How to Cook Skirt Steak

Inexpensive yet full of delicious flavors, skirt steaks work great with a range of recipes which include the mouth-watering fajitas and other grilled dishes. Before we can look at recipes or rather how to cook skirt steak, let us first understand what the term "skirt steak" actually means. Skirt steak is a term used to refer to the long primal cut from the belly of the cow. Coarse grained and narrow, skirt steaks are part of the diaphragm muscles and are thus one of the toughest cuts of meat. For it to gain the juicy and tender flavors, the skirt steaks need to be cooked just right. Here are some ways of cooking skirt steak.

How to Cook Skirt Steak in the Oven

Simple Oven Skirt Steak Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skirt steak cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the Marinade

• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

How to Make

Before you can start off with cooking the skirt steaks, take the steak out of the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature. Cut the long pieces of the steaks into 6-inch length so that it can easily fit a sauté pan. Place the pieces in a baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients of the marinade and rub it onto the skirt steak pieces till it is coated well.

Now in a sauté pan, pour oil and heat it till it becomes very hot. Place the steaks in the pan and cook it for around two minutes on each side. Once they have browned, place them in a pre-heated oven of around 400 degree F for about 5 minutes until the steaks are medium rare and ready to be served.

Delicious Braised Skirt Steak Served with Artichoke

Ingredients

• 2 cubes beef bouillon
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pound tenderized skirt steak
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 cups marinated artichoke hearts, chopped and liquid reserved
• 1 cup roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 3 pickled jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1 cup pickled carrots, chopped
• 2 teaspoon capers
• 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish

How to Make

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. In a vessel of boiling water, dissolve the beef bouillon cube. Use a oven safe Dutch oven to heat the olive oil. Now, season the skirt steak with salt and place it in the Dutch oven . Cook per side for around two minutes or till the beef has browned. Now, pour in the beef bouillon and some artichoke juice into the Dutch oven and cook. Add the artichokes, red peppers, jalapeno peppers, carrots, capers, and horseradish and stir. Bring all the ingredients to boil. Cover it and then place it in the oven. Bake for around half an hour till the meat becomes tender. Remove the steaks from the Dutch oven and wrap it in a foil. Now, let the other ingredients simmer uncovered on the stove till the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency. Slice the steaks and serve it with the sauce.

How to Cook Skirt Steaks for Fajitas

Ingredients

• 45 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to paste with 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut into pieces to fit on a grill
• 4 assorted colored bell peppers, sliced thin
• 2 large red onions, sliced thin
• ½ cup fresh cilantro sprigs
• 12 (7 to 8 inch) flour tortillas
• Guacamole, tomato salsa and sour cream

How to Make

This recipe helps you understand how you can cook skirt steak on the grill so that it becomes tender and flavorful. For making this delicious fajitas recipe, combine the garlic paste, lime juice, cumin, and olive oil in a Ziploc bag, seal it and shake to combine all the ingredients. Now place the steak, peppers, onions and cilantro sprigs in a bag, coat the meat and distribute the vegetables evenly in the bag. Place the bag in a refrigerator overnight for the marinade to soak in.

Now preheat the grill to high heat and remove the skirt steak from the marinade and place them on the grill. In a heavy skillet, heat the oil to melting point add drain in the vegetables along with some fresh cilantro sprigs. Stir fry and let the vegetables soften. Set them aside and keep warm. Grill the steaks for around two minutes till they are medium rare. Slice the meat into strips and place it in the warm tortillas along with the vegetable mix and the rest of the ingredients like guacamole, salsa, and sour cream and fold it in the taco style.

Knowing how to cook skirt steaks can help you use it in versatile dishes such as the lovely fajitas or placed on top of a cool summer salads like the simple romaine and raw red pepper salad dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Steaks cooked to perfection can be seasoned with a rub of cayenne and sea salt and served with a side of steamed broccoli or mixed with oven roasted tomatoes and rotini pasta. So what are you waiting for, go ahead and enjoy the mouth-watering and flavorful skirt steaks cooked at home.