Is there a good beef cut substitute for flank steak?

Betsy Lawrence
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8 Comments

nutcakes May 4, 2013
Depending on how you are using it, you can often use top sirloin. I have used that to marinade in lime juice, chile powder and crushed garlic to grill and slice thin for tacos.
 
dymnyno May 4, 2013
The flatiron steak is a favorite of mine when I can't find flank steak. For flavor skirt steak is great.
 
Kristen W. May 4, 2013
There is a cut that our local favorite Mexican restaurant uses for carne asada called "ranchera" (I asked), but I don't know if it translates to one of these other cuts mentioned above. I'm told it's available at Mexican markets.
 
WileyP May 4, 2013
Skirt steak is probably the nearest relative to a flank steak. Depending on what you're going to do with it, you could also use brisket, which does well in fajitas, tacos, southwestern salads and such (since we're nearing Cinco de Mayo).
 
pierino May 4, 2013
This is where having a good butcher can make a world of difference. Hanger steak is another alternative to flat iron or skirt. But I live in tri tip country where that cut is almost a religion. Until recently it was barely recognized on the East Coast---not that East Coast cows don't have tri tips. Nomenclature was different. It was typically called triangle steak. But how the primals are cut and trimmed really matters.
 
amysarah May 4, 2013
If you're planning on grilling it, you could use flat iron, or skirt steak.
 
em-i-lis May 4, 2013
Though hard to find, I really like flap steak. It comes from the bottom sirloin which is just north of the flank. It's more tender and often less expensive than flank.
 
healthierkitchen May 4, 2013
I'm a fan of flap too, and flat iron.
 
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