The Meatwave

The magical skirt—my favorite strip of meat from an animal so giving with its immense choices of cuts. When done right it's beefy, juicy, tender, and all around a gift to our palates. It was one of the first things I posted on this blog, and I'd choose as one of the last things I'd ever eat as well. Loving it so much, it's surprising I've rarely veered from the Alton Brown recipe that first acquainted me with how great skirt can be. Not to get me wrong, I think Alton's recipe is pretty close to perfection in my mind, but it was time I branched out a little more and experimented with some other flavors against this insanely delicious bovine masterpiece.

For those unfamiliar with the skirt, it's about time you get comfy with this cut. Sometimes confused with flank because of its similar properties, the skirt is actually two distinct cuts—inside and outside—from the diaphragm area of the steer. The outside skirt steak is from the plate section, below the rib and between the brisket and flank, and usually comes with the membrane still attached, which needs to be trimmed before cooking. Inside skirt comes from the flank—it's narrower and thinner than the outside skirt, and comes with the membrane removed and is most likely what you'll find at your butcher today (I've only been able to pick up an outside skirt while in Texas).

Skirt is great on its own, but one of it's stellar properties is that its big, beefy flavor can easily hold up to excessive seasonings and marinades. In this recipe, this came in the way of a heavy spice rub with a nice hit of lime juice.

Since the skirt is thin and the acid in the lime can start to break down the proteins in the meat and turn it mushy, the steak only got a relatively quick marinade—about one hour. With this short amount of time, the meat could sit out of the refrigerator and let come to room temperature while preparing the grill.

Skirt wants to be cooked quick and fast and the grill is key in this success. For this steak, I lit a little more coals than normal, then piled them close together to create a concentrated, blazing hot fire clocking in well over the standard 600 or so degrees a standard new batch of coals produces.

It was at this point, when the grill was at its hotest, that I seared the long pieces of skirt. They quickly developed and beautiful blackened crust in only a few minutes per side, while leaving the center a nice medium-rare—you do not want to overcook skirt steak or it'll become dry and loose a lot of its flavor.

A perfectly grilled skirt can still be ruined if not properly sliced. Just about all meat should be cut against the grain, but this couldn't be more true for skirt steak; its long muscle fibers will be incredibly chewy if not cut properly.

To slice this steak, I first cut each piece of skirt into a three-to-four-inch sections with the grain. Then, sliced each of those sections into thin strips about 1/4-inch thick against the grain. This will ensured the shortest muscle fibers, creating nothing but a tender, flavorful steak.

The thin slices of steak were piled into warmed corn tortillas and topped chopped tomatoes and cilantro. A drizzle of cilantro cream—sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, and green onion pureed together—finished the tacos, which looked magnificent.

One bite and I was entranced by this bovinity divinity. The steak had the strong beefy quality that makes skirt one of the most flavorful cuts, with the addition of a nice spiced crust and little hints of smoke here and there. The tomatoes, cilantro, and cream all came together to add a fresh tang that made the taco whole. If cooked and sliced right, it'd be hard to go wrong with skirt steak, and this one left me almost as infatuated as the other recipe I've been loyal to for so many years. I guess I'm just a sucker for skirt, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Published on Thu Jun 7, 2012 by Joshua Bousel

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