Back to Basics: How to Grill Tender, Versatile Skirt Steak

Back again to Barbecue Essentials

February 13, 2024

Preferred from Texas to Thailand, this strong steak from the underbelly of the steer (we call it skirt steak) has almost everything a carnivore hungers for: bold flavor, juiciness, and no-nonsense texture you can sink your enamel into. Let’s face it: Anybody can glance excellent cooking a tender filet mignon. It usually takes skill—even cojones—to flip out a wonderful skirt steak. We’ll share our how to grill skirt steak phase-by-step system under.

In the US, skirt steak is nearly synonymous with fajitas (in Spanish, the word signifies “girdle”), a specialty of the Tejano lifestyle. Food historians say Mexican ranch fingers working near the Rio Grande in the late 1930s and early 1940s resourcefully turned humble cuts like skirt steak into fulfilling foods by marinating the meat, grilling it in excess of their campfires, and serving slender slices in tortillas.

Skirt Steak on the Grill - How to Grill Skirt Steak

There are essentially 4 for every animal: a person pair of muscular tissues is recognized as the outside the house skirt steak, and is most popular by dining places and in-the-know meat eaters (NAMP 121C) as it is longer—up to 20 inches—and thicker than its counterpart, the inside of skirt steak. Though upscale meat purveyors and larger-close supermarkets at times carry outdoors skirt steaks, within skirt steaks (NAMP 121D) are more prevalent. If the label simply just reads “skirt steak,” ask your butcher for clarification. (Observe: A third designation, NAMP 121E, refers to an exterior steak that has experienced the slim membrane encasing it eradicated.)

Mainly because the steaks are commonly sliced into sections just before getting sold, most packages will weigh 14 to 16 ounces and provide 2 to 3 folks, based on the preparation and the range of facet dishes.

If you can not locate skirt steak locally, several online purveyors sell them. We’ve even identified Wagyu skirt steaks. Prices fluctuate greatly, of system, and shipping costs are generally a consideration.

How to Grill Skirt Steak

  1. Dry the steak totally with paper towels. If it is a full steak (18 to 20 inches), you may need to have to reduce it into sections right before grilling. Address and refrigerate until finally it is time to cook dinner.
  2. If sought after, soak the steak in your favorite marinade for 2 to 8 hours (included and refrigerated). When raw, the meat is a bit like a vast elastic belt or a pleated skirt, meaning its better floor spot really soaks up marinades.
  3. If you decide not to marinate the meat, brush it with olive oil and period it effectively on each sides prior to grilling with coarse salt or your favorite rub. (We advocate Steven’s Santa Fe Espresso Rub as it actually enhances the beefy taste of skirt steak.) For the greatest crust, enable the meat rest for 15 to 30 minutes in advance of grilling.
  4. Heat your grill to significant (about 500 levels). Oil the grill grate nicely.
  5. Grill the steak(s) for 2 to 4 minutes for every aspect, depending on the meat’s thickness.
  6. Transfer the meat to a chopping board and enable relaxation for 5 minutes. If preferred, leading when very hot with a handful of pats of butter or compound butter.
  7. Working with a sharp knife, slice the meat against the grain keeping the knife at an angle to the reducing board. (This approach shortens the meat fibers, making for a much more tender chunk.) Leading with any accrued juices and serve with your desired sauces or condiments.

Skirt Steak Recipes

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