Flank — Fajitas · 143

Abdominal muscle with a coarse but remarkably consistent grain. That consistency is the whole trick: slice it thinly against the grain and a tough cut becomes dramatically tender. The grain should run clearly in one direction, and the silverskin should already be trimmed away. Sear the outside hard, then always cut at a right angle to the grain. Cutting with the grain ruins it.

Whole-muscle flank is usually ungraded at retail; grain direction matters more than the stamp. Cook Flank as Grilling to 88° at the centre. Plate as Fajitas. Angle 4: check thickness before the clock. Cook Flank as Fajitas to 88° at the centre. Thick grain needs more time. A cut’s grain comes from how much the muscle worked. Flank needs heat through to 88° before “Fajitas” makes sense. 88 is a stage of that heat, not a luxury score. The same cut becomes a stew, a grill, or a braise, so a steak minute does not cover a pot. Thick connective tissue wants time, not a hard sear alone. This is not medical advice.

Cook Flank as Fajitas to 88° at the centre. Thick grain needs more time. A cut’s grain comes from how much the muscle worked. Flank needs heat through to 88° before “Fajitas” makes sense. 88 is a stage of that heat, not a luxury score. The same cut becomes a stew, a grill, or a braise, so a steak minute does not cover a pot. Thick connective tissue wants time, not a hard sear alone. This is not medical advice.