Steak Tips
I first knew flap meat by its local New England name of sirloin tip. Go to any old school dive or tavern with a menu, and you're bound to run into them, cut into cubes, stuck on a skewer, and grilled over an open coal fire, just like they do at Santarpio's over in East Boston. When grilled right, they're tender, juicy, takes on marinades extremely well, and have a robust beefy flavor that a lot of other cuts-for-kebabs lack. That and they're cheap. Not just “cheaper-than-tenderloin-but-still-kinda-expensive” cheap, but actually cheap.
It wasn't until I moved back to New York that I realized that nobody outside of 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 the 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, it's one of the most versatile. It takes great to fast-cooking methods like grilling or searing. It's excellent cooked whole and 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 if comes apart into tender shreds, like a Cuban ropa vieja.
