Make Ahead Amazing Skirt Steak Recipe- (Barefoot Contessa Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook skirt steak so it isn't tough? ›

Skirt steak is thin and lean, so going past medium-rare or medium doneness will yield an extremely dry and chewy steak. Cook it hot! Cook it fast with high heat, instead of low heat for slow cooking. There is not much connective tissue in skirt steak.

No, you should not rinse steak—or most other meat for that matter. "You should not rinse freshly cut steaks, chops, or even chicken breast,” World Master Chef Fred Tiess tells Southern Living.

Add the steak to the bag, or bowl, and marinate for at least 20 minutes. I recommend 1-8 hours for the most flavorful, tender skirt steak. Note: I do not recommend marinating for more than 8 hours, or the acidity of the marinade will start to break down the proteins in the meat and can cause the steak to become mushy.

Pounding. Using a meat mallet (or kitchen mallet) to pound steaks helps soften and tenderize the meat. Simply place the meat in between pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound it prior to cooking. If you don't have a meat mallet, you can also use a heavy kitchen tool such as a skillet, saucepan or rolling pin.

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To achieve it, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Add steak to a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven on the middle rack. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the steak becomes browned. Flip the skirt steak over and cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Cut of Meat: Not all cuts are made equal. Some parts of the cow are more prone to being chewy because of their muscle structure. Typically, leaner cuts like the flank or skirt can be chewy if not prepared correctly. Cooking Method: Overcooking can cause the steak to lose its moisture, making it dry and chewy.

Grilling a skirt steak without marinating it can still result in a delicious and flavorful meal. Here's a simple method to grill a skirt steak without marinating it: Preheat the grill: Start by preheating your grill to medium-high heat. This usually takes about 10-15 minutes.

Always marinate meat and poultry in the refrigerator, and boil the used marinade if you want to brush it on the meat or poultry while it's grilling.

As long as your marinade mixture includes at least one tenderizing ingredient, you should get good results from a 24 to 48-hour soak in it. Soaking the meat beyond 48 hours will just leave the surface too soft and mushy. Short soaks don't do much for the texture, even if they add flavor.

Is it OK to marinate skirt steak for 24 hours? ›

Optimally, for tough steaks like skirt and flank, it's best to marinate it no longer than 24 hours in the refrigerator. Beyond overnight marinating is overkill.

We already know 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 the steak, first cut each piece of skirt into a three-to-four-inch section with the grain.

You can't really tenderize steak after it's been cooked, but the best way to make it seem tender is to slice it really thin.

If there's one thing to avoid when grilling skirt steak, it's cooking it for too long. To reach medium-rare, you'll probably need no more than 10 minutes. Cooking longer can cause those naturally tough fibers to tighten even more, making the steak chewy. For best results, leave some pink in the middle.

Covering your overcooked steak with a thick sauce or gravy will help balance out the dryness and make up for its lack of flavor. Preferably, the sauce is also warm. Serving the steak warm is important, as cold steak gets even tougher. Warm some water or broth in a pan with some barbeque sauce and let your steak simmer.