Marinated & Grilled Skirt Steak

When it’s time to cook a steak at home, Skirt steak is pretty much always one of my favorite cuts.  It’s a fairly lean cut, that has a ton of natural flavor and is great on both the grill and the stove top.  Generally skirt steak has a bit more flavor, than the more expensive cuts like filet mignon, New York Strip, and ribeye, but is still tender enough to appeal to just about everyone.  They also tend to take marinade really really well, and here I’m going to show you one of my simple goto steak marinades, that you can put together in about 10 minutes.  I’m cooking this skirt steak on a grill pan indoors, but it would be even better outside on the real thing.  Enjoy it! 

Recipe Overview and Keys to Success

To make the best Marinated & Grilled Skirt Steak, just make sure to do the following:

1. Like all steaks, make sure to follow my Five Rules for a Perfect Steak
2. Let the skirt steak marinate for at least 2 hours; up to 8 would be great
3. Before cooking, let the steak come to room temp, pat them dry, and season with salt and pepper right before cooking, don’t put salt & pepper in the marinade itself
4. When eating, cut the skirt steaks against the gain, to help ensure a more tender steak; if you cut with the grain, they make end up pretty stringy

• 1 tablespoon Dijon (or other fancy) mustard
• 2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 coarsely chopped garlic cloves

• 2 8 ounce skirt steaks
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive oil

• Combine all the ingredients into a zip lock bag, and toss to coat evenly
• Allow the skirt steaks to marinate in the fridge for 2 – 8 hours
• Remove about 30 minutes prior to cooking and pat the steaks dry with paper towel
• Pre-heat your grill to the hottest setting for about 10 minutes until very hot
• Season the steaks with salt & pepper and coat with a thin layer of olive oil
• Lay the skrit steaks on the grill, and sear on the first side for about 2 minutes, without touching or flipping; keep the grill closed to lessen flame ups
• If the grill is not hot enough (the steaks should be loudly sizzeling) remove and get it hotter
• Turn the steaks over, they should be crusty with good grill marks, and sear on the second side for just under 2 minutes
• The skirt steaks should be cooked to about medium now, but due to differences in thickness they may be a bit over or under.
• To cook further move to a cooler part of the grill, and continue to cook with the lid closed for about 1 – 2 minutes for each degree of doneness
• Remove from the grill, and allow the skirt steaks to rest for about 5 minutes
• Serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy!

Whenever I’m grilling, I love to work in a good bottle of Zinfandel, and it will go especially well with these grilled skirt steaks.  The rich jammy qualities in the wine will match well with the sweet & tangy marinade, and the tobacco and leather notes pair perfectly with the char from the grill.  Enjoy!