
One of the tastiest, and potentially toughest cuts of meat youβll ever eat, is called the flank steak.
This thin, oblong cut needs loving care and proper cooking technique to bring out the flavor without ending up with a bullet-proof piece of meat.
But if you find yourself asking: What is flank steak? If youβre unfamiliar with it and have never tried cooking it yourself, youβre in for a real treat.
In this article, let me tell you flank steakβs story, what to look for and what to do with it. And, if you canβt find it, Iβll let you in on a secret that butchers and chefs use to substitute for flank steak.
Once you know how to buy and prepare it, there’s a chance it might become one of your most favorite cuts of beef.
Contents (Jump to Topic)
What is Flank Steak? Where does it Come From?
The name gives it away. Flank steak comes from the flank of the steer below the loin and sirloin. (click here to learn more about these other cuts of beef.)
It sits in the abdominal area of the animal near the bottom. It helps the cow to twist and walk, so the muscle works A LOT. It is tough, lean and has long thick muscle fibers.
One end is about ΒΎ to one-inch thick tapering down to about 1/2 inch on the thinner end. Sometimes youβll see some fat on the thinner end. The muscle sits in an area surrounded by fat, but itself is very lean.
Buying Flank Steak
The meat tends to be a deeper red color than other steaks like a N.Y. Strip or Ribeye steak. It will 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. Brown means the meat has been exposed to air for too long.
There should be very little fat if any. Too much fat is a sign that it was not trimmed properly.
Youβll see some connective tissue or βsilver skinβ on the thicker end. Again, this should not be excessive.
Where to Buy Flank Steak Online
Crowd Cow
Crowd cow stocks three 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 in at between 1 and 1.5lb in weight.
The grass-fed and pasture-raised steaks will have fantastic marbling, be flavorful, and full of meaty richness. On the other hand, the wagyu cross takes marbling to a new level, is a luxury product, and is significantly more expensive, so it’s best kept for special occasions.
Snake River Farms
The flank steak from Snake River Farms is taken from their American Wagyu Black grade line of wagyu cross cattle, which has more intramuscular fat and marbling than USDA prime.
Each steak is cut to a consistent shape and averages 2 pounds in weight.
Check Price on Snake River Farms
What Else Do They Call Flank Steak?
One of the most common names for flank steak is London Broil.
Youβll sometimes see it written that way in the grocery store or on a menu. However, stores also use top round as βLondon Broilβ so you need to know what it looks like to be sure youβre buying the right cut.
When in doubt, ask the person at the meat counter.
Two lesser known terms are Flank Steak Fillet and Jiffy Steak. If you happen to be in an ethnic market or out of the country, look for Bavette steak in French and Arrachera in Spanish.
Flank is prized by cooks and chefs around the world for its flavor and texture, so itβs available in most countries and hence due to language differences, under different names.
Its Versatility
There are two opposite cooking choices with flank. You either cook it hot and fast, or long and slow by braising.
The purpose is to break down the connective tissues by cutting thin slices or by heat and moisture.
Fast Grilling Keeps The Meat Tender
When I say hot and fast, if you can dangle it behind a jetβs afterburner, thatβs what you want. Otherwise, use a scorching charcoal fire and sear for just a few minutes on each side before slicing, the afterburner steak method is perfect.
You donβt want to cook it past medium-rare, or it will get chewy. Let the steak rest for about ten minutes before you slice it.
And when you cut it, make sure itβs across the grain and cut on the bias. That means donβt hold your knife straight up and down like slicing bread. Instead, hold the knife at a 45-degree angle to make wider slices.
Marinating for 12 to 24 hours can help add moisture and tenderize the meat, but can sacrifice a strong Maillard crust.
The beauty of flank steak is that it absorbs the flavors of any rub or marinade easily as itβs thin and thereβs so much surface area between the string-like muscle fibers. This is what makes it one of the most popular steaks for grilling.
Also See
Braising Flank Makes A Great Gravy
To break down and tenderize the connective tissues in the muscle, braising is the best way to go. You can braise thick pieces by cutting the flank steak into four or five portions.
Another method is to cut slices and pound them to tenderize. Then add a filling, roll and stick with a toothpick to make roulades.
Once the meat is ready, you can brown it in a deep skillet, add your cooking liquid and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Flankβs beefy flavor enhances any sauce youβre making with it.
Although stir-frying is a quick cook method, youβll find flank steak will be too chewy. Some of its substitutes will make better choices.
If You Canβt Find Flank, Use These Cuts
There are two cuts of meat that have the long striations of muscle similar to flank. They are hanger and skirt steaks.
Comparing skirt steak to flank steak, skirt is longer and thinner. It comes from the diaphragm muscles, and it is the most popular cut for the Mexican favorites, Carne Asada and Fajitas. It tends to have more fat than flank, making it juicier and more tender. Itβs an uncommon cut, so you may have to ask 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 flank. It is long and thin with lots of fat between the muscles. They call this the βButcherβs Cutβ because there is only one steak like this per animal and the butchers would take it for themselves.
If you canβt find flank steak for your recipe, ask for hangar and treat yourself to a delicious cut of beef.
There is one other cut of beef that cooks use to substitute for flank in a pinch. Itβs the flat iron steak. Although the lean muscle has the same long muscle fibers, they are much finer.
A flat muscle near the shoulder blade, the flat ironβs taste and texture are probably closer to that of the N.Y. strip than flank. You may find it labeled as a petite tender or a top blade steak.
If your recipe calls for flank, and you canβt find it, skirt steak and hanger steak are your best substitutes.
The Best Dishes for Flank Steak
Marinated grilled flank is the main course like any steak except youβll want to serve it thinly sliced instead of one whole piece.
Itβs 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 will add another dimension of flavor and texture you wonβt find in other tough cuts like chuck.
Final Thoughts
If youβve not tried flank steak before, please do give it a go. Variety is the spice of life as they say, so move away from your ribeyes and sirloins now and then and venture into these lesser used cuts, I promise you will like them!
If you found this article useful, please share it with your fellow chefs and grilling enthusiasts to help us get the word out about the site, weβd really appreciate it J
Happy grilling!
Very helpful
Thanks, Randy π
Interesting comments on cooking, but all I needed to know was the ENGLISH NAME, so I know what to ask the butcher for, and no-one can tell me!!
Hi Pam,
It’s possibly a little less known in the UK, or could perhaps be known as Bavette, though I have, Iβm afraid I have seen bavette used for skirt too in the UK (similar but different.)
What you can do is to describe to the butcher EXACTLY where on the animal it comes from, even print out an image and show them (or show them from your mobile phone). That should help a lot.
The info was very helpful. Looking to try flank in the future. Thanks.
This may be a dumb question β I’ve been buying larger cuts of meat and cutting steaks myself. When you BUTCHER a picanha, or a Vacio, a.k.a. flank, you cut WITH the grain to make your steaks. Then after you COOK it you cut AGAINST the grain to eat it β is that correct?
Hi Mitchell,
Steaks are butchered from the larger cuts going more on the shape of the sub-primal β and desired shape of the steaks cut from it β rather than any considerations for the grain. Generally speaking, you can see in ribeye, sirloins etc. that it is cut with the grain somewhat. You can see the grain going lengthwise in many steak cuts, which makes it so you can slice against while eating.
Your article was quite helpful. I want to try a new recipe, didn’t know that much about flank steaks, and now I do. Thank you, so much.
Thanks, Vivian π
Thanks for the differentiation between skirt and flank. I appreciate your thoroughness in noting the anatomy, texture/ grain/ muscle characteristics, the best techniques for tenderness- cooking and slicing recommendations. I feel better prepared!
Thank you very much for the article. Iβm looking forward to my next Flank Steak experience !!!!!!! Thanks, again!!
Tom
This is a great article. It helped me understand the differences in these steaks. Thanks, so
much.
Very helpful I will give it a try
My Mother, who was an excellent cook, would make flank steak braised and rolled with homemade bread dressing inside the rolled meat. It was held together with skewers like the ones used in roasting turkey. When roasted fairly well done and sliced while rolled with the dressing inside each piece, it is delish. Gravy can also be made from the meat juices. Love to have it when I’m hungry for dressing, but not associated with roast turkey.
In what universe are a flank steak and a London Broil the same cut of meet. You obviously donβt have a clue what you are talking about!
Hi ‘BikerGriller’,
Please go to google, and enter “is london broil a flank steak”. Have a skim read of the top 10 or 20 results.
Thanks for your help. Maybe now I can find what I am looking for in the market. Knowing the other names for flank steak is very helpful. Thanks
Thank you so much for terrific info. I will now go find some. Been at a loss.