Friday, March 20, 2009

Skirt Steak and Broccoli Rabe

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I really like Skirt Steaks. My brother-in-law Tommy got me into them years ago but I don't make them that often. They tend to be fatty but the fat is visible and easy to trim. Steve didn't think he liked them so I shied away for them for a long time. Since I've been in the spirit of getting "The Boss" to try more things I like I decided to give them a shot. To my surprise, he actually approved of them. I love when I am able to get him to try (and like) new things. We have both been able to do this for each other. Steve got me into Sushi, Guacamole and Egg Drop soup! The soup is actually a funny/cute story. On one of our first few dates Steve and I decided to do Chinese Take-Out and a movie. When Steve took out the menu for his favorite Chinese Restaurant he went right to the Egg Drop - Wonton Mix soup and said that we have to get this because it's so good. I never had Egg Drop soup. One of my coworkers used to call it Phlegm Drop Soup and that's all I could think of. "Do you like that?" he asked. "Yes, yes, it's fine." I told him. I didn't want to seem like I was difficult. When the food came I was hesitant to try it but didn't let him know. So, I tasted it and LOVED it! From that moment on it's been my favorite thing to order at a Chinese Restaurant. I'll never order plain Wonton Soup again! Sometimes I'll even get just plain egg drop!

Wow, I certainly went off topic. Anyway, I came up with this marinade after looking at a few marinade recipes in my Weber cookbook. None of them jumped out at me so I used some of their ideas in combination with what I had in my pantry and spice cabinet. I was very happy with the result. It was a little on the salty side so don't add any salt to this at all. Marinate the steaks for an hour or longer. I have a nifty marinator from Tupperware that can be flipped over without leaking. It's great for steaks. A good tip whenever you are using a thick saucy marinade is to pat the meat dry before you grill it, especially if you are using a grill pan like I did. This prevents the sauce from burning and causing smoke which will set off the smoke alarm. Yes, I am talking from experience. It happens to the best of us, right? So besides the marinade there really isn't a recipe because we all like our steaks cooked differently. I cooked these for about 8 minutes on each side and they were nice and red in the center. Leftovers are great for fajitas the next day (as long as you don't overcook them on day one)!


Marinade

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp cumin
t tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp terriyaki sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp honey


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9 comments:

Theresa said...

For years I had always shied away from skirt steak thinking that I wouldn't like it, so I never put it on the menu. Well all that time wasted and missed out. Skirt steak is delicious. It pops up on my menu frequently in the summer time!!

Bob said...

I've wanted to try skirt steak, but haven't been able to find it at my market. That looks wicked good though! Heh, I've taken to making my girlfriend try things before I tell her what it is. ;) That way she pre-judges a little less.

Stacey Snacks said...

I love skirt steak too.
Flank, or any of those stringy cuts.
Even though you have to marinate them to break down the muscle, it is so worth it in the end.
I can't wait to do some outdoor grilling!

Tangled Noodle said...

What is it about skirt steak? I'm so obsessed with trying it now after reading this and another post about what a great yet overlooked cut it is. Thanks for this recipe - when I finally get my hands on some of this (and the weather warms up) we'll fire up the grill and get this one going!

Spryte said...

That steak looks incredible!!!

La Bella Cooks said...

Wow! The last pic of the steaks grilling has my mouth watering. So yummy.

Carolyn said...

Hey Michele - how did you cook your broccoli rabe? Did you just boil it in some water?

I find boiling it in chicken broth instead of plain water cuts out the bitterness of the broccoli rabe and makes it extra delicious!

Michele said...

Carolyn - I blanch mine in salted boiling water and then put them in an ice bath. I then saute it in lot of garlic and extra virgin olive oil. The blanching really works to cut the bitterness. I never thought of using chicken broth. Do you save the broth for soup or something another time?

Mom on the Run said...

Hey Michele-

Check out my recipe review of the steak.

http://smmuconn.blogspot.com/2009/04/blogger-recipe-shout-out-skirt-steak.html

Thanks a bunch!

Sarah