stuck on a skewer, and grilled over an open coal fire, just
like they do at Santarpio’s in East Boston. When grilled
right, flap meat is tender and juicy, and has a robust beefy
flavor that a lot of other cuts for kebabs lack. That, and it’s
cheap. Not just cheaper-than-tenderloin-but-still-kinda-
expensive cheap, but actually cheap.
It wasn’t until I moved back to New York City that I
realized that nobody outside New England knows what
sirloin tip is, and it wasn’t until even later that I realized that
the “faux hanger” and “flap meat” that butchers around here
sell are in fact the exact same cut of beef, just left whole
rather than sliced into tips.
Of all the inexpensive cuts of beef, flap meat is one of the
most versatile. It takes great to fast-cooking methods like
grilling or searing. It’s excellent cooked whole and then
sliced into thin strips. It can’t be beat cubed and put on
skewers. It has a coarse texture that grabs onto marinades
and seasonings. It’s even great as a slow-cooked braise,
where it falls apart into tender shreds, like a Cuban ropa
vieja.
Also sold as: Faux hanger, bavette (France), sirloin tip (New
England).
Where it’s cut from: The bottom sirloin butt—the same
general region the tri-tip comes from.
Shopping: Flap meat comes in several forms, depending on
where you live, but it’s pretty much always delivered to the
supermarket or butcher as a whole cut of meat. So, if you