Butt Flap Meat

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Andy M.

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"Bottom Sirloin Butt Flap Meat" is a cut of meat that's very popular around here for grilling. In New England we call it sirloin tips.

It looks like this raw and grilled. It's always heavily marinated, teriyaki marinade is a favorite. It has a loose grain texture similar to skirt steak. It's a continuation of the flank steak in the vicinity of the tri-tip.

It's most often sold as seen here but could also serve as a fajita or stir-fry meat. If braised it would fall apart to shreds like pulled pork.

I'm just posting this as I had some at a cookout yesterday and was curious about it and looked it up. I suspect it sells a lot better as sirloin tips than it would as butt flap meat. Imagine seeing it on the menu in a restaurant and ordering. "Yes, I'll have the butt flap meat medium rare, please"

It's a tasty cut but texture is an issue for me so I don't buy it for myself.

Have you had this cut outside New England and what do you call it?
 

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Called sirloin tip here too. I don't buy it often either. When I DO buy it, its usually for either boeuf bourguignon or for fajitas.
 
When I've seen it, which is very rarely, it's been labeled as flap steak. I agree that a cut labeled "butt flap meat" would probably not be a real hot seller. It sounds like something you might see hanging out of a pair of those old-fashioned long johns with the flap in the rear. Not a pretty picture.
 
When I've seen it, which is very rarely, it's been labeled as flap steak. I agree that a cut labeled "butt flap meat" would probably not be a real hot seller. It sounds like something you might see hanging out of a pair of those old-fashioned long johns with the flap in the rear. Not a pretty picture.


Too funny!
 
I've seen something called "pointe de surlonge", which would be sirloin point, literally translated into English. Okay, Google says that's sirloin tip. But it doesn't look like your "butt flap meat". It's a much larger, chunkier piece of beef. I get it at Costco and use it for roasts and stuff cut into strips or chunks.
 
I've seen something called "pointe de surlonge", which would be sirloin point, literally translated into English. Okay, Google says that's sirloin tip. But it doesn't look like your "butt flap meat". It's a much larger, chunkier piece of beef. I get it at Costco and use it for roasts and stuff cut into strips or chunks.
Exactly. I don't believe it's the same cut. Sirloin tip to me is a roast, whereas flap meat is like Andy's picture, i.e. something that is coarsely grained and more closely resembles a flank steak.
 
If it's a sirloin tip roast it looks like this. It's not the same cut.
 

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"Bottom Sirloin Butt Flap Meat" is a cut of meat that's very popular around here for grilling. In New England we call it sirloin tips.

It looks like this raw and grilled. It's always heavily marinated, teriyaki marinade is a favorite. It has a loose grain texture similar to skirt steak. It's a continuation of the flank steak in the vicinity of the tri-tip.

It's most often sold as seen here but could also serve as a fajita or stir-fry meat. If braised it would fall apart to shreds like pulled pork.

I'm just posting this as I had some at a cookout yesterday and was curious about it and looked it up. I suspect it sells a lot better as sirloin tips than it would as butt flap meat. Imagine seeing it on the menu in a restaurant and ordering. "Yes, I'll have the butt flap meat medium rare, please"

It's a tasty cut but texture is an issue for me so I don't buy it for myself.

Have you had this cut outside New England and what do you call it?
closest i've seen to that over here andy is flank.never tried it but it is always placed at the end of the display with shin,casserole & stewing steak....the long slow wet cooking cuts.usually they are the tastiest but,before i buy some, what's the problem you have with the texture andy? i don't mind having to chew but i don't like overly soft or mushy meat...not to be confused with pulled pork,brisket etc,that kind of soft i like.sorry,hard to explain!!!!
 
Harry, it's not the toughness. If you look closely at the photo in the OP, you'll see a very loose but pronounced grain to the flesh, more than a flank steak, similar to skirt steak. It doesn't have the firm texture of a 'normal' steak. It can be chewy but not so it's an issue.
 
Harry, it's not the toughness. If you look closely at the photo in the OP, you'll see a very loose but pronounced grain to the flesh, more than a flank steak, similar to skirt steak. It doesn't have the firm texture of a 'normal' steak. It can be chewy but not so it's an issue.

Exactly. Medium rare, and cut across the grain, in nice thin slices and it eats great. I'll eat a but flap if it's prepared properly, no problem at all! I am sure I have eaten worse, lol.
 
Harry, it's not the toughness. If you look closely at the photo in the OP, you'll see a very loose but pronounced grain to the flesh, more than a flank steak, similar to skirt steak. It doesn't have the firm texture of a 'normal' steak. It can be chewy but not so it's an issue.

Exactly. Medium rare, and cut across the grain, in nice thin slices and it eats great. I'll eat a but flap if it's prepared properly, no problem at all! I am sure I have eaten worse, lol.
thanks chaps that's good enough for me,now all i've got to do is find some....would flank or skirt(which i can get hold of)work if i can't get butt flap? if so i've got the idea on the marinade/rub side andy/tatt....what are we talking about in terms of cooking method,temperatures & timing/lb etc...?
might check out costco,i know the butchers will be british but as it's an american company they may know the different terminology....let you know chaps,thanks both!
 
Personally, I love skirt steak, great for Latin food, especially Cuban. Flank, while not as "fatty" as skirt, is still great, and you would treat it much the same way: high heat, cook to medium rare, rest it, and slice thin against the grain. With skirt though, it is a long piece, so cut it into sections, like 4 inches long WITH the grain, and then slice those smaller segments against the grain. . .sorry, I know that sounds confusing. Char grill is my fave, as it get ripping hot, and can caramelize the fatty bits without killing to cow again.
 
Personally, I love skirt steak, great for Latin food, especially Cuban. Flank, while not as "fatty" as skirt, is still great, and you would treat it much the same way: high heat, cook to medium rare, rest it, and slice thin against the grain. With skirt though, it is a long piece, so cut it into sections, like 4 inches long WITH the grain, and then slice those smaller segments against the grain. . .sorry, I know that sounds confusing. Char grill is my fave, as it get ripping hot, and can caramelize the fatty bits without killing to cow again.
cheers tatt...and there's me thinking it was a cut for long slow cooking....a lot cheaper than the quick cook cuts too...will give it a go & let you know:chef:
 
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