Skirt Steak

[jonfin]

Where can I buy skirt steak in La Jolla/San Diego?

[r.vacapinta]

Any Mexican meat market will have it. It is the cut used to make Carne Asada. My folks in Encinitas usually buy it at El Nopalito.

[zoey67]

Uh negative, not all offer quality like Kennedy. El Nopalito is akin to dumpster diving. That place is disgusting, I have no idea where all those positive reviews on Yelp are from. I gave them 2 chances and the last time was el finito. The fried chicken was dry as wood barge you find off the beach. The carnitas plate was so TJ, and add insult to injury the plate was $9. You can just tell the food and the way it was prepared was hap hazard. I don't know, it's seems to be doing ok so whatever, live and let live I guess...bon appetite but never again for me.

[RhonelyInsanediego]

Kennedy Karne in Escondido has Angus flank, skirt, and flap meat.

[zoey67]

+10 for Ken Karne...they have gigantic carne asada burrito with real beef. The guy that makes em is really nice...the other dude I think the son of the owner at the cash register is kinda of a jerk so heads up.

[Gener]

You can buy Outside Skirt which is hands-down the best in flavor of all the skirt steaks.
Costco Business Center sells it by the case or CRYO pac.
7803 Othello Ave.
San Diego, CA 92111
858 810-5833

[mcgrath]

I realize the question has long since been answered, but the Cowboy Star Butcher Shop downtown on 10th Ave. always has wagyu skirt steak on hand. Consistently delicious and maybe a little more tender than others.

[Norm Man]

Any idea how much per pound for Waygu Skirt Steak?

[oleeami]

$19.99. Worth every penny. I'm so greatful there's a Cowboy Star in town. Skirt is the easiest way to please my guests. I've tried skirts from different meat places to save some money. Well.

[ibstatguy]

the skirt steak at Cowboy Star is outstanding

[Norm Man]

A few miles north of La Jolla, I have bought Skirt Steak at Tip Top Meats in Carlsbad.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving 2011 I got $50 worth of Skirt Steak FREE from Tip Top Meats (American Express gave a $50 credit toward purchases at independent small businesses and I have 2 American Express accounts).

Tip Top Meats

6118 Passeo Del Norte

Carlsbad

760 438-2620
http://www.tiptopmeats.com

I second the earlier recommendation for Siesel's Old Fashioned Meats;

Siesel's Old Fashioned Meats
4131 Ashton St.
San Diego
619 275-1234
http://www.iowameatfarms.com/

In La Jolla, Homegrown Meats may have Skirt Steak:

Homegrown Meats
7660 Fay Ave
La Jolla
858 454-6328
http://www.homegrownmeats.com/

[jonfin]

Thank you all! Siesel's has them...all the time!

[Norm Man]

Correction: The American Express Small Business Saturday Promotion gave up to a $25 credit per card. I have 2 American Express accounts and thus, I got a credit of $25 for each account.

[DiningDiva]

Try Pancho Villa on El Cajon Blvd where it crosses the 805 or Northgate on 43rd just off the 805 or Vallarta in National City. Most likely will be labeled as "carne asada". The butchers at all 3 are (or should be) bi-lingual and able to tell you if what they're selling as carne asada is, in fact, skirt steak.

[MrKrispy]

I think Pancho Villas has several types of thin beef cuts, last time I was there getting lunch I was salivating at the meat case.

[DiningDiva]

I've had mixed luck with the meat from Pancho Villa, some has been fine some hasn't. I've had better luck at Northgate

[master815k]

Northgate was where I was thinking you could get some decent skirt steak too!

[DiningDiva]

You can, and I have :-)

[dferriot]

Definitely Seisel's in Bay Park. La Jolla Village area has Homegrown Meats and Jonathan's Market (a Harvest Ranch-owned grocer).

[master815k]

I have had the same problem! I am from the east coast and when I moved here asked several butchers. One tried to tell me it was the same thing, but after some research I know it's not!Flap Meat is thicker and tougher. What about some of the Latin Markets? I'm sure it's super expensive at whole foods.

[Josh]

Hm, that's not been my experience. Quite the opposite, in fact. Flap meat is thinner, without as much of the membrane that skirt steak has.

RE: price at Whole Foods, the grass-fed cuts are pricier (approx $10/lb), but their standard beef offering I think comes in around $6/lb.

Of course, we could also have a discussion about whether or not one wants to be on the tail end of the commodity meat pipeline, and all the environmental degradation and potential ill-health effects that go with it, but I'm guessing you don't much care.

[master815k]

Really? Maybe it's where I have bought it! I'm going to check out the places mentioned.

[honkman]

WF LJ recently had skirt steak a few times for $5/lb as special offer

[mayache]

You could try calling Seisel's in Bay Park, they usually have a pretty wide variety (I would check first). Maybe some of the Mexican markets?

[Josh]

Whole Foods sometimes has it available, but not regularly.

Costco sells flap meat, which is similar.

[oerdin]

In years past I used to see Costco sell skirt steak which been topped with feta cheese & fresh basil then rolled up like a cinnamon bun and then cut into circular pieces. It was simple but tasty not to mention inexpensive.

[cstr]

Flap meat is, referred to in the northeast, sirlion tips, good for kabobs etc. Skirt steak is entirely different in thickness, fat and texture, it has a well defined grain that you need to cut across for tenderness and is much thinner. Costco carries both cuts.

[Josh]

Kabobs?

I don't see how that's possible.

It's very, very thin - thinner than skirt steak.

[Josh]

This is what the flap meat at Costco looks like.

[cstr]

That pic is skirt but that's not flap meat.

[Josh]

That pic is flap meat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flap_steak
http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-03-16...

[master815k]

I am going to look into Skirt/flap thing. My internet research isn't doing much, so I am heading to the butcher!

[cstr]

I'm making a small Costco run today, I'll take a pic.

[Norm Man]

Flap Meat and Skirt Steak can look similar -- both relatively thin, flat and having long meat fibers but they are from different areas of the cow.

Shirt Steak is from the Plate:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skirt_steak

Flap Meat is from the Bottom Sirloin (Josh's post has a link to an excellent article about Flap Meat from the San Francisco Chronicle):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flap_steak

[Josh]

Their texture is a bit different too, despite the similar appearance.

[cstr]

Hey Josh you're going to enjoy this. I went to Costco on Morena and you're correct the meat you show is marked flap meat, although it looks like and is skirt steak.. However, I was just on the east coast and went to a Costco, here's a pic of flap meat on the east coast. Go figure but, that's the difference about regional terms etc.

[Josh]

Skirt steak and flap meat look similar, and have similar texture, but I've cooked both quite a bit and they are noticeably different, despite their visual similarity.

Skirt steak is thicker and more substantial, and is narrower in width. It cooks less quickly than flap meat.