It is a long, flat cut with a significant grain, and is known for its bold flavor and chewiness.

Contents

Terminology

Raw aged flank steak, with the cover layer of fat removed from the steak on the right Flank steak.jpg
Raw aged flank steak, with the cover layer of fat removed from the steak on the right

In Brazil, it is called bife do vazio or pacú (many people confuse with fraldinha, which is actually the flap steak). [1] It is popular in south Brazil, specifically in Rio Grande do Sul state. The cut is also common in Colombia, where they call it sobrebarriga ("over the belly"); sobrebarriga a la brasa is a Colombian recipe for braised flank steak. [2] Argentina, Uruguay call flank steak churrasquito de vacío or bife de vacío. In Spain and Cuba, it is known as filete de falda.

Use

Grilled marinated flank steak Grilled flank steak.jpg
Grilled marinated flank steak

Flank steak is used in dishes including London broil and as an alternative to the traditional skirt steak in fajitas . It can be grilled, pan-fried, broiled, or braised for increased tenderness. Grain (meat fibre) is noticeable in flank steaks, as it comes from a well-exercised part of the cow, and many chefs cut across the grain to make the meat more tender. It is often used in Asian cuisine, is sold in Chinese markets as "stir-fry beef", and is served in French cuisine as an at-most medium-rare steak. Flank also serves as a common cut for steak jerky.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fajita</span> Tex–Mex dish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Offal</span> Internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal

Offal, also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the internal organs of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, and these lists of organs vary with culture and region, but usually exclude skeletal muscle. Offal may also refer to the by-products of milled grains, such as corn or wheat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asado</span> Meat dish traditional in Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, Paraguay and Chile

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skirt steak</span> Beef steak cut from lower forequarter

Skirt steak is the US name for a cut of beef steak from the plate. It is long, flat, and prized for its flavor rather than tenderness. It is distinct from hanger steak (US), called skirt or onglet in Britain, a generally similar adjacent cut also from the plate.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round steak</span> Cut of beef

A round steak is a beef steak from the "round", the rear leg of the cow. The round is divided into cuts including the eye (of) round, bottom round, and top round, with or without the "round" bone (femur), and may include the knuckle, depending on how the round is separated from the loin. This is a lean cut and it is moderately tough. Lack of fat and marbling makes round dry out when cooked with dry-heat cooking methods like roasting or grilling. Round steak is commonly prepared with slow moist-heat methods including braising, to tenderize the meat and maintain moisture. The cut is often sliced thin, then dried or smoked at low temperature to make jerky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cut of beef</span> Sections of cattle

During butchering, beef is first divided into primal cuts, pieces of meat initially separated from the carcass. These are basic sections from which steaks and other subdivisions are cut. Since the animal's legs and neck muscles do the most work, they are the toughest; the meat becomes more tender as distance from hoof and horn increases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flap steak</span> Cut of beef

Flap steak, or flap meat is a beef steak cut from the obliquus internus abdominis muscle of the bottom sirloin. It is generally very thin, fibrous and chewy, but flavorful, and often confused with both skirt steak and hanger steak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suadero</span> Thin cut of meat in Mexican cuisine

Suadero, in Mexican cuisine, is a thin cut of meat from the intermediate part of the cow or pig between the belly and the leg. Suadero is noted for having a smooth texture rather than a muscle grain. Typically, suadero is confited or fried and used as a taco filling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meat chop</span> Cut of meat served as individual portion

A meat chop is a cut of meat cut perpendicular to the spine, and usually containing a rib or riblet part of a vertebra and served as an individual portion. The most common kinds of meat chops are pork and lamb. A thin boneless chop, or one with only the rib bone, may be called a cutlet, though the difference is not always clear. The term "chop" is not usually used for beef, but a T-bone steak is essentially a loin chop, a rib steak and a rib cutlet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steak</span> Flat cut of meat

A steak is a thick cut of meat generally sliced across the muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally grilled or fried. Steak can be diced, cooked in sauce, such as in steak and kidney pie, or minced and formed into patties, such as hamburgers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breaded cutlet</span> Meat in breading or batter

Breaded cutlet or braised cutlet is a dish made from coating a cutlet of meat with breading or batter and either frying or baking it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carne mechada</span> Stewed meat dish

Carne mechada is a stewed meat dish traditional of Spanish and Latin American cuisine. It involves slow-cooking or braising a piece of meat, often beef or pork, until it becomes tender and easy to shred.

References

  1. "Qual a diferença entre Fraldinha e Bife do Vazio?". 28 July 2017.
  2. Miller, Bryan (n.d.). "Sobrebarriga a la Brasa (Flank steak Colombian-style)". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 September 2021.