The Other Red Meat
My cooking buddy Robert brought me two skirt steaks for my birthday from the local Farmer’s Market which he visits every Saturday morning. I stuck them in the garage fridge and forgot all about them until yesterday morning. When I was looking for something to serve the kids, I came across them and realized I needed to cook them that day.
I immediately reached for my cookbook, Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures & Glazes written by my friend Jim Tarantino for a marinade recipe. I am new to this type of grilling so I picked one of his easiest marinade recipes for beef that turned out to be incredible.
What made it so incredible? Besides helping the meat stay tender and preventing me from overcooking it, the skirt steak was unbelievably flavorful, all I had to do was cut and serve.
No seasonings or sauces, just cut and serve. Both my young daughters raved so it wasn’t overly spicy and my 8-year-old had both seconds and thirds.
The marinade from Jim’s book was easy enough. I had all the ingredients in-house but had to use some dried herbs in place of some fresh ones called for in his recipe. Didn’t matter in the end but I’m sure fresh herbs would have given the marinade even more flavor.
What Is Skirt Steak?
Skirt steak is a flavorful and versatile cut of beef that comes from the diaphragm muscles of the cow, specifically the plate section. It is known for its long, flat shape and pronounced grain, which runs along the length of the meat. This cut is particularly popular in Latin American and Tex-Mex cuisines and is prized for its rich, beefy flavor and tenderness when cooked correctly.
One of skirt steak’s key characteristics is its strong, robust flavor, which is more pronounced than that of many other cuts of beef. This makes it an excellent choice for marinades and rubs, as the meat readily absorbs additional flavors. Common marinade ingredients include citrus juices, garlic, soy sauce, and various herbs and spices, which help to tenderize the meat and enhance its natural taste.
Skirt steak is best cooked quickly at high temperatures for a tender and juicy result. It is often grilled, broiled, or pan-seared to develop a flavorful crust while keeping the inside moist. Due to its thinness, skirt steak cooks rapidly, usually requiring only a few minutes on each side. It is important not to overcook skirt steak, as it can become tough and chewy if cooked beyond medium-rare to medium.
When preparing skirt steak, it is crucial to slice it correctly to ensure optimal tenderness. Because of its prominent grain, the steak should be sliced against the grain into thin strips. This helps break down the muscle fibers, resulting in a more tender bite.
It is a staple in dishes such as fajitas, where it is often served with sautéed peppers and onions, and in carne asada, a popular Mexican dish. It can also be used in sandwiches, salads, and stir-fries, showcasing its versatility whether marinated and grilled for a backyard barbecue or quickly seared for a weeknight dinner, skirt steak offers a delicious and satisfying option for beef lovers.
Marinade
I used Jim’s Basic Red Wine Marinade For Beef but you want to check out his other 399 recipes in his Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures & Glazes. The book is a great explanation of how all this stuff works.
I used this marinade on two skirt steaks but it would be great on New York strip steaks, sirloin, tri-tips, beef kabobs, or even venison.
Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skirt steak
For the Marinade
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt coarse-grain
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs chopped, I used ½ tablespoon of dried rosemary and thyme each
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- Chop up the garlic, parsley and fresh herbs and you are ready to go.
- Combine all the ingredients EXCEPT THE OIL in a blender or food processor and process until blended. The reason I list the olive oil last is because it is the last ingredient to go in. We want to drizzle in the oil a little at a time to emulsify it. Don't make the mistake I often make by not reading the instructions carefully and add everything at one time.You can make this marinade up to a week before you are going to use it by storing it in a clean, airtight container. I use glass jars from my youngest daughters favorite jarred peaches.
How Long to Marinate?
- I made the marinade in the late morning and cooked the steaks about 8 hours later. Jim says 8 to 12 hours is the best amount of time for skirt steak and I would agree with him.
- Grilling - I'm not going to go into the fine details of grilling meat in this post but remember skirt steak is thin and doesn't take long to cook. Depending on your grill, it should take 3 to 4 minutes per side for rare, longer for medium.Other methods of Cooking - You could also broil, sauté, pan-fry, pan-roast or even braise skirt steak but grilling is my favorite cooking method.
14 Responses
I have been grilling this cut of meat for sometime. This the first time I have heard of someone else liking it as much as I do.
Nice blog. Just stumbled across it and enjoyed reading a few posts. Like you, I’ve been doing nothing but gas for a while. I ran out of propane over Memorial Day and switched over to my charcoal grill for the ribs–man, on man. Definitely nice!
Love the sound of this recipe. I plan on grilling a Tri-Tip this weekend for a Father’s Day party. I will let you know how it turns out. And thanks for the site. I’m really enjoying it!
I have tried Skirt steaks in the past and loved them..Today, I am trying your recipe..sounds great and will post my comment after feasting this inexpensive, but delicious Steak..Beats strip steak if cooked and marinated the right way..Thank you so much:)
Love your blog! This was awonderful recipe. I have grilled Skirt Steaks for sometime, never having a bad one.
This recipe was Oh-So Good!
Keep up this great site!
Love skirt steaks, especially done with hot peppers. Also, I thought your recipe was terrific. I saute my steak in a grill pan and it works out great.
I m a skirt steak fan too, I am making mine on the stove hope it works out well.
I love skirt steaks, but usually i pound them slightly and i have a large piece of slate that i either heat in the oven or on top of my grill and them put the steaks on that. Ive also seen people using hardwood coals blow off the ash and just lay them directly onto the coals for about a minute.
My husband & I love skirt steak and have it quite often; I use a marinade of chopped onion & garlic, some Gravy Master, Season-All seasoned salt (1 tsp.) & Soy sauce combined in the blender and usually marinate for either 4 hours or overnight; it is excellent on my electric grill.
Hi Sylvia, thanks for sharing your methods. – RG
I love this, and so do all my friends! Thanks for sharing this. I use it all the time. BTW, you said you use half a tablespoon each of dried rosemary and thyme, but the recipe says 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, so what equals the other tablespoon?
Hi Peter, glad you like the recipe, it comes from a great cookbook. The recipe says to use 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped herbs but at the time I didn’t have any so I substituted the dry herbs. Since the recipe didn’t call for any specific fresh herbs, I take that to mean you can use whatever you like. – RG
Hanger steak and skirt steak are completely different cuts.
Hi Nick, yes the hanger steak and skirt are different cuts but not “completely”. They actually both come from the diaphragm of the animal which is one muscle but cut into two separate cuts. The hanger steak is the cut closer to the kidneys and is considered more flavorful to the skirt steak that is composed of tougher exterior muscle. – RG
My ex-husband was a meat cutter and we use to make pinwheel steaks out of skirt meat. I have not been able to find it in years until last weekend at my Farmers Market. I make 8 pinwheel steak with trimmings for something else. I cannot wait to try out my steak. I will try this marinade too. Thanks
Hi Lisa, please send me your recipe for pinwheels. Sounds great. Let me know how your steaks comes out -RG
In response to the question about the amount of herbs to use – just remember, it usually only takes about 1/2 the amount of dried herbs to get the same amount of flavor as fresh herbs. Probably why there is a discrepency in the amounts you noted but the marinade still tasted great.
doing a version of this for my son!!! yum!!! using wine instead of soy…