Skirt steak is the diaphragm muscle, one of the most flavorful cuts on the animal with a pronounced beefy taste and coarse texture. It comes in two versions — inside and outside skirt — with the outside being more tender. It absorbs marinades well and cooks quickly over very high heat. It is the traditional cut for fajitas and tacos.
| Country | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Skirt steak | |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Skirt steak | |
| 🇲🇽Mexico | Arracheraprimary | Almost always sold pre-marinated in Mexico, the definitive taco and fajita cut |
| 🇦🇷Argentina | Entraña | A prized asado cut in Argentina, typically grilled quickly over high heat |
| 🇫🇷France | Hampe | |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Entraña | |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | Fraldão |
Both are flavourful, coarse-grained cuts from the plate/diaphragm area that benefit from high heat and slicing against the grain, but the hanger is a single thicker muscle while the skirt is thinner and wider.
Both are flat, fibrous cuts from the belly area suited to marinating and slicing thinly, but flank is leaner and milder while skirt has more fat and a more intense flavour.
Both are intensely flavored, fibrous cuts used similarly in bistro and taquería cooking, but bavette is from the flank while skirt is the diaphragm muscle.