The Sirloin Flap

One of the finest things about being connected with your food is the inevitable "good stuff" that comes your way.  The secret stashes, that special low-yield product only available to family and friends, the rare, the unique, you get the picture.  That's what this post is all about.

The Good Stuff

The last time I collected my usual order of grass fed, dry aged beef from Highview Farms (incidentally the supplier of beef to the Queen of England whenever she is in town) LeRoy had a special cut of beef for me.  A cut that doesn't sell that well around the Maritimes but is wildly popular in places like New York and Chicago.  LeRoy wanted someone to cook one properly (someone who knows how to cook beef) and report back to him.  The cut in question was a Sirloin Flap.  And I was up for it.

The Sirloin Flap

This steak comes from the bottom sirloin butt, the same area as the Sirloin Tip.  Ask someone Spanish or French and they know this cut as arrachera and bavette and they know exactly how good it is.  Disappointing that us North Americans don't know steak outside of the T-Bone.

This is the Flap Steak as-received.  There is some beautiful steak there but there is also some sinew that needs dealing with.  The first task is to expose the inner seam.

This removes the "flap" from the top.  There is another flap on the bottom.  Once exposed the sinew needs to be removed.  This is a little time consuming but pretty easy, especially if you use a fillet knife.

You will end up with three cuts of beef.  The two flaps are similar to skirt steak and ideal for fajita or carne asada, or sliced up in a stir fry.  But the inner steak is pure gold, and deserves to be treated as such.

The Perfect Steak

I have three different preparations for steak, depending on mood and equipment.  Well actually more like two, this method is really a variation of one method.  The basic difference is whether the steak is grilled or not.  This is my "no-grill" method, but don't let that fool you.  This will make you one of the best steaks you've ever had.

Step 1 - Season

Season liberally (as in lots and lots of lots) of kosher salt.  Let the salt penetrate the meat for 15 mins or so.

Step 2 - Sear

Dry the steak thoroughly then sear both sides in a blazing hot, dry cast iron frying pan.  Don't worry when you set the smoke detector off, this is normal.  Also normal is involuntary salivation and the circling of neighbourhood dogs at this intoxicating "singed beef" smell.

Step 3 - Finish

Remove the steak and let the pan cool somewhat, then add some clarified butter.  To the clarified butter add some shallots, garlic and thyme sprigs.

Finish cooking the steak in the flavoured butter, spooning the hot butter continuously onto the top of the steak to cook the top.

Step 4 - Rest

After a couple of minutes my steak was done (a thicker cut usually needs a spell in the oven.)  All that was left was to let it rest for the juices to distribute and finish it with a little grey salt.

The Finished Product

This is a fantastic cut of steak.  It reminded me a lot of flank steak and has a wonderful chewy texture and kidney-ish flavour. I cut it on a bias (as I also do with flank steak) to deal with the coarse grain.

This is a beautiful steak, plus you get the added bonus of two lovely skirt-like cuts.  You gotta love the good stuff!