What is Flap Steak, and how is it different from other types of steak?
Flap steak, also known as flap meat, is a thin & lean coarse-grained steak cut that’s derived from a bottom sirloin butt cut of beef. The steak is often very sleek, and is also grounded for hamburger & sausage meat in many parts of the world. Flap steak is not to be confused with hanger, skirt & flank steak; all similar in quality and appearance.
Flap steak is generally seen to be less expensive than other flavorful meats & steaks, making it much more accessible. It’s also cut differently and sold under various different names depending on your place of residence. Within the Northeast U.S, for example, flap steak is sold under the name “sirloin tips”; they are often arranged into the shapes of either cubes or long, fat strips. Still, in other locations within the country, it may be more likely to be found simply as a whole steak; possibly under its French name of “Bavette”.
Step-by-Step Recipe for Delicious Grilled Flap Steak
Whilst there exist numerous steak recipe ideas for grilled steak, the recipe divulged in this article will be of premium quality with regards to producing you a nice, juicy flap steak. Let’s get into how you can go about grilling your own marinated flap steak today.
List of Ingredients
- One 2-3 pound flap steak.
- 1/3 cup of cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of water
- 2 teaspoons of chili powder
- 2 teaspoons of onion powder
- 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons of paprika
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of dried marjoram (1 tablespoon/15 mL if using fresh)
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder (or 2 fresh cloves, minced)
Step-by-Step Process
Apply The Marinade
The first step is to prepare the flap steak itself by allowing it to marinate. This is important, as the marinade is the secret weapon of this recipe & will allow the steak to become extremely tender, as well as adding a flavor that compliments the beef well. Start by gathering the ingredients & simply combining them in a container, using some kind of mixer. After finishing, then take the flap steak and place it in a resealable plastic bag.
From here, then take the mixed marinade ingredients that you have prepared, and begin to pour & smear them all over the steak within the plastic bag; allowing the liquid to cover & engulf all sides of the meat. once you have the steak completely enveloped within the marinade, it is now time to move to step two.
Allow The Flap Steak To Marinate
The second step for you to take is to allow the flap steak to sit and marinate within the resealable plastic bag full of marinade. Different chefs tend to let their meats marinate for different amounts of time when making grilled steak, but the general rule for marination is that the longer you allow the meat to marinate, the more intense & powerful the flavors will then be.
Due to the fact that the marinade we concocted is particularly strong, you can allow the steak to marinate for as little as an hour; but ideally, we recommend allowing the steak to sit and marinate overnight for maximum flavor. This overnight sit will allow the marinade to thoroughly penetrate & tenderize the flap steak; one can also make use of a tenderizing tool in order to aid in the marination process, if need be.
Prepare Your Grill
The second step is to begin the process by preheating whatever grill you have to Medium-High heat, ideally you should be aiming for about 450-500 degrees F. Any grill will do for this job, but for the perfectionists out there we recommend doing the deed with a wood pellet grill rather than the classic charcoal option; purely due to the variety & quality of flavors that are added to the meal, upon grilling and smoking food with the natural aromas of hardwood pellets.
It’s little tricks like these that will help this recipe surpass other steak recipe ideas. Once the grill has been properly preheated, it’s time to begin making the Flap Steak itself.
Begin Grilling The Flap Steak
The third step is to begin grilling the flap steak itself. Begin by removing the flap steak from the resealable plastic bag, and proceed to wipe off any excess marinade from the meat before placing it on your preheated grill. Then proceed to grill the flap steak thoroughly for about four to six minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F for medium rare.
Allow The Flap Steak To Rest
From here, remove the flap steak from the grill and allow it to breathe for a while. Sit it on a clean surface uncovered, and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes before beginning the serving process.
Slice Against The Grain
After the flap steak has been allowed to breathe & rest for a while, take a quality knife and begin to separate the steak by slicing it against the grain. Slicing against the grain will cut through the long muscle fibers of the flap steak, allowing for a better texture when served.
Serve & Enjoy!
Place the sliced steaks on the kitchenware that you prefer to make dramatic reveals on, then proceed to reveal to your guests the delicious meal you’ve prepared for them. Watch as they all dine in within short notice, and enjoy!
Flap Steak – Delicious and Easy Grilled Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 flap steak
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- From here, then take the mixed marinade ingredients that you have prepared, and begin to pour & smear them all over the steak within the plastic bag.
- The second step for you to take is to allow the flap steak to sit and marinate within the resealable plastic bag full of marinade. Different chefs tend to let their meats marinate for different amounts of time when making grilled steak, but the general rule for marination is that the longer you allow the meat to marinate, the more intense & powerful the flavors will then be.
- Due to the fact that the marinade we concocted is particularly strong, you can allow the steak to marinate for as little as an hour, but ideally, we recommend allowing the steak to sit and marinate overnight for maximum flavor.
- Preheat your grill to Medium-High heat, ideally you should be aiming for about 450-500 degrees F. Any grill will do for this job, but for the perfectionists out there we recommend doing the deed with a wood pellet grill rather than the classic charcoal option.
- Remove the flap steak from the resealable plastic bag, and proceed to wipe off any excess marinade from the meat before placing it on your preheated grill. Then proceed to grill the flap steak thoroughly for about four to six minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F for medium rare.
- From here, remove the flap steak from the grill and allow it to breathe for a while. Sit it on a clean surface uncovered, and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes before beginning the serving process.
- After the flap steak has been allowed to breathe & rest for a while, take a quality knife and begin to separate the steak by slicing it against the grain. Slicing against the grain will cut through the long muscle fibers of the flap steak, allowing for a better texture when served.
- Place the sliced steaks on the kitchenware that you prefer to make dramatic reveals on, then proceed to reveal to your guests the delicious meal you've prepared for them. Watch as they all dine in within short notice, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Conclusion
In closing, today we have extensively gone over the subject of flap steak. We went over what it is & how it differentiates from other steak recipe ideas; and we also delved into why it, even with its perceived lower quality, is still nonetheless a valid contender for the best grilled steak out there. We hope you’ve found this little guide helpful, and that your hungry prayers have been answered!
