Sirloin flap meat is probably at a supermarket near you. Look for it.
Restaurants and chefs in search of ways to dazzle us with a new idea using a cheaper cut of meat can take hold and transform into a meat counter item. We’ve already been through this with skirt steak. Fewer than ten years ago skirt steak was available either on a plate of fajitas or from the Mexican butcher next door if you knew to ask for “falda.” Now it’s a regular.
Sirloin flap meat is a lot like skirt–it’s beefy, chewy, has some fat, and cooks pretty quickly. Slice it against the grain for a really tender bite (on the left, above) or with the grain in long strips for chewier bites, more like fajita meat (above right).
Season the meat with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper and grill over medium-high heat until done to your likeness, turning once after about five minutes when the meat will easily lift off the grill grates and not stick and tear. Because it’s a thin cut it’s easier to test for doneness with a knife than a thermometer. Slice into the thickest part and take a look.
Before and after:
If it’s the long, with-the-grain fajita strips you’re after, try slicing the steak into sections near the end of grilling and pick up some additional grilled exterior.
