Grilled Skirt Steak

As a child visiting the family in Texas, I remember my Uncle used to always make his fajitas using skirt steak.  It is a long, flat, usually thin piece of meat, that he said, “needed attention” before cooking so it wouldn’t be tough.  I now take the phrase “needing attention” to mean that a marinade will do the trick, and here is one that I like a lot for this flavorful cut.

If you don’t want to use the grill you can pan fry this steak instead, but the grill does make it especially good. While similar in ways, skirt steak is not the same cut as a flank steak, so if you use flank steak, I recommend marinating longer because it is a tougher cut of meat and I wouldn’t pan fry it—broil instead if you’re not going to grill.  When slicing a flank steak, also remember to slice it thinly on a diagonal across the grain.

If you’re looking for something nice for Father’s Day, try this Skirt Steak with the Red Potatoes with Sour Cream Sauce posted last and the Southwestern Chopped Salad that follows.

Grilled Skirt Steak

Serves 6

Ingredients for Steak:

2 pounds skirt steak
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1 small lime
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Preparation:

Whisk together the oil, cumin, cilantro, shallot, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Place the skirt steak in a glass dish and pour the marinade over.  Refrigerate for at least two hours and up to six.

Bring the steak to room temperature before grilling.  Grill the steak for 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until done.  Transfer to a cutting board, cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes.  Slice and serve.