How to cook skirt steak on the stove

At the market, it’s quite normal when a piece of filet or ribeye captures your eye. Other tendersOther tenders, tasty, and more economical cuts, on the other hand, are frequently disregarded. You should, however, try something new and intriguing the next time you have a beef craving and go for the less popular skirt steak.

After rapidly searing in a hot pan, this thin, quick-cooking steak cut is packed with meaty flavor and finds a way to stay tender and juicy. Provided that you know the right ways to cook a skirt steak, you’re sure to end up with delicious results.

Skirt steak nutrition facts

Tips for cooking skirt steak on the stove

The following tips we’ve compiled below will help you achieve optimal results when cooking a skirt steak on the stove:

What is a skirt steak? – Skirt steak is a long, thin cut of meat with visible grain. Immediately beneath the rib portion comes from the steer’s short plate or diaphragmatic area.

The outer and the inner skirt steaks are the two types. This is crucial to know since the texture and softness of this cut will vary, especially when it is lean and has some strong muscle fibers.

Because it is softer and less abrasive, the exterior skirt is preferred. It will be about three to four inches in width, ½ to one inch thick, and significantly longer than the interior cut.

The inner skirt is about five to seven inches in breadth and half as thick as the outside skirt, giving it a chewier taste. If you have access to the inside skirt, you can tenderize it using a meat mallet, which will get it to a ¼-inch thickness and a marinade.

Because the beef is typically folded when packaged, it can be difficult to identify whether the steak you’re looking at is an inner or outer cut. If you have access to the butcher, you can inquire about the cut’s location.

The best way to cook a skirt steak – The best way to cook skirt steak is to sear it in a hot pan. My preferred choices are a cast-iron skillet or a hot grill. Here are a few more cooking ideas for the most delicious skirt steak:

Dry your steaks: It is always advisable to dry the surface of your steaks before seasoning or searing them; this will help you achieve a nicer crust. Any extra moisture will typically produce steam, reducing the chances of a beautiful sear on the steak.

Cook the steaks quickly: Cook them quickly on high heat rather than slowly on low heat. Skirt steaks have very little connective tissue. Because the low-and-slow approach helps break down connective tissue, fattier pieces of beef with many connective tissues do better when cooked at low heat for long periods. With skirt steak, this isn’t an issue.

The ideal way to cook skirt steaks for a soft result is to cook them hot and fast. A juicy finish is ensured by the short flash time, which only takes a few minutes on either side.

Avoid overcooking: A quick hot sear creates a savory seared crust, and undercooking your steaks by a minute lessens the chances of overcooking. With a few minutes of friction with the hot surface, the best texture is achieved, resulting in medium-rare doneness. Because skirt steaks are typically thin and lean, cooking them past medium-rare or medium doneness will result in a dry and chewy steak, which is generally unpleasant to eat.

How to slice your steaks – Make sure the skirt steak is thinly sliced against the grain, about ¼-inch thick. To make a bias cut, hold your knife at a 45-degree angle. This ensures more tenderness by increasing the surface area between muscle fibers, preventing stacking, and making eating simpler.

Cooking time for skirt steak

Cooking a skirt steak on the stove takes 2 to 4 minutes on each side.

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