Savor the Flap

CHOW STUDENT SPECIAL! Small Pita, Chips and a Soda $639 Not valid with other offers. (Must show student ID) BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER 240 Broadway St. Chico, CA | 530.899.2847 | www.pitapitusa.com Savor the flap A new cut of beef for grilling season lap steak. at our local warehouse told us that it wasn’t something F The name is terrible. But, as off-putting as it they regularly carried. might sound when surveying the butcher’s case, if It wasn’t until a Costco trip earlier this month that you give it a chance, you’ll have a hard time choosing I lucked upon “beef loin flap meat steak” ($8.99/ tri-tip over flap steak the next time pound). The following week it was gone, only to story and you grill. return again last week. I’ve since heard different photo by In the words of the brother-in- things from different Costco butchers—one who Jason Cassidy law who introduced it to me, flap never had heard of the cut and one who said it usually jasonc steak is, in fact, a “beautiful” cut comes out during grilling season. @newsreview.com of meat. On his recommendation, At least our Costco sometimes carries it. I called I’ve kept my preparation simple: other area butcher shops—Safeway’s meat depart- salt, grill, rest, slice. And it tastes ment, the Meats Lab at Chico State, the Butcher incredible. It has a deep beefy flavor and slightly Shop at S&S Produce—and none of them stocks it. chewy texture while remaining uncommonly tender, The only other place I could find that sold it was the even along the well-done edges (something that carniceria inside Panaderiá la Michoacana (1414 Park cannot be said for a similarly grilled tri-tip). Ave., Ste. 110). Butcher Sergio Alejandre Jr. says he The flat, fibrous and well-marbled flap steak is sells flap steaks both plain and marinated under the often confused with skirt or flank. All three come name arrachera (a term more often used for skirt or from the bottom half of the animal, where the more flank steak that has been tenderized and marinated) active muscles/tougher cuts reside, but while skirt for $8.69/pound. steak is taken from the plate section in the forequarter, If you can get your hands on some, it’s probably and flank steak from the flank section in the hind- best prepared how you would any piece of beef for quarter, flap is in the bottom sirloin of the steer, the the grill—whether for carnitas or just a platter of same region as the tri-tip. It’s sometimes referred to sliced steak—using your favorite marinade and/or rub, as sirloin tips (which is actually a different cut) or cooking on high heat, and letting it rest 10 minutes bavette, the latter a nod to the French name for the before slicing. Personally, I’m such a fan of the flavor cut—more correctly, bavette d’aloyau, or sirloin bib of the meat, I’m inclined to stick with salt as my only (as opposed to bavette de flanchet, or flank steak). seasoning. One of the biggest differences between the three is The most important variable to keep in mind is that, while flank and skirt are readily available from how you slice the cooked meat. Flap steak has very most butchers, flap is hard to find, especially in Chico. defined, loose fibers, and if you cut with the grain The brother-in-law who sang its praises discovered you’ll be chewing on rubber bands. Slice against it at a Costco near his Maryland home, but when he the grain, however, and the meat will melt in your came out here to visit last summer, a butcher on duty mouth. Ω MARCH 28, 2019 CN&R 37.

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