CarneAtlas
Falda

Falda substitutes

What to use when you can't find Falda at your butcher

Falda is the traditional name in Mexico. Outside that tradition, butchers carry comparable beef cuts under different names — sometimes the same anatomical piece, sometimes a close cousin. The alternatives below are grouped by country so you can match what your local butcher actually carries.

What to ask for
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Mexico

Arracheraapproximate

Both are thin, flat cuts from the plate/flank area used in similar long-cooked Mexican preparations; skirt steak is the diaphragm muscle with more intense flavor, falda is the plate muscle and slightly milder.

Suaderoapproximate

Falda comes from the neighbouring plate region and is the most common Mexican substitute when suadero is unavailable.

Argentina

Vacioapproximate

Adjacent cuts from neighboring primals; both are used for caldo de res and slow-cooked dishes in Mexico, though flank steak is leaner and firmer.

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