Bavette: What It Is and How to Cook It

Bavette steak, also known as skirt steak or flank steak, is a favourite cut of meat lovers. Juicy and slightly marbled, this piece of beef is best eaten rare, to appreciate all the flavours of its elongated fibres.

Learn more about how to choose and cook bavette steak in our guide below.

How to choose a bavette steak

There are three types of bavette: skirt steak (aloyau in French), flank steak (flanchet) or stewing steak (pot-au-feu).

Skirt and flank steak are perfect for pan-frying or grilling. About 150 grams per person should be a sufficient portion – a little more if you are a big eater.

Stewing beef, or pot-au-feu bavette, is fattier and perfect for slow-cooked dishes, such as pot-au-feu. It can be tied and mixed with other pieces of meat. In the case of a slow-cooked dish, use about 200 grams of (boneless) meat per person.

What's the difference between bavette de aloyau and bavette de flanchet?

Bavette: cooking tips

Bavette de aloyau (skirt steak)

Skirt steak is a muscle of the abdomen of 2 to 3kg. Its fibres are long and tight, making it particularly tender and tasty.

Take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes ahead of cooking. Meat that's too cold suffers from heat shock when cooking, causing the muscle fibres to contract, thus toughening the meat. 

Once the bavette is at room temperature, opt for simple cooking. Sear the bavette in a pan or grill for a minute on each side to caramelise the juices on the surface and keep as much juice inside. Then simply season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little cooking juice, and then let stand for a few minutes under aluminium foil to relax the meat and distribute the heat evenly.

One of the great classics of French cuisine is bavette d'aloyau à l'échalote. At the same time as cooking your meat, confit some finely chopped shallots in a pan with butter. When they are well coloured, add a little water and sugar to caramelise the shallots. Once all the juice has evaporated, serve with the skirt steak.

Bavette de flanchet (flank steak)

Flank steak is a square piece located at the level of the beef groin. Its fibres are also long, and tight.

Its cooking time can vary from one to three minutes on each side depending on its thickness – like the aloyau bavette, it is best to eat it rare to preserve all the flavours. 

Also, consider taking the flanchet bavette out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking and letting it sit under aluminium foil.

Stewing beef or pot au feu

This last type of bavette is, as its name suggests, ideal for stewing or 'pot-au-feu'. This is actually the muscle that envelops the flank steak.

The pot-au-feu bavette is a piece of meat to simmer, not grill, to which other meats, vegetables and cooking juices are added and slowly cooked at medium temperature.

How to keep bavette

If you don't eat your bavette the same day, it is possible to keep it for two to three days in the coldest part of your refrigerator.