Let's go ahead and face it, meat rules. I mean seriously, it is the one guaranteed way to make anything better. Got a kale salad? Throw some bacon up into that beach. (And take the kale out.) Just cheese in those enchiladas? Dice up some grilled chicken for those bad-boys! Black-eye? Don't you dare reach for a bag of frozen peas! Grab a slab of steak.
But while everyone tends to focus on your standard cuts of meat, I wanted to start a blog series that highlights some of the less appreciated and attention-recieving cuts of meat. And to start, I could not think of any cut better than Skirt Steak!
Skirt Steak comes from the plate part of the cow. This is in-between the brisket and the flank part of the animals. Many people consider Skirt Steak and Flank Steak the same, but they are two separate cuts of meat even though they both come from the lower part of the animal.
Skirt Steak is full of flavor and has a beautiful tapered look to it. It can be a little tougher than other cuts of meat, but if you cook it right it has impeccable flavor. Many people will marinade a Skirt Steak to take out some of the toughness and I know you wouldn't go wrong with a Chimichurri for this cut.
As opposed to being a cut looking steak it is usually longer and less uniform. This gives it an awesome staging appeal as people can watch you slice off the pieces of it for whatever dish you are having.
My Favorite Way to Rubb: In a gallon-bag put the skirt steak in and drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over it. Then use a scoop of minced garlic and shake in some All-Purpose Rubb. Then take either fresh cilantro or chives (if possible use garlic-chives or onion-chives) and slice them up. Toss into the bag and mix everything around together. Let it all sit for an hour and then toss on the grill. Be sure to be mindful of the thinner areas of the meat as they will cook quicker than the fatter parts. This will work out in your favor though, should people prefer more-done parts.
In about 3 oz of Skirt Steak you get: 187 calories, 10 grams of fat, 22 grams of protein and other important vitamins (such as potassium, iron, vitamin B 6&12 and magnesium.)
Below are some pictures of a Skirt Steak Challenge we recently held at my house. One of my best friends was in town for the holidays and I knew he needed to be treated to some true red-blooded Arizona red-meat treats! Both steaks were prepared in the same way but was one grilled and the other went on the Traeger. (The one on the Traeger can be identified by the foil underneath the grill plates.)
Both were extremely delicious and filling! I really should be better about taking pictures off of the grill, but usually by that time I can't wait any longer!
See you all in 2017 and remember: Don't Beat Your Meat, Rubb That Chubb!
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-Chubbs