Talk:Flank steak

London Broil is not a flank steak.
I work in a meat market and the butchers told me that london broil is a seperate cut than flank damnit! london broil is a large, less tender, and lean piece of beef. Flank steak, though also very lean, is bright red and very stringy. useful in fajitas too —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.181.212.201 (talk) 04:49, 29 March 2008 (UTC)


 * The misunderstanding that occurs is this: London broil in the US is used to describe a cut of meat, when originally it meant a particular dish, i.e., a cut of meat cooked a certain way. What you see as "London broil" in a US market is top round. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_broil


 * The interesting question is why in the US did London Broil end up referring to top round? I can't find anything explaining that, but I suspect it has to do with the reputation of flank steak changing, as it used to be (according to my mother and grandmother) a relatively cheap cut. -71.71.244.193 (talk) 21:36, 20 July 2008 (UTC)


 * London broil refers to a particular dish made with marinated cuts of beef and is frequently made with flank steak. The cut of beef referred to above as a London broil is nothing more than a marketing term in US grocery stores. Awotter (talk) 04:18, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

I also want to say that Flank steak is NOT a synonym for Skirt steak and I also don't think it's fajita material. Skirt Steak is used for carne asada in mexican cooking. If you get a flank steak when skirt steak in on the menu, you were bamboozled by a cheap restaurant. I realize its commonplace to do so, but its wrong. Flank steak is NOT a substitute for skirt steak in mexican cuisine(OR EVER) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.61.169.235 (talk) 23:50, 3 July 2011 (UTC)

Arrachera is not a flank steak?
Two WikiPedia articles (Skirt steak and Flank steak) each claim to be the souce for the Mexican dish called Arrachera. I had always understood that Arrachera was the Skirt steak, however I am no authority in this area, but I would like to know the real facts of this matter.

AGREED. Arrachera is skirt steak. See : Ricardo Muñoz in his great Diccionario Enciclopedico de la Gastronomia Mexicana describes the cut as being the part that runs along the ribs ... and compare to the diagram at Wiki : Skirt Steak

See also: [http://www.grouprecipes.com/29705/authentic-mexican-arracheras.html "Fajita" is the diminutive form of the Spanish word "faja" which translates to "belt" or "girdle" in English. The word was used to mean the diaphragm muscle of a steer or what we call "skirt" steak.]

See also: confusion surrounding the difference between skirt and flank steaks — Preceding unsigned comment added by JoeBonifazi (talk • contribs) 14:07, 8 June 2011 (UTC)

Totally agree. Restaurants and recipees have started to pass off flank steak for skirt steak. Totally different and uncalled for. Skirt steak is so much better. I can only imagine because both tend to be longer and flatter they think they are the same. But not even same ballpark. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.61.169.235 (talk) 23:51, 3 July 2011 (UTC)

I was raised in Mexico and arrachera is definitely the same cut used for "fajitas" - and the word "fajita" or "faja" when not used in the diminutive form, is the diaphragm muscle of a beef. Though in the US people purport to make "chicken fajitas" and even "shrimp fajitas" they are referring to a style of preparation and sauce, not really the diaphragm muscle or skirt "steak". (José K. 02:03 23 May 2012 UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.205.143.116 (talk) 02:03, 23 May 2012 (UTC)

bavette is not necessarily flank steak
Also bavette steak is not necessarily flank steak. It can also be flap meat, which comes from close to where the flank is taken out, but it is a completely separate piece from further up the side and and back from the flank steak. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Blleininger (talk • contribs) 03:22, 28 January 2011 (UTC)

unbalanced lede
Why does the lede mention Columbia and South America? What about Britain? France? Italy? I suggest that regionalisms be put in the body of the article. --Richardson mcphillips (talk) 01:05, 18 February 2017 (UTC)

Matambre is not flank stake
Matambre refers to a think cutaneous muscle (Cutaneous trunci) while the Flank is the muscular portion of the rectus abdominis. There are notable different, visually and in tenderness. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.99.102.190 (talk) 17:50, 4 February 2019 (UTC)

Respect to Terminology — they're not "cows", but steers or beef cattle
The article says that it's the "cut of beef steak taken from the abdominal muscles of the cow", but anyone familiar with the beef industry doesn't refer to these as "cows", as that term is primarily used for milk production or those which are for milking, and particularly, a house cow or family farm's "milker". Milk cows are female and usually of different breeds, ideal for milk production. Comparatively, cattle raised for meat and human consumption are called "beef cattle", and they are typically male. A female is typically called a cow, and a young female calf that hasn't given birth to calves is a heifer. Whereas, an intact male, such as for breeding, is called a bull; and, castrated males, which are typically used for meat, are called steers. There may be occasional deviation from this, but such meat is considered inferior or non-standard. Quality beef is not taken indiscriminately from "cows". The meat is taken from particular steers of good breeding, genetics, physical characteristics, etc., which is a very different business than raising milk cows for dairy production. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.35.17.4 (talk) 00:39, 1 March 2024 (UTC)