How to cook skirt/flank steak

Also referred to as the flank, skirt steak is the perfect cut to provide that flavoursome beef punch for meals that require a little meat to go a long way. Ideal for both your Mexican tortillas and beef bourguignon.

The cut

Skirt steak is a coarse-grained steak with a rich flavour and generally sourced from the flank area.

How to cook

Best cooking methods – Slow Cooking, Pan Fry, Stir Fry

The skirt steak is commonly used in stir-frying but can have a tendency to be chewy. Tenderising methods such as marinating are a great way to bring out the rich flavour and make the cut more versatile. To minimise toughness and add flavour skirt steaks are often marinated before grilling or pan-searing very quickly. They are typically sliced against the grain before serving to maximise tenderness.

Sear the meat quickly in a sizzling skillet remembering not to cook the meat beyond medium-rare. Past that, the steak dries out quickly. Hot meat will continue to cook even after it’s off the heat, so it’s better to undercook skirt steak by a half a minute or so.

You should see a very rosy pink center when you cut into the meat. Let the meat rest for a few minutes before you serve it. Searing the steak forces the juices to the center of the meat. The resting period allows the juices to seep back into the rest of the meat so you’ll get a juicier, tastier result. Keep the steak under a tent of foil so it stays warm. Cut skirt steak in thin slices. You can slice it either with or across the grain, but whichever way you slice it, slice it thin.