Chalk it up to a hankering for a good steak, just know you can never go wrong with a skirt steak cooked in a cast iron grill or skillet. Cast iron is my preferred way to cook a steak. Talk about flavor, cast iron has muscle memory, any food cooked in a cast-iron skillet is sure to taste delicious, especially steak.
You don’t have to break the bank to purchase a skirt steak. It’s not the cheapest steak in the market, but it’s reasonable price while filled with full-body flavor. And on top of everything, it’s quick and easy to prepare.
What Is A Skirt Steak?
A skirt steak is a flavorful piece of beef cut from the plate primal. It’s a tough long, thin strip of meat filled with connective tissue. There are, in fact, two different skirts – inside and outside. The inside skirt is an abdominal muscle, and the outside comes from the diaphragm it comes with less fat. Additionally, the outside skirt is a more suitable cut of beef and is most often used in restaurants. Both steaks are marbled with fat throughout which lends itself to fabulous flavor and offers plenty of options to make fajitas, stir-fry, tacos, and steak salads.
Skirt steak is sometimes confused with the flank steak, both are tough cuts of beef, however, the skirt steak is tougher and has a more full-body flavor. The flank is cut near the cow’s rear quarter to the rear of the belly. The flank is not quite as tough as the skirt steak, however, both should be marinated in an acidic and spice solution for ultimate tenderness.
What Is The Best Way To Cook A Skirt Steak?
As I stated earlier a cast iron grill or skillet is the best way to cook a steak.
- Begin by patting dry any moisture from the steak.
- Season the skirt steak with salt and pepper. Allow it to rest on a counter for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Heat oil in a cast iron grill/skillet over medium-high heat.
- Place the skirt steak onto the grill and sear for 6 minutes then flip to the other side and sear for an additional 4 to 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and loosely cover the steak with foil. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices of the steak to redistribute throughout the beef.
- Thinly slice steak against the grain before serving.
What Is The Best Temperature to Cook A Skirt Steak?
Cook your skirt steak to rare or medium-rare, to achieve a tender texture. In fact, the longer you cook the steak the tougher it becomes. Which might lead to a less palatable experience.
- Rare 125°F- Sear for 6 minutes then flip for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
- Medium-Rare 130-135°F -Sear for 6 minutes then flip for an additional 4 to 5 minutes.
- Medium 140-145°F Sear for 7 minutes then flips for an additional 5 to 6 minutes.
- Medium-Well 150-155°F Sear for 8 minutes then flips for an additional 6 to 7 minutes.
- Well Done 160°F Sear for 9 minutes then flip for an additional 7 to 8 minutes.
Helpful Tip: A digital thermometer is a great tool to check for doneness.
Skirt Steak Cooked In A Cast Iron Grill Served with Chimichurri
What a treat to serve Skirt Steak Cooked In A Cast Iron Grill, with chimichurri, it sure to provide added flavor to the steak. Chimichurri is a sauce of Argentine descent, made of fresh chopped parsley, vinegar, olive oil, chopped peppers, garlic, salt, and pepper. Use chimichurri as a marinade as result, it helps tenderize the steak. Now you can also, use the sauce as a side dish to enhance the flavor of the skirt steak. Note: Discard the chimichurri sauce when used as a marinade to avoid food poisoning. Remember to save 1/3 of the chimichurri sauce to drizzle over the steak.
Try a few other tasty recipes found here on the blog:
- Grilled Smoky Steak & Vegetable Kebabs
- Golden Fried Pork Chops
- Pan-Grilled Mahi Mahi
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- 1 pound skirt steak
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- ¾ tsp. pepper
- 2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup orange/red pepper, finely chopped
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- Begin by washing and chopping the parsley. Next, place it in a medium-sized bowl. Add the minced garlic, chopped orange/red peppers, red pepper flakes, then stir. Blend in the red wine vinegar and olive oil. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste. Store in a jar.
- Add the skirt steak and half the chimichurri marinade/sauce to a zip lock bag and seal and let marinate for 30 minutes. Now save the rest of the unused sauce as a condiment for the skirt steak. Remove the steak from the marinade and discard the marinade.
- Pat skirt steak dry to allow the surface to develop a crust. Next, season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a cast iron grill/skillet over medium-high heat.
- Place the steak onto the grill and sear, flipping 5-6 minutes for approximately 12 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and lightly cover with foil. Let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes. This allows the juices to seep back into the steak, making it more tender.
- Slice the steak against the grain into small strips. Finally, serve the skirt steak with the remaining chimichurri (optional). Enjoy!
