Skirt Steak
An acidic marinade of lime juice, liquid aminos, and garlic not only gives this cheap cut of beef extra flavor, it turns it into a tender steak. Without question, this is my favorite Good Eats meat application of all time. This recipe first appeared in Season 7 of Good Eats. Photo by Lynne Calamia
ACTIVE TIME: 12 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 27 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Software
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 ounces soy sauce
- 4 scallions, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar or molasses
- 2 pounds inside skirt steak, cut into equal pieces
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Specialized Hardware
- Blender
- Charcoal chimney
- Blow dryer
Procedure
- Combine the oil, liquid aminos, scallions, garlic, lime juice, red pepper, cumin, and molasses in a blender carafe and puree. Place skirt steak in a large heavy duty, zip-top bag and pour in marinade. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Allow steak to marinate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours in refrigerator.
- Fire up one chimney starter or natural lump charcoal. When the coals are white and ashy, distribute them evenly in a charcoal grill.
- Remove the steak from the bag, pat dry with paper towels and sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of kosher salt evenly over both sides. Using a blow dryer, blow charcoal clean of ash. Immediately lay the steaks directly onto the hot coals and cook 1 minute per side. When finished cooking, wrap meat in a double layer of aluminum foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Remove meat from foil, reserving foil and juices. Slice thinly across the grain and return to foil pouch and toss with juice.