A warning to all customers trying to buy Skirt Steak at Supermarkets and Warehouse Clubs

I’ve been noticing that supermarkets and warehouse clubs such as BJ’s, Sam’s and Costco are misslabeling some of their meat cuts on sale, but the biggest offender to me is the Flap Meat which is not by any strech of the imagination even close to Skirt Steak also commonly known as “Churrasco“. The trick they use is the way they cut it which makes it quite similar to a real skirt steak; but it is not!

Many times (just for the heck of it) knock on the meat cutters window and ask for “real” Skirt Steak, as you may expect they will graciously point at that rough and tough facsimile called Flap meat. The funny part is when you let them know you’re not stupid and you let them know that’s Flap, (watch their faces afterwards! it’s pure entertaiment!)

I’ll show you two diagrams and show you how they differenciate and where this cuts belong to.

• Caveat emptor: By no means I’m trying to imply that Flap Meat is a bad cut of beef, all I do is to educate the consumer of what they’re really getting for their money.

This is where you Flap Meat comes from: The bottom Sirloin, a section far more exercised by the cow’s legs rendering less fatty and tougher (also cheaper).

This is where your skirt steak should come from, It comes from the “plate” a muscle far less exercised and with a higher and fattier (better quality) softer texture and better flavor.

Mauricio Jimenez