STORY
About two years ago, I met a man with a grill. For most people throughout the US, this isn’t a big deal, but for those of us who live in and around the New York City area, a man who possesses a grill is quite an amazing feat. First, it means that the man in question would have to have some sort of outdoor space. Second, he’d have to have a condo or co-op board that allows him the opportunity to potentially burn down the building he lives in. Third, it means, that maybe, just maybe the man in question owns his own property, which, I confess is somewhat sexy to women living in the NYC area. All of these things made this particular man grow in esteem in my eyes, and from the beginning of our relationship, I plotted ways to get access to the grill. I learned his favorite flavors (spicy, salty, tangy), and I would device opportunities where I’d have to cook at his house, just so that I could use the grill. When the relationship ended I, like any good cook, lamented the loss of the grill more than the loss of the relationship.
One of my favorite recipes I made for the Man with the grill, was a chili lime and cumin skirt steak. The beauty of this recipe is in the chili, lime, and cumin marinade. Now, there are a lot of cuts of meat where it would be an absolute sin to marinade the meat for an extended period of time. This is not the case with skirt steak. Skirt steak has a tendency towards being tough, and that makes it the perfect cut for marinades. Keep in mind skirt steak is usually between 1 1/2 – 2 lbs, you’ll have to cut it in half for this recipe. Not to worry, I have another recipe (my Sweet chili skirt steak) that will use up the rest of the steak. Oh and if you don’t have an outdoor grill to use, feel free to use a grill pan or an indoor grill like the George Foreman grill. It’s just as tasty.
To get good results, make sure you marinade the steak for at least 2 hours, and then let the steak sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour. Remove steak from marinade:
And then pat it dry:
Place it on a hot grill and grill on each side for about 4 – 6 minutes (longer if you like your meat well-done). And then let it sit again. For at least five minutes:
Allowing the juices to re-enter the steak. And then you slice it:
Against the grain, until it practically melts onto the board. And when it’s fully sliced, plate it up:
And enjoy. Here is the recipe.
RECIPE
- Prep Time: 10 minute
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Resting Time: 2-4 hours
- Total Real Cook Time: 27 minutes
TOOLS
- 1 large mixing bowl with cover (you may use plastic wrap if no cover is available)
- 1 sharp paring knife
- 1 8-inch chef knife
- citrus juicer
- 1 grill (or grill pan)
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 tongs
- plate
INGREDIENTS
1 lb of skirt steak
1/2 cup of fresh lime juice (about 3 – 4 limes)
1 1/2 tbsp of cumin seeds (do not use ground cumin)
2 tbsp of fresh cilantro (minced)
1 tsp of chili powder
1 birds eye chili, chopped and deseeded (be careful not to touch your hands to your eyes when using birds eye chilies)
2 tbsp of minced garlic (about three large cloves)
1/2 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of kosher or sea salt
1 tsp of fresh cracked pepper
METHOD
- In a large mixing bowl combine 1/2 cup of fresh lime juice, 1 1/2 tbsp of cumin seeds, 2 tbsp of fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, 1 chopped and de-seeded bird’s eye chili, 2 tbsp of minced garlic, and 1/2 tsp of sugar to make marinade.
- Add skirt steak to the bowl and cover. Shake or stir ingredients in the bowl until they combine and cover the skirt steak.
- Let sit in cool refrigerator for 1 – 2 hours (the longer the better with this one).
- Remove from refrigerator and let steak sit for 1/2 hour (allowing it to reach room temperature so it won’t seize up and become tough).
- Remove steak from marinade and pat the steak dry using a paper towel to remove all of the moisture (so that the steak sears on the grill).
- Set grill or grill pan to medium-high temperature.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on the steak and once the grill is hot, add steak to the grill.
- Grill on each side for about 4-6 minutes (medium-rare to medium).
- Remove from the grill and let it sit for about 5 minutes on a plate.
I like to serve this over Couscous with Chopped Nuts and Vegetables.
(Photo Credit: Matthew G. Piccolo)
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