Ode to the Flank Steak

[Trial153]

I agree they aren't "new" but now they are a chic restaurant item. They are also pricey since there is only one per animal.

Actually there are two, one on each side. Same as every other cut on a beef. They pretty much always been restaurant item. There was a time when they, along flanks didnt sell well if at all in retail settings , they were seen a cheap cuts and with beef prices lower at time they didnt have the demand.
I also think that wide spread use of grills now common thing has change consumer habits.

 

[sndmn11]

Has anyone removed the hanger steak (another newly trendy cut) from the diaphragm on a game animal? I started the process on my son inlaws deer but the deer was on the ground rather than hanging and it just became not worth the effort so I left it for a fine-dining coyote.

We were planning on taking it if we shot an elk this year. I learned when processing our pronghorn that was where my favorite cuts came from, so that lack of knowledge meant they were left onsite.

 

[Azone]

Since were talking cheap eats, here is some flat iron and a Natty served on a 8 inch Chinet. It's a little overcooked for my liking but still pretty damn good. Happy first Friday of 2020!

 

[Poser]

I used to work in a craft butcher shop. A couple of cuts I was turned on to were the following:

Bavette
Oyster Steak (sometimes called a spider steak”
Denver steak
Coulotte

We turned quite a few regulars on to Coulotte steak to the point that it became almost as popular as ribeyes. Ask a butcher for any of these cuts and you’ll get a wink and a nod.

 

[Shrek]

Sadly my favorite the chuck eye ends have also been discovered . And let’s not even talk about what has happened to the price of brisket !

 

[Stalker69]

Fajitas

 

[Trial153]

Yes every couple years someone comes up with a new name for the same cut of meat that been sold for the last 75 year. Marketing is wonderful.

 

[menhaden_man]

I used to work in a craft butcher shop. A couple of cuts I was turned on to were the following:

Bavette
Oyster Steak (sometimes called a spider steak”
Denver steak
Coulotte

We turned quite a few regulars on to Coulotte steak to the point that it became almost as popular as ribeyes. Ask a butcher for any of these cuts and you’ll get a wink and a nod.

Any idea what the “ugly steak” is? That’s the latest buzz around here but I haven’t tried it because the price is crazy (like $18/lb).

 

[Trial153]

Any idea what the “ugly steak” is? That’s the latest buzz around here but I haven’t tried it because the price is crazy (like $18/lb).

it a flat iron, blade steak, chicken steak........there are probably six other names for it.

 

[menhaden_man]

it a flat iron, blade steak, chicken steak........there are probably six other names for it.

I suppose you nailed it on that marketing thing!

 

[Poser]

Any idea what the “ugly steak” is? That’s the latest buzz around here but I haven’t tried it because the price is crazy (like $18/lb).

A quick google search revealed a Reddit thread where the conclusion is that it is a Bavette, which is usually $12-16 a pound.

 

[Poser]

Yes every couple years someone comes up with a new name for the same cut of meat that been sold for the last 75 year. Marketing is wonderful.

To be fair, some of these cuts are legitimately different ways of butchering up different cuts of meat for different purposes. Brazilians, for example, tend to cut a lot of pieces differently than what you are used to.

 

[Trial153]

Flat iron whole are especially good from caribou and big mule deer and cow elk, wich are all the right size to leave them whole and grill the.
Bone it off the blade, dont square the thin end and cut the point back about two inches.
Dry rub them, at room temp for couple hours then grill them medium not rare. Slice on a bias after you add more sea salt ...excellent.
On bull elk and bigger moose they are bit to big to leave whole. Take them and steak them in to 2 inch thick steaks then do the same with them.

 

[Trial153]

To be fair, some of these cuts are legitimately different ways of butchering up different cuts of meat for different purposes. Brazilians, for example, tend to cut a lot of pieces differently than what you are used to.

If i cross cut cut two shoulders, one from the top and one from the sides. They are still shoulders. Call it what ever you want but to make people think there is some "new cut " of meat coming off a side of beef is just marketing. There isnt single peice of meat that is on a side that doenst make it to market, be it in Venezuela or Bozeman.

 

[Trial153]

To be fair, some of these cuts are legitimately different ways of butchering up different cuts of meat for different purposes. Brazilians, for example, tend to cut a lot of pieces differently than what you are used to.

Also to be fair to you point, which i do somewhat agree with, is that now with prices so high its profitable to make micro cuts.
For example, years ago would who bother pulling flaps off a chuck when i could grind them and make more money. Now when boneless chuck is 8.99 a freaking pound...and i call sell a flat for 11.99 pound....hell yea i spend the time cutting it "different"

 

[Shrek]

One thing I know for sure is that the price of cattle is way low and has been low for awhile. My friend has steers going on 3.5 years and he won’t sell them. He refuses to sell them for next to nothing. He has literally given some away to friends and a couple of families on hard times. He just gave me a 120qt cooler full of beef from the last cow he put into the freezer to make room for another steer that kept bellowing all the time and liked to flip the feed trough. It’s hanging now . I don’t know why the price of beef is so high in the store while the price of cattle is so low.

 

[Northernpiker]

My brother and I were talking about Flank's a couple months ago. We lived in Seabrook Tx and would buy Flank steak really cheap for tacos or fajitas. Can't believe the price /lb now.

 

[Poser]

Also to be fair to you point, which i do somewhat agree with, is that now with prices so high its profitable to make micro cuts.
For example, years ago would who bother pulling flaps off a chuck when i could grind them and make more money. Now when boneless chuck is 8.99 a freaking pound...and i call sell a flat for 11.99 pound....hell yea i spend the time cutting it "different"

Good point. At the macro level, I imagine these speciality sub cuts also drive up the cost of ground chuck slightly since there is less of it available.