It was labeled “flap meat”, which I understand is called bavette steak some places, and after doing a bit of research, I noticed it was also labeled “Ranchera thin cut”…
Most things I’ve read recommend grilling to medium rare, but I see conflicting information about other options, such as whether it is too tough when “overcooked”.
I wanted to use it in ropa vieja, which is more like a braise. It is from the chuck ( ETA oops! bottom sirloin, but tough like chuck), so it should work, right?
Yes, you absolutely can as bavette is cut from the same area of the cow. The bavette is simply from the bottom sirloin section, whereas the flank is lower, below the sirloin.
Similar cut, similar cooking methods, the only thing you lose using bavette instead of flank in ropa vieja is the “strands” of meat as the the bavette is finely textured, unlike a flank. As shown below.
Thank you! Your bavette looks different from my flap meat, which has that loose texture you also see in skirt steak. Maybe bavette and flap aren’t the same. Some sources say bavette is flank steak in the US.Have you used bavette in a braise?
A frankly mediocre sports bar with delusions of hipness near me has a 7 oz bavette steak on its menu for $26. It’s not that the bavette cut isn’t good; it is. It’s just that theirs is served with a side of “menu pretentiousness.” I prefer frites myself. I seem to recall all their sides were extra.
I suppose it depends on how much fat it has. Your top photo seems to indicate it has a decent amount, but your second casts doubt on that.
So long as you feel it has enough intra-muscular fat it should work well in a braise… but I’d finish it with a sear under the broiler or in stovetop cast iron.
Flap is one of my favorite cuts. It can be a little chewy if not well-marbled, but that’s unusual - most of the time it is quite tender due to plenty of inter-grain fat. The grain is also sort of loose, for lack of a better term - if you poke flap with your finger, you’ll notice it feels a lot softer than flank or skirt. It’s also much juicier than either of its cousins - even after resting, you’ll get a gush of juices when you cut it.
I use it for many different grilled preparations (med rare), but I would not braise it. While it has fat, it doesn’t have a lot of collagen like chuck or another true braising cut, so braising is going to make it a bit dry and mealy.
It also makes good stir fry and excellent kebabs. I usually buy it whole from Restaurant Depot and trim it into steaks - larger trim pieces become kebabs and smaller bits get ground into hamburger (it’s not the best hamburger cut on its own, but it works in a blend).
I haven’t used this cut often–usually stir fry (just cut it in thin strips and cook fast in a very hot saute pan) or marinade and broil for 2-3 minutes on each side. As others have said, if it’s fatty enough it should stay tender and I find quick cooking helps with this (pretty much how I also treat flank steak). Full disclosure: I’ve never tried sous vide and don’t often braise.
Kebabs sound like a good option too. I may have to try that next time.
Thanks all. The problem I’m trying to solve is I have visiting adult children that I never know if or when they will eat. I was thinking ropa vieja might work for a group, and wouldn’t need to be served/eaten “right away”.
I am starting to think you can’t retire from your role as a parent. 
