I cook a lot, and flap meat keeps sneaking into my cart. You might see it labeled as sirloin flap or bavette. It comes from the bottom sirloin. If you’re curious about how that cut fits into the big picture, take a peek at the anatomy diagrams on Hats of Meat—seeing the flap laid out next to flank and skirt instantly clarified things for me. It looks a bit like skirt steak, but it’s a touch thicker and usually cheaper where I shop. For an even deeper dive into the quirks of this cut, this full guide to flap meat and why it’s worth cooking is a great rabbit hole.
Here’s the thing: flap meat is loose, grainy, and full of beefy flavor. It can be tender, or it can fight back. It all depends on how you cook and slice it. That’s the charm. And sometimes, the headache.
What it tastes like (and why I keep buying it)
Flap meat tastes bold and a little sweet. It soaks up marinades fast. When it hits a hot pan or grill, it gets a nice brown crust. The inside stays juicy if you don’t overdo it. I like it best at medium-rare to medium. Beyond that, it can get a bit chewy.
The texture has long muscle fibers. You can see the “grain” running like lines on a map. If you slice across those lines, it melts. If you slice with them, you’ll chew and chew. Ask me how I learned that. I once served it the wrong way for taco night. My family still teases me.
What I actually make with it
- Weeknight tacos: I toss flap meat in a quick marinade—lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, a little brown sugar, and oil. I use a big zip bag. Thirty minutes works. Overnight is even better. (When I have more time, I swap in beef cheeks; cachete totally changed my taco game.)
- Cast-iron sear: I heat my Lodge pan until it’s smoking. Two to three minutes per side. Then rest five minutes. Slice thin across the grain. Pile on rice with a squeeze of lime.
- Fast stir-fry: Cut thin strips against the grain. Pat dry. Quick fry with broccoli and ginger. It stays tender and soaks up sauce like a sponge.
- Summer grill: On my Weber, direct heat, super hot. About 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let it rest. Slice on a board. Salt and a pat of butter. It tastes like a steakhouse backyard moment.
Now and then, I go fancy. I’ll seal it with garlic and thyme and do 129°F in my Anova for 2 hours. Then I sear it hard in the pan. It comes out even edge to edge. It’s not needed, but it’s fun.
Real wins (and a facepalm)
Win: Costco had sirloin flap at $9.99 per pound last month. I grabbed a big pack, split it, and froze the extra flat in bags. One night, I made carne asada tacos for a game. Warm corn tortillas. Cilantro. White onion. A little salsa verde. People went quiet for a minute—the good kind of quiet.
Facepalm: I once grilled a thick piece that had a thin tail on one side. The tail burned before the middle was ready. My fix now? I fold the thin end under itself, like tucking a scarf, and tie with a little kitchen twine. Cooks even. No burnt tips.
Buying notes that helped me
- Names to watch for: flap meat, sirloin flap, bavette. It’s not flank. It’s not skirt. It’s its own thing.
- Look for pieces with even thickness. If it’s very thin on one side and thick on the other, you’ll need to manage heat.
- A little marbling (tiny white lines of fat) is good. Big silver skin is not. Trim that off with a sharp knife.
Quick spelling PSA: if you’re researching “flap meat” online, be sure that “l” makes it into the search bar. Dropping it can whisk you away from steak tips to webcam roulette. Case in point, this candid Fap Roulette review breaks down exactly what that random chat site involves, so you can satisfy your curiosity (or quickly click away) and get back to cooking.
While we’re on the subject of unexpected search results, folks hunting for a Malden butcher sometimes land on Backpage Malden instead—a classifieds hub that lays out the local adult and personal-ads scene, handy if you want a quick peek at how those listings work before steering your browser back to steak territory.
I use a cheap ThermoWorks ThermoPop to keep myself honest. Pull around 130–135°F for medium-rare. It rises a bit while resting.
How I slice it so it stays tender
This part matters. Put the cooked meat on a board. Find the long lines of grain. Turn your knife so you cut across those lines, not along them. Slice thin, at a slight angle. You know what? If you do only one thing right, make it this.
Flavor tricks that never fail me
- Lime + soy + garlic + a pinch of sugar. It balances salt, sour, sweet, and brown crust.
- Chimichurri on top when serving. The vinegar and herbs wake up the beef.
- Butter baste in the last minute of sear. Toss in a smashed clove of garlic and a sprig of thyme. Tilt the pan. Spoon the butter. It smells like steakhouse magic.
On busy nights, I skip marinades. I salt early—like 30 minutes before cooking. It brines a bit. Then I pat dry and sear. Still great.
Pros and cons from my kitchen
Pros:
- Big flavor for the price
- Cooks fast on high heat
- Loves marinades
- Great for tacos, bowls, salads, or steak tips
Cons:
- Thickness can be uneven
- Chewy if you slice it wrong
- Easy to overcook if you get distracted
- Sometimes hard to find under the same name
Little mistakes I learned to avoid
I used to crowd the pan. The meat steamed instead of browning. Now I cook in batches. I also used to flip it five times, like I was nervous. Two flips are enough. Let it sit, form that crust, then flip.
I also thought “more marinade, more time” was always better. A very acidic marinade for too long can make the outside mushy. So I keep it a few hours, not a full day, if there’s a lot of lime or vinegar.
When I reach for flap meat instead of other cuts
- Over skirt steak: when I want more meat for the money, and less fuss.
- Over flank steak: when I want a looser grain and faster sear.
- Over ribeye: when I’m feeding a crowd and don’t want to spend big.
If I’m making fajitas or steak salad, I pick flap meat almost every time. It holds onto dressing and sauce, and it stays tender when sliced thin. Still, exploring cured options like cecina showed me that sometimes thinness and salt alone create magic—flap meat just delivers it hot off the grill instead of after days of drying.
Quick tips you can actually use
- Get the pan or grill very hot before the meat touches it.
- Dry the surface with paper towels for better browning.
- Rest the meat 5–10 minutes after cooking.
- Slice across the grain. Thin. Always.
- If the piece is uneven, fold the thin part under and tie.
Final take
Flap meat is a worker. It’s not fancy, but it’s bold and friendly. It takes on flavor, cooks fast, and feeds a crowd without scaring your wallet. Yes, it can be chewy if you mistreat it. But treat it right—high heat, short cook, careful slice—and it punches way above its weight.
Would I buy it again? I already did. It’s in my freezer, flat-packed, waiting for taco night.