Cuts of Beef Similar to Flank Steak
One of the tastiest, and potentially toughest cuts of meat you'll ever consume, is called the flank steak.
This thin, oblong cut needs loving care and proper cooking technique to bring out the flavour without ending up with a bullet-proof slice of meat.
But if you discover yourself asking: What is flank steak? If you're unfamiliar with it and have never tried cooking it yourself, you're in for a real treat.
In this commodity, let me tell you flank steak's story, what to look for and what to do with it. And, if you lot tin't detect it, I'll let you in on a hush-hush that butchers and chefs use to substitute for flank steak.
Once y'all know how to buy and prepare information technology, in that location's a chance information technology might become ane of your nearly favorite cuts of beef.
Contents (Jump to Topic)
- 1 What is Flank Steak? Where does it Come From?
- two Buying Flank Steak
- 3 Where to Purchase Flank Steak Online
- three.1 Oversupply Cow
- 3.ii Snake River Farms
- 4 What Else Do They Telephone call Flank Steak?
- 5 Its Versatility
- 5.1 Fast Grilling Keeps The Meat Tender
- 5.2 Braising Flank Makes A Great Gravy
- 6 If Yous Can't Observe Flank, Use These Cuts
- 7 The Best Dishes for Flank Steak
- eight Final Thoughts
Quote
"Flank steak is the boneless, skinless craven chest of the beef world. It cooks quickly, there are no bones to fuss with, and yous can employ it to brand everything from fajitas to stir-fries."
— Julia Collin Davison,
What is Flank Steak? Where does it Come From?
The name gives it away. Flank steak comes from the flank of the steer beneath the loin and sirloin. (click here to learn more near these other cuts of beefiness.)
It sits in the abdominal area of the animal near the bottom. It helps the cow to twist and walk, and then the musculus works A LOT. It is tough, lean and has long thick muscle fibers.
One end is well-nigh ¾ to one-inch thick tapering downwardly to near ane/2 inch on the thinner end. Sometimes you'll see some fat on the thinner finish. The muscle sits in an surface area surrounded by fat, only itself is very lean.
Buying Flank Steak
The meat tends to exist a deeper red color than other steaks similar a N.Y. Strip or Ribeye steak. It volition have long strands of muscle fiber running the entire length of the meat.
The color should be deep red with no holes, dark spots or brown discoloration. Dark-brown means the meat has been exposed to air for too long.
There should be very little fat if whatsoever. Too much fat is a sign that it was not trimmed properly.
Y'all'll meet some connective tissue or "silver skin" on the thicker end. Again, this should not be excessive.
Where to Purchase Flank Steak Online
Oversupply Cow
Crowd cow stocks 3 different varieties of flank steak for you to choose from: Pasture-raised and 100% grass-fed, which are both hormone and antibiotic-free, and a Wagyu cross from the Mishima reserve. These flank steaks come up in at between i and 1.5lb in weight.
The grass-fed and pasture-raised steaks volition have fantastic marbling, exist flavorful, and total of compact richness. On the other hand, the wagyu cross takes marbling to a new level, is a luxury product, and is significantly more expensive, and so it'due south best kept for special occasions.
Check Price on Crowd Cow
Ophidian River Farms
The flank steak from Snake River Farms is taken from their American Wagyu Blackness grade line of wagyu cantankerous cattle, which has more intramuscular fat and marbling than USDA prime.
Each steak is cut to a consequent shape and averages 2 pounds in weight.
Check Price on Ophidian River Farms
What Else Do They Call Flank Steak?
One of the most common names for flank steak is London Broil.
You'll sometimes meet information technology written that way in the grocery shop or on a menu. However, stores likewise use top round as "London Broil" and then you lot demand to know what it looks similar to exist certain you lot're buying the correct cut.
When in doubt, inquire the person at the meat counter.
Two bottom known terms are Flank Steak Fillet and Jiffy Steak. If yous happen to exist in an ethnic market or out of the land, look for Bavette steak in French and Arrachera in Spanish.
Flank is prized by cooks and chefs around the world for its season and texture, so it's bachelor in most countries and hence due to linguistic communication differences, under different names.
Its Versatility
There are 2 contrary cooking choices with flank. Y'all either cook it hot and fast, or long and wearisome by braising.
The purpose is to intermission downwards the connective tissues by cutting thin slices or past heat and moisture.
Fast Grilling Keeps The Meat Tender
When I say hot and fast, if you lot can dangle it backside a jet'south afterburner, that's what you want. Otherwise, employ a scorching charcoal fire and sear for just a few minutes on each side before slicing, the afterburner steak method is perfect.
You don't want to cook it by medium-rare, or it will get chewy. Permit the steak rest for near 10 minutes before you lot slice information technology.
And when you lot cutting it, make sure information technology'due south across the grain and cutting on the bias. That means don't hold your knife straight up and downwardly like slicing bread. Instead, hold the pocketknife at a 45-caste bending to brand wider slices.
Marinating for 12 to 24 hours can assist add together moisture and tenderize the meat, but tin can sacrifice a strong Maillard chaff.
The beauty of flank steak is that it absorbs the flavors of whatsoever rub or marinade hands as it's sparse and there's so much surface surface area betwixt the string-like musculus fibers. This is what makes it one of the most pop steaks for grilling.
Braising Flank Makes A Great Gravy
To break down and tenderize the connective tissues in the muscle, braising is the all-time way to go. You lot can braise thick pieces past cut the flank steak into iv or five portions.
Another method is to cut slices and pound them to tenderize. Then add together a filling, roll and stick with a toothpick to make roulades.
One time the meat is ready, yous can chocolate-brown it in a deep skillet, add your cooking liquid and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Flank's beefy flavor enhances any sauce y'all're making with it.
Although stir-frying is a quick cook method, you'll detect flank steak will be too chewy. Some of its substitutes will make amend choices.
If You Can't Find Flank, Use These Cuts
There are ii cuts of meat that take the long striations of muscle similar to flank. They are hanger and brim steaks.
Comparison skirt steak to flank steak, skirt is longer and thinner. It comes from the diaphragm muscles, and it is the most pop cut for the Mexican favorites, Carne Asada and Fajitas. It tends to take more fat than flank, making it juicier and more tender. Information technology'southward an uncommon cutting, so you may have to inquire the butcher for it or shop in a market that caters to shoppers from south of the border.
Hanger steak resembles skirt steak more than than flank. It is long and thin with lots of fat between the muscles. They phone call this the "Butcher's Cut" because at that place is only i steak like this per creature and the butchers would have information technology for themselves.
If yous tin't detect flank steak for your recipe, enquire for hangar and treat yourself to a delicious cut of beefiness.
There is one other cut of beefiness that cooks use to substitute for flank in a pinch. Information technology's the apartment iron steak. Although the lean muscle has the same long muscle fibers, they are much finer.
A flat musculus near the shoulder blade, the flat iron's sense of taste and texture are probably closer to that of the N.Y. strip than flank. You may observe it labeled as a petite tender or a top blade steak.
If your recipe calls for flank, and you tin can't observe it, brim steak and hanger steak are your best substitutes.
The All-time Dishes for Flank Steak
Marinated grilled flank is the main grade like whatsoever steak except you'll want to serve it thinly sliced instead of one whole piece.
It's great in a sandwich too, hot or cold.
When it comes to braised dishes, use your imagination. From French or Central European braised roulades to Asian curries, and Mexican fajitas, flank volition add another dimension of season and texture you lot won't detect in other tough cuts like chuck.
Last Thoughts
If you've not tried flank steak before, please exercise give it a go. Variety is the spice of life as they say, so motion away from your ribeyes and sirloins now and and so and venture into these lesser used cuts, I hope you will like them!
If yous institute this article useful, please share it with your young man chefs and grilling enthusiasts to help u.s. get the word out about the site, nosotros'd actually appreciate it J
Happy grilling!
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Source: https://www.foodfirefriends.com/what-is-flank-steak/
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