Cody Casey
Skirt steak is a thin, long cut with visible grain and is packed with flavour. It is best cooked on high heat for a short time and can be cooked in a pan. It is usually seasoned or marinated and is often used to make fajitas. When cooking skirt steak, it is important to ensure that the surface is dry to help brown the surface of the meat. It is also important to not overcook the steak as it can become dry and chewy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cooking Style | Pan-seared, cast iron skillet, grill |
| Preparation | Remove excess moisture, season, rub/marinade |
| Cooking Time | 2-4 minutes each side, 10 minutes resting |
| Steak Size | Cut into 5-7 inch pieces |
| Steak Temperature | Room temperature for 15-20 minutes |
| Pan Temperature | High heat, almost smoking |
| Oil | Olive oil, coat steak |
| Steak Doneness | Medium-rare, internal temp 130°F |
| Steak Weight | 200-220g per person |
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What You'll Learn
Preparing the steak
Skirt steak is a thin, long cut with a visible grain. It is best cooked on high heat for a short time and is usually seared in a hot pan. Here is a step-by-step guide to preparing the perfect skirt steak:
Before cooking, remove the steak from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes. This will help take the chill off the meat. If your skirt steak comes in a long strip, cut it into smaller pieces, about 5 to 7 inches in length. This will make it easier to handle and fit better in the pan.
Next, pat the steak dry on both sides with paper towels. Removing excess moisture will help the exterior brown more quickly and evenly. Once the steak is dry, season it generously with salt and pepper, or your choice of spices and aromatics. You can also apply a simple rub or marinade for extra flavour. If you choose to marinate, place the steak in the marinade for at least 10 minutes or even overnight in the refrigerator.
After seasoning or marinating, heat a large cast-iron skillet or a sauté pan over high heat for about 3-6 minutes. Add extra virgin olive oil to the pan, or rub it on the steak, and heat until it's very hot but not smoking.
Cooking the steak
Now, carefully place the steak in the pan and press down firmly on the surface a few times for more contact. Sear the first side until browned and crispy, which should take about 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat. Then, flip the steak and cook the other side for another 2 to 4 minutes.
For a medium-rare steak, cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 130°F. You can check this with a meat thermometer or by touching the steak. If it feels very squishy and soft, it needs more time.
Once the steak is cooked to your desired doneness, remove it from the pan and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes before slicing. Skirt steak is best served medium-rare or medium, as cooking it past this point will result in dry and chewy meat. Finally, slice the steak into thin strips against the grain for a more tender eating experience.
Tips
- Open your windows or turn on your vents, as searing the steak can create a lot of smoke.
- If you want to make a simple sauce, use the browned bits left in the pan after cooking the steak.
- Skirt steak is best cooked simply and combined with other ingredients to make a full-flavoured meal.
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Pan and heat setup
Skirt steak is best cooked using high heat for a short time. A cast-iron skillet or a sizzling grill are good options for the pan. If you are using a skillet, a 12-inch pan is recommended.
Before placing the steak in the pan, ensure that the surface is very dry. This helps to brown the surface of the meat. You can pat the steak dry using paper towels.
Next, heat the pan on high heat for about 3 to 6 minutes. You can add oil to the pan, but some prefer to oil the steak instead to cut down on smoke. If you are oiling the pan, heat it until it is very hot, almost but not quite smoking.
Place the steak in the pan and press down firmly on the surface a few times for more contact. Sear the first side until browned, about 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat. Flip and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes. For a steak less than 1 inch in thickness, leave it for 3 minutes on each side; for a thicker steak, leave it for 4 minutes on each side.
If you want a medium-rare steak, cook it until it reaches an internal temperature of 130°F. You can use a meat thermometer to check this. Alternatively, touch the steak to check its doneness. If it feels very squishy and soft, put it back into the oven for another minute or two.
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Cooking the steak
Skirt steak is best cooked using high heat for a short time. It is a thin, long cut with a visible grain, so it cooks quickly and is best served medium-rare.
First, take the steak out of the refrigerator about 15-20 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature. If your skirt steak comes in a long strip, cut it into smaller pieces (5 to 7 inches in length) so that it fits better in the pan and is easier to slice later.
Pat the steak dry with a paper towel on each side to remove excess moisture. This will help the exterior brown more quickly. Season both sides of the steak generously with salt and pepper, or your choice of spices and aromatics. You can also marinate the steak to infuse it with more flavour. A simple marinade can be made with extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic cloves, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, Italian seasonings, and black pepper. Make sure to tenderize the meat before marinating it. Place the meat in the marinade and let it chill for at least 10 minutes in the freezer or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Use a cast iron skillet or a fry/sauté pan that can go into the oven. Heat the pan over high heat for about 3-6 minutes until it is very hot, almost smoking. Add olive oil or another cooking oil to the pan. Use tongs to carefully place the steak in the pan, then press down firmly on the surface a few times for more contact. Sear the steak for about 1.5 to 3 minutes on the first side, until browned, then flip and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak. For a steak less than 2cm or 1 inch in thickness, cook for 3 minutes on each side; for a thicker steak, cook for 4 minutes on each side. You can flip and season the steak again after the first flip.
Once both sides are browned, the steak is likely cooked to medium-rare. You can use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the doneness. For medium-rare, the internal temperature should be 130°F. Alternatively, touch the steak to check its doneness. If it feels very squishy and soft, it needs more time.
Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Cut the steak into strips against the grain, as this will make for a more pleasurable eating experience.
You can use the brown tasty pieces left behind in the pan to make a simple sauce. Add butter to the pan and melt it. Then, add minced shallots and cook until soft and translucent. Add red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Increase the heat so that the wine bubbles and boils down to a syrupy consistency. Finally, add chicken or beef stock and Dijon mustard, along with fresh thyme, if desired.
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Resting the steak
Resting your steak is a vital step in the cooking process, allowing you to achieve an evenly moist and flavorful cut of meat. Skirt steak is a thin cut, so it only needs to rest for about 10 minutes, compared to a larger steak that would need to rest for about 30 minutes.
During the resting period, the outer layers of the steak cool while the temperature at the centre continues to rise. The latent heat travelling through the meat induces carryover cooking, which means the steak is still cooking even after it has been removed from the heat source. The steak will reach its final resting temperature when the outer and inner temperatures meet. The density of the meat will determine how much its temperature rises when resting.
To prevent the steak from cooling down too much, you can use a very loose tent of foil over the meat. You can also add a pat of regular or flavoured butter to the resting steak, which will melt into the meat and add a richer taste.
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Making a sauce
Skirt steak is a thin, long cut of beef with a visible grain. It is best cooked on high heat for a short time, making it a juicy and quick option for dinner.
Skirt steak is often used to make fajitas, but if you want to serve it as a straightforward piece of beef, you can use the tasty brown pieces left in the pan to make a simple sauce. Here is a recipe for a red wine sauce:
Ingredients:
- Butter
- Red wine
- Shallots
- Chicken or beef stock
- Dijon mustard
- Fresh thyme
Method:
- While the steaks are resting, take the same pan the steaks were cooked in and add two tablespoons of butter.
- Melt the butter.
- Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent (about 2 minutes).
- Add the wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze it.
- Turn up the heat so that the wine bubbles and boils down to a syrup (about 2 minutes).
Alternatively, you could make a mushroom-cream sauce. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
- Cremini mushrooms
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Thyme
- White wine
- Chicken stock
- Cream
Method:
- Sear the skirt steaks in a skillet and set aside.
- Divide the mushrooms between the skillets and cook until they have released their fluid and most of it has cooked off.
- Add the shallots, garlic, and thyme, and cook until the mushrooms are browned and the shallots are soft and golden.
- Add the wine to each skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.
- Scrape the contents of one skillet into the other and continue cooking until the wine has evaporated.
- Add the stock and reduce by half.
- Add the cream and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Return the steaks to the skillet, bathe them with the sauce, and serve.
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Frequently asked questions
Skirt steak is best cooked on high heat for a short time. Heat a cast-iron skillet or a 12-inch fry pan on high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes. If your steak is in a long strip, cut it into 5- to 7-inch pieces so they fit in the pan. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and season with salt and pepper. You can also coat the steak with olive oil, or oil the pan. Place the steak in the pan and cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the steak.
Skirt steak is best cooked to medium-rare. It will take about 2 to 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the other side to reach medium-rare. You can also use an instant-read meat thermometer to check—the steak will be medium-rare when it reaches an internal temperature of 130°F. If you don't have a thermometer, touch the steak—if it feels very squishy and soft, it's not done yet.
Skirt steak isn't known for being the most tender cut of meat. To make it more tender, you can ask your butcher to put it through a tenderizer machine. You can also tenderize it yourself by pounding it with a meat mallet. Another way to improve tenderness is to marinate the steak before cooking. A simple marinade can be made with lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, and honey.
