A culotte steak is more modest, silly. Actually, any and all attempts at wit aside, they are not at all the same.

There seems to be some disagreement online about the exact source of the culotte steak, but our information comes from Lobel's Meat Bible, corroborated by The Complete Meat Cookbook, by Bruce Aidell and Denis Kelly, so we are feeling pretty confident at the moment.

The culotte steak is another name for the tri-tip steak, the somewhat triangular cut at the end of the bottom sirloin. You will find variation in the names of certain cuts of beef from one area of the country to another, but the culotte steak comes from the bottom sirloin, no matter where in the country you are. Get it? The bottom. Be that as it may, the sirloin section is located high and toward the back of the cow, not very far ahead of the tail. Aidells and Kelly suggest that you season a culotte steak with a dry rub and then grill it.

The skirt steak is taken from under the breast, under and toward the front of the cow. There are actually two skirt cuts – known as the inside and the outside. The outside skirt steak is tender, juicy, and flavorful, generally 3/4 of an inch thick, and well suited to broiling, pan-broiling, and grilling, according to the Lobels. The inside skirt is also juicy and flavorful, just less tender, which is why it is so often used for fajitas. (Using the outside skirt for a fajita is simply a luxury, the Lobels say.)

Now, for all who put their trust in the Internet, there will be a quiz later, so remember, the culotte steak comes from which part of the sirloin? That's right, the bottom!